From 1 August 2026, the income limit for free kindergarten core hours is 692 465 kroner per year. If your household has a lower combined income, your child is entitled to 20 free hours in kindergarten each week. But you must apply yourself, and the date you apply determines how much you save.
These are the rates as of 25 July 2026
The income limit for free kindergarten core hours increases from 669 050 kroner to 692 465 kroner on 1 August 2026. The maximum price for a kindergarten place is 1 200 kroner per month and has not changed since 1 August 2025.
- Free kindergarten core hours: 20 free hours in kindergarten per week.
- Who gets it: all children who are 2, 3, 4 and 5 years old, and children with postponed school start.
- Income limit: 692 465 kroner from 1 August 2026 (669 050 kroner from 1 August 2025).
- Maximum price: 1 200 kroner per month, 700 kroner per month in district municipalities.
- Finnmark and North Troms: kindergarten is free in the municipalities in the development zone.
- Sibling reduction: at least 30 percent lower price for the second child, free place from the third child.
When must you apply to avoid losing money?
Apply before 1 August 2026. If you apply before 1 August, the municipality's decision applies from 1 August through the entire kindergarten year. If you apply after 1 August, the decision applies from the first full month after the application date.
This is stated in § 3d of the regulation on parental fees in kindergartens. The municipality does not pay back for the months before you applied.
An example: if you apply on 10 October 2026, you get the lower price starting 1 November 2026. In August, September and October you pay full price. That is money you do not get back.
The decision applies only through the kindergarten year. You must apply again each year. This is a common reason why families suddenly get a full bill in August. See how the municipality calculates your price in the guide to reduced parental fees in kindergarten.
Reduced parental fees or free kindergarten core hours?
These are two different schemes, and you can have both at the same time. Reduced parental fees lower the price you pay each month. Free kindergarten core hours give you 20 hours without payment.
| Reduced parental fees | Free kindergarten core hours | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | The price becomes maximum 6 percent of income | 20 free hours per week |
| Who | Children of all ages in kindergarten | Children who are 2, 3, 4 and 5 years old, and children with postponed school start |
| Limit | No fixed amount limit; the 6-percent rule decides | 692 465 kroner from 1 August 2026 |
| Application | To the municipality, each kindergarten year | To the municipality, each kindergarten year |
How you apply
You apply to the municipality where the child is registered in the population register, not to the kindergarten. The schemes apply to both municipal and private kindergartens, according to the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Udir).
The municipality calculates based on combined personal income and taxable capital income for both adults in the household. If the parents live separately, the income in the household where the child is registered in the population register counts.
If you have had permanently lower income this year than what is shown in your tax return, you can document the new income. If you are unsure about your entire situation and price, see the overview of kindergarten place: application, admission and price.
Applying is a right, not a service you ask for
It costs nothing to apply, and you do not need to explain why you apply. It is a price rule that is in the regulation, not a benefit you receive. Reduced parental fees are not economic social assistance, and the price you pay in kindergarten is not part of the income requirement the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) sets for permanent residence permit. If you are unsure about your own case, check the rules at UDI.
Reduced price in kindergarten comes in addition to other schemes. See what more families have the right to in the overview of support schemes for low-income families.
The rules about kindergarten, family finances and rights are part of the curriculum for the Citizenship Test. At SamfunnPrep you will find tools and practice exercises for the Citizenship Test that cover exactly these subjects. SamfunnPrep updates the rates when new figures come into force.
