ROUTE

Enrolling your child in school

Compulsory schooling, registration almost a year ahead, mid-year admission and choosing a school type after year four.

✓ Checked: 15/08/2026

Compulsory schooling in Germany is stricter than newcomers expect: the child is the one legally obliged, home schooling is not a lawful alternative, and nationality or residence status make no difference. The duty arises with residence, and it arises automatically.

1

STEP

Compulsory schooling: stricter than most expect

In Germany the child is legally obliged to attend school, not the parent — home schooling is not an option. The duty arises automatically by age, regardless of nationality or residence status.
2

STEP

Registration: nearly a year before school starts

Registration runs long before the school year — usually in the autumn or winter before it. It comes with a compulsory school medical, without which no child is admitted.
3

STEP

Arriving mid-school-year

A child must be admitted during the year, not only from September. Language support is organised differently: sometimes a separate class, sometimes extra hours within a regular one.
4

STEP

After year four: the fork most parents hear about too late

In most states children move from primary into one of several school types. The decision comes early and shapes the educational path — though later moves remain possible.

› More about this route

This four-step route covers what a parent needs: the limits of the duty including your state’s cut-off date, registration with its compulsory medical, admission when you arrive mid-school-year, and finally the choice of school type after year four.

Education law belongs to the federal states, so there are no uniform national deadlines here. Everything concrete — the cut-off date, the registration weeks, how binding the primary school’s recommendation is — is settled in your state and your town. This route shows exactly what to ask.

WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME

Assuming registration happens in the summer before school starts. It runs almost a year ahead, usually the previous autumn or winter, and the invitation goes to your registered address.
Waiting for September when you arrive mid-year. The right to a place arises immediately, and lost months are never made up.
Missing the fork after year four. In some states the primary school’s recommendation is binding, and hearing about it in year four is too late.
Coming to the medical without vaccination records from your home country. The doctor then starts from scratch, and proof of measles protection is a condition of admission.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE

At what age does a child start school?▾

Generally at six, but the exact boundary is set by a cut-off date that differs between states. A child turning six after that date usually starts the following year. It is the first thing to look up where you live.

Does the duty apply to children without a German passport?▾

Yes, fully. It attaches to the child’s residence rather than to nationality or residence permit, and it arises for children who have just arrived while their paperwork is still in progress.

What if my child speaks no German at all?▾

Language support exists: sometimes separate classes, sometimes extra hours inside a regular class. The design differs by state. The important thing is to ask from the start what the criteria are for moving into a regular class.

Can we choose a school outside our district?▾

At primary level allocation usually follows the district, but an application to another school is possible where places are free. There are no guarantees, and the deadlines are the same.

Is everything really decided after year four?▾

No. Moves between school types are provided for, and the Abitur can be reached through vocational schools or adult education routes. The path gets longer but it is not the only one — which matters for anyone choosing under language pressure.

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