A kindergarten place is a permanent place in kindergarten for your child, and most children in Norway have a statutory right to a place from one year of age.

What is a kindergarten place, and who has the right to one?

A kindergarten place is a permanent place for your child in a kindergarten. Kindergarten is a place for play, learning, friendship and care for children from one to five years old, before they start school.

Most children in Norway have a statutory right to a kindergarten place. The right applies to children who turn one year old by the end of August in the year you apply – then the child has the right to a place from August that year. If the child turns one year old in September, October or November, they instead have the right to a place by the end of the month the child turns one year old. The right applies in the municipality where the child is registered as resident.

There are several types of kindergartens: municipal, private and family kindergartens. All must follow the same national curriculum framework, which says something about what children should learn and experience. You can therefore rely on the quality being good, regardless of which kindergarten your child gets a place in.

If you prefer to have your child at home for a period, you can apply for cash benefits instead of a kindergarten place. Many families also combine cash benefits with a part-time place in kindergarten, for example a few days a week.

When is the application deadline for kindergarten place?

The application deadline for main admission is usually March 1st in most municipalities. The deadline applies to applications for a place from August that year.

Main admission is the large, annual round where the municipality distributes the most places at once. If you apply by the deadline, and the child meets the age requirement, you will usually get an answer about a place in the spring, often in April. Then you have good time to plan the start, organization of kindergarten days or request kindergarten leave from work.

The municipality may also have continuous admissions for the rest of the year. If you move to a new municipality, or apply after March 1st, your application will be placed in this round. Then it is not certain that there is a vacant place immediately, but you will still be on a waiting list until a place becomes available.

How to apply for kindergarten place

You apply for a kindergarten place digitally through the municipality's coordinated admissions. It is a joint application scheme for both municipal and private kindergartens in the municipality, so you can apply for and prioritize multiple kindergartens in one and the same application.

This is how you proceed:

  • Log in to the municipality's website, usually with ID-porten or BankID.
  • Fill in information about the child, including personal number and address.
  • List several kindergartens in the order you prefer them.
  • Attach documentation if you are applying for reduced price or if the child has special needs.
  • Keep track of responses from the municipality – for main admissions, the response usually comes in spring.

What does a kindergarten place cost?

All kindergartens in Norway follow a national maximum price. It is the highest amount a kindergarten is allowed to charge in parental payment per month, and the rule applies to both municipal and private kindergartens.

From 2026, the main rule is 1200 kroner per month (check the current maximum price with your municipality, as the amount changes regularly). In many rural municipalities, the maximum price is lower, and some municipalities in Finnmark and North Troms have free kindergarten place. In addition, there is often a small amount for food, called meal costs, which is separate from the maximum price. Most people pay for 11 months a year, since July is usually free of charge.

Can you get a reduced price or free core time?

Yes. If the household has a low income, you can apply for a lower price or free hours in kindergarten. The schemes can be combined, and together they are called moderation schemes.

  • Reduced parental payment: no household should pay more than six percent of total income for one kindergarten place.
  • Free core time: children between two and five years old from low-income families receive 20 hours of free time in kindergarten each week.
  • Sibling moderation: if you have multiple children in kindergarten at the same time, the second child gets 30 percent lower price, and the third child and younger are free.

You apply for these schemes with the municipality and must show documentation of the household's income, such as a tax return or salary slip. Remember that you usually have to apply again each kindergarten year, as the income may change.

Kindergarten, school and the rest of everyday life

Kindergarten is just the first step in the child's everyday life in Norway. When the child starts school, you can apply for SFO or AKS for supervision before and after school time, so that everyday life aligns with your work day.

Regardless of whether the child attends kindergarten or not, most families have the right to child allowance every month. It can be worth getting to know all these schemes together – kindergarten, cash benefits, child allowance and SFO – so that the family gets the rights you are entitled to throughout childhood.

Kindergarten and life in Norway

Understanding how kindergarten, school and welfare schemes are connected is part of becoming confident in everyday life in Norway. These are also topics that often appear in the Citizenship Test, since the test assesses knowledge about family life and rights in Norwegian society.

With SamfunnPrep you can practice questions about family, welfare and social life at your own pace, when it suits you. Many spend a little time each day while the child is in kindergarten. Try for free and become more confident about both the kindergarten application and the test – SamfunnPrep helps you keep track.