You can apply to the municipality for an early or deferred school start. This requires the parents’ application or consent and an expert assessment. Deferral must be granted when the legal conditions are met. Early entry is an option the municipality may grant.
When can your child start earlier or later?
Children normally start school in the calendar year they turn 6. A child turning 6 in December belongs to the same year group as a child turning 6 in January. Their age on the first school day may therefore differ.
As of 7 October 2026, these rules apply to initial school entry in public compulsory education:
| School start | Year the child turns | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary start | 6 | The general rule. |
| Deferred start | 7 | The parents apply or consent. Following an expert assessment, there is doubt whether the child is sufficiently developed to start in the year they turn 6. The municipality must then grant deferral. |
| Early start | 5 | The parents apply or consent. An expert assessment shows this is appropriate and safe. The municipality may grant early entry. |
The rules are in § 2-4 of Lov om grunnskoleopplæringa og den vidaregåande opplæringa (opplæringslova), the Education Act. Here, appropriate and safe means early entry has been professionally assessed as a safe and suitable option for the child.
Early entry is not an automatic right, even with a positive assessment. The birth month does not give a right to early or deferred entry either. Early entry can be considered regardless of when in the year the child was born. § 2-4 allows a one-year deferral, not several years. Also see Utdanningsdirektoratet’s explanation of § 2-4. Utdanningsdirektoratet is the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training.
For ordinary enrolment and the first school day, read the guide to starting school in Norway.
Who assesses the child, and who decides?
PP-tjenesten (PPT), the educational and psychological service, prepares the expert assessment. This is a professional assessment of the child and what would suit them. The municipality decides whether school entry will change. A PPT recommendation is therefore not the decision itself.
You can contact PPT for advice. The kindergarten or school normally sends a referral, meaning a request for assessment. The parents must consent to the referral. Ask how this works in your municipality. See Udir’s information about PP-tjenesten. Udir is the abbreviated name of Utdanningsdirektoratet.
The child’s best interests must be a primary consideration. The child must have an opportunity to express their views, and adults must give those views weight according to age and maturity. This follows from opplæringslova §§ 10-1 and 10-2.
Consider explaining how the child gets on in play, conversations and interaction with others. Describe both what the child manages and what is difficult. Write concrete examples from everyday life. This is advice on what to discuss, not national requirements for particular tests or attachments.
How do you submit the application?
Start by asking the municipality or the child’s assigned school about the correct procedure. The municipality has a duty to provide guidance within its area of responsibility. You can ask for help understanding the form and conditions.
- Clarify the desired start year. State whether you want early or deferred entry and why you think it suits the child.
- Find the correct recipient and deadline. Ask whether the municipality uses its own form and who should send the PPT referral.
- Send information in the correct way. Follow the municipality’s procedure for personal information. Keep the application and confirmation of receipt.
- Follow up the assessment and decision. Ask to read the assessment. Speak up if important information about the child is wrong or missing.
The municipality must ensure the case is sufficiently investigated before deciding it. You can request access to the case documents under forvaltningsloven §§ 18–19, the Public Administration Act.
The municipality may also initiate a change to school entry. The parents must then consent. The school or PPT cannot decide on early or deferred entry without the parents’ application or consent.
What deadline applies in your municipality?
§ 2-4 sets no shared national application deadline. Municipalities have their own procedures. Ask early so the assessment can be completed before the desired school start.
These are local examples, checked on 7 October 2026:
| Municipality | Local procedure and timing |
|---|---|
| Oslo | The municipality has forms for both arrangements. Send the form to the child’s assigned school by post because it contains sensitive information. Oslo recommends applying by 1 January: in the year the child turns 5 for early entry, and before ordinary school entry for deferral. |
| Lørenskog | Contact the kindergarten and/or PPT. A referral for deferred entry is sent by 1 November in the year before school starts. For early entry, the referral deadline is 1 March in the desired start year. |
See Oslo kommune’s application information and Lørenskog kommune’s local procedures. Oslo kommune and Lørenskog kommune are the respective municipal authorities.
The dates apply to these municipalities. They are not national deadlines. Oslo’s date is a recommendation. Always check updated procedures where you live, and contact the municipality if the date has already passed.
What must you check in the decision?
An enkeltvedtak, an individual administrative decision, is a formal decision concerning your child. It must normally be in writing. Read which start year the municipality has decided on and the basis for its decision. A refusal must give reasons. You must receive information about the appeal deadline, appeal body and how to appeal.
The municipality may delegate the decision to another local body. In Oslo, the headteacher decides on deferred school entry on the basis of the application and PPT assessment. This does not mean headteachers have the same role in all municipalities.
The case must be processed without undue delay. If a case requiring an individual decision cannot be answered within one month, you must receive a preliminary reply. This is not a guarantee of a final decision within one month. The rules are in Lov om behandlingsmåten i forvaltningssaker (forvaltningsloven), the Public Administration Act, including §§ 11 a and 23–27.
How do you appeal a refusal?
The appeal deadline is normally 3 weeks from receiving notification of the decision. Send the appeal to the school or municipality that made the decision, not directly to another body.
State which decision you are appealing and what change you want. Sign the appeal or use the municipality’s electronic authentication system. Consider explaining why you disagree and enclosing relevant new information. The body that made the decision considers the appeal first. An appeal that can be processed is forwarded to the appropriate appeal body if the decision is not changed. Follow the appeal information in the decision. This follows from forvaltningsloven §§ 29, 32 and 33.
An application or appeal does not itself mean your child has been granted a changed school start. Ask the municipality to clarify what the child should do until the case is decided. Do not keep the child home from compulsory education without valid grounds.
What about support and the transition to school?
Changing school entry and additional support are separate questions. With deferred entry, a child with special needs may still be entitled to special educational support until school starts. This requires a separate assessment and decision. It is not granted automatically because school entry is deferred. The right also applies to children who do not attend kindergarten under Lov om barnehager (barnehageloven) §§ 31–35, the Kindergarten Act.
The municipality must ensure a safe and good transition to school. Arrange cooperation between yourselves, the kindergarten and school. Clarify consent before information about the child is transferred from kindergarten to school.
The school must adapt teaching to its pupils. This also applies when a child starts at the ordinary time. Early entry is not the only way to support a child who learns quickly either. Ask the school to explain what it can offer the child. If more support is needed, read about individually adapted education and PPT.
You can find more practical resources in SamfunnPrep’s tools overview.
