When changing kindergarten, you must clarify both the new place and cancellation of the old one. Notice periods and automatic cancellation vary between municipalities and private kindergartens. Accepting a new place does not always stop payment for the old one.
Must you cancel before applying to change?
Check the application to change before cancelling your current place. Clarify in writing when you have actually received a new place and what the municipality does with the old one.
An application to change is a request for another kindergarten. It is not the same as an offer. If you end your current place too early, your family may lose the arrangement it needs.
Oslo states as of 7 October 2026 that a child does not lose their current place merely because you apply to change. You can reject the new offer and keep the old place. However, children already holding a place in Oslo do not have an unconditional right to a new place through a change. See Oslo kommune’s guidance on changing kindergarten.
These are Oslo’s rules. Ask your own municipality about its process. SamfunnPrep’s guide to kindergarten places and admissions explains the usual application for a place.
Where do you find the notice period?
Read the statutes and agreement for the kindergarten you are leaving. Municipal and private kindergartens may have different rules, even within the same municipality.
Statutes, vedtekter, are the kindergarten’s rules on matters including admissions, cancellation and payment. Find the current version and ask the manager to explain unclear points. A date from another family’s kindergarten is not necessarily correct for you.
Distinguish these dates:
- The day notice is received.
- The day the notice period begins.
- Your child’s last day in the old kindergarten.
- The last day you must pay for.
- The first day in the new kindergarten.
These dates need not match. Your child stopping attendance does not automatically end the agreement or payment. Submit notice through the channel specified by the municipality or kindergarten, and save the receipt.
Also ask whether summer or an August start has special deadlines. This may change your planning even when the ordinary notice period seems simple.
How do Oslo and Bergen differ?
Oslo and Bergen use different ordinary calculations for municipal notice periods. You must therefore check which rule actually applies to your agreement.
The information in the table was checked on 7 October 2026:
| Situation | What the local guidance says |
|---|---|
| Ordinary cancellation of a municipal place in Oslo | One month from the first day of the month. Special conditions apply to cancellation from August. |
| Ordinary cancellation of a municipal place in Bergen | One month from date to date. |
| Private kindergarten | Read that particular kindergarten’s statutes. |
See Oslo kommune’s information on cancellation and leave and Bergen kommune’s explanation of prices and payment.
Both municipalities have special rules for changes between municipal kindergartens. The table alone is therefore insufficient when changing. Ask for the end date and payment date based on your particular two kindergartens.
When is the old place cancelled automatically?
This depends on local arrangements and whether the old kindergarten is municipal or private. Check before treating acceptance of the new offer as cancellation.
Oslo says a municipal place is cancelled automatically when you accept a new place at another kindergarten. This applies whether the new kindergarten is private or municipal. If your old place is private, you must cancel it yourself when changing, regardless of the type of new kindergarten.
There is no notice period when changing between municipal kindergartens in Oslo. If you want to stop earlier than the new place’s start date, you must nevertheless follow the municipality’s cancellation instructions. Otherwise payment may continue for the whole period.
Do not use Oslo’s rule as a national rule. You can write to the old kindergarten:
We have accepted a place at [new kindergarten] from [date]. Must we submit separate notice? Please confirm the last day of our agreement and the last day we must pay for with you.
Ask for a reply even if the application portal shows “change approved”. This makes planning the family’s actual transition easier.
Might you have to pay for two places at once?
Yes, there may be a period of payment for both the old and new place. This happens when the new place starts before the obligation to pay for the old one ends.
Bergen explains that double payment can occur when changing kindergarten. The municipality makes an exception for changes between its own municipal kindergartens: you pay until the end date at the old one and from the start date at the new one. Two invoices then do not necessarily mean the same days have been paid for twice.
Oslo states that changing between two municipal kindergartens does not create extra costs. When changing from a municipal to a private place, however, you must pay for the municipal place during the notice period. Private agreements must be checked separately.
Example: the new kindergarten starts before the old agreement’s payment period has ended. You ask both kindergartens to show which days their invoices cover. Only then can you see whether there is double payment or two invoices for separate periods.
Clarify the possibility of a later start before replying to the offer. Do not assume the kindergarten must change the date, but ask which options exist.
What should you check when moving or paying a reduced fee?
When moving, clarify how long you can keep the old place and when the new municipality can offer a place. Reduced parental payment must also be checked under the new arrangement.
Oslo says you must submit notice when moving out of the municipality with a municipal place. You can keep it for a maximum of three months after moving, and the municipality may end it earlier if other children are waiting. Private kindergartens have their own rules.
If you pay a reduced fee, ask whether the decision still applies. Oslo says you do not need a new application for a reduced fee when changing within the arrangement described. When moving to another municipality, clarify this with the new municipality.
SamfunnPrep’s guide to reduced parental payment explains the application. Do not assume that an application to change also updates every price detail.
How do you arrange a safe transition?
Make a brief overview of the offer, cancellation, payment and first day of attendance. Check it with both kindergartens before ending practical arrangements.
Also agree on how your child will get to know the new kindergarten. Explain routines or support needs the staff should know about. Ask the new manager whom the family can contact when starting.
Keep the offer, your reply and the notice receipt. SamfunnPrep’s practical tools help with other family tasks. For the change, the next step is to confirm the last payment day and first day at the new place.
