The Kita application and the voucher run in parallel: a spot without a voucher is as useless as a voucher without a spot.
Enrolment: Voucher and Contract
In Berlin and some cities you first get a Kita-Gutschein; elsewhere you contract directly with the Kita. Your city form via postal code.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Jugendamt
Municipal authorityKita voucher, acknowledgement of paternity, child maintenance and legal support all go through your town's Jugendamt.
Where to go in your city → DOCUMENTS 4
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
By the time a place was offered I had the full package ready: certificate, U-booklet, measles proof. The place can go to the next person if you delay documents — a quick response decides.
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Lea recommends:
Read the care contract carefully: hours, the settling-in period (2–4 weeks), notice periods. Settling-in needs a parent present — plan leave or flexible time in advance.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is needed to enrol in a Kita? ▾
Birth certificate, the U-examination booklet and the measles vaccination proof (legally mandatory), sometimes proof of parental employment. The Kita gives the exact list.
Is the measles vaccination really mandatory? ▾
Yes, the Measles Protection Act: without proof of vaccination or immunity the Kita will not admit the child. Sort it with the paediatrician in advance so you do not lose the place.
What is the Kita-Gutschein? ▾
A voucher from the youth welfare office confirming your subsidised hours (e.g. 7–9 per day). You hand it to the Kita instead of money — without it no Berlin Kita signs a contract. Apply 2–9 months before the start.
How much does Kita cost? ▾
Berlin: free (only meals, ~€23). Elsewhere the parental fee depends on income: €0 to several hundred. The last pre-school year is free in many states.
What is Eingewöhnung? ▾
A 2–4 week gradual settling-in with a parent present. Tell your employer early — it does not combine with full-time work.