Kindergarten

Guide to starting kindergarten

1. 1

   What you need to know before starting kindergarten

   Compulsory pre-primary education in kindergarten must be completed by all children who turn 5 by 31 August, before the start of the school year in which the child will start primary school.

    

   A child can fulfil compulsory pre-primary education in these ways:

   • regular daily attendance on working days,
   • at least 4 hours a day,
   • except during school holidays.

   Notes: This does not affect the child’s right to also attend pre-primary education during school holidays.

    

   Reduced scope (for health disadvantage)
   A child with a health disadvantage may fulfil compulsory pre-primary education for less than 4 hours a day. The legal guardian or the facility’s representative must submit an application and attach an opinion from a counselling and prevention facility.

    

   Individual education

   • for health reasons, or
   • at the parent’s request.

    

   Special method
   According to the conditions set out in the Schools Act.

   Compulsory pre-primary education lasts 1 school year. If a child does not achieve school readiness after turning 6, the kindergarten will decide on the child continuing pre-primary education in kindergarten.

   The kindergarten decides based on:

   • the written consent of the relevant counselling and prevention facility,
   • the written consent of the paediatrician,
   • the informed consent of the legal guardian or the facility’s representative.
2. 2

   Course of education in kindergarten

   Kindergartens provide education:

   • full-day, or
   • half-day.

   A child obtains pre-primary education by completing the education programme in the last year of kindergarten attendance. Proof of the level of education obtained is a certificate of completion of pre-primary education.

    

   In what language education takes place
   Upbringing and education in kindergarten takes place:

   • in the state language (Slovak), or
   • in the language of the relevant national minority.
3. 3

   Who is it for?

   Kindergarten is intended for all children, not only for children of working parents.

   Admission of children to kindergartens (including kindergartens for children with health disadvantages or with talent) is governed by the Schools Act.

    

   Priority admission of children
   The following are admitted to pre-primary education with priority:

   • children for whom pre-primary education is compulsory, and subsequently
   • children who have a right to admission.

    

   Good to know
   A child with a right to admission is generally a child entitled to a place in kindergarten under the Schools Act (for example based on age or place of permanent residence).

    

   Other admission conditions
   Other admission conditions are determined by the kindergarten director in agreement with the founder.
   The conditions are published:

   • in a publicly accessible place in the kindergarten, or
   • on the kindergarten’s website.
4. 4

   Choose a kindergarten for your child

   You can enrol your child:

   • in a kindergarten in the public school catchment area in which the child has permanent residence (the so-called “catchment school”), or
   • in a kindergarten of your choice.

    

   How to find a kindergarten
   To find a kindergarten you can use the interactive school map (Find a school | ePrihláškyOpens in a new window). It gives you an overview of schools in the area and their availability, with the option to search by address, distance, languages taught, and filtering by various criteria.

5. 5

   When to submit the kindergarten application

   The application for education in kindergarten is submitted from 1 April to 31 May. This deadline can also be called the “main deadline”.

    

   Important notice: For the 2026/2027 school year the application is submitted within the existing deadlines, i.e. from 1 May to 31 May.

   A child can also be admitted to pre-primary education during the school year, if capacity allows.

6. 6

   Submit the application

   Submit the kindergarten application electronically, conveniently from home, and track its progress online (Apply to school in a few clicks | ePrihláškyOpens in a new window).

   You can also submit the application in paper form according to the template approved and published by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic. Every kindergarten is required to make this form available to parents.

   The kindergarten will decide on the admission of the child based on the application submitted by the “main” deadline, within the deadline set and published on its website by the Ministry of Education.

   The list of applicants is published:

   • in a publicly accessible place at the kindergarten,
   • on the kindergarten’s website,
   • on the website designated by the Ministry of Education.

    

   Publication of admission results
   The list of applicants contains:

   • a numerical code for the applicant (instead of a name and surname),
   • information on whether the applicant was admitted or not admitted to pre-primary education.

    

   Good to know
   If the applicant is listed as admitted, this information is considered a decision on admission.
   The day the list is published is also considered the day the decision on admission is delivered.
   If you need a written decision on admission, you can request it from the kindergarten. The school will send it to you without undue delay.
   The kindergarten will send the decision on non-admission to a non-admitted applicant within 5 working days of its issuance.

    

   If the application does NOT allow ranking schools by preference
   If your child is admitted to more than one school, you must confirm to the chosen school within 3 working days of receiving the decision that the child will attend it. Other admission decisions automatically lose validity.

    

   If the application DOES allow ranking schools by preference
   You state the ranking of schools directly in the application. The evaluation is carried out by the central register, which notifies the relevant school of the result.

    

   Submitting an application during the school year
   An application or a request for admission by transfer can also be submitted during the school year.
   You can submit an application or a request for transfer:

   • in person,
   • by post or courier to the kindergarten’s address,
   • through the kindergarten’s electronic mailbox (e-GOV),
   • by email (by sending a signed, scanned form).

    

   Good to know
   The procedure that applies to admitting a child based on an application submitted by the “main” deadline does not apply to submitting an application during the school year or to requests for admission by transfer.

    

   Warning
   No kindergarten registered (regardless of its founder) may refuse to accept an application or a request for admission by transfer.
   This applies even if the school knows it has no free capacity.
   Every submission is the start of administrative proceedings. The kindergarten must decide on the submission and issue a decision.

7. 7

   Payment of the contribution

   A partial contribution is paid for education in kindergarten. The exception is kindergartens at healthcare facilities (for example at children’s hospitals or sanatoriums). In these cases the contribution is not paid.

    

   When you do not pay the contribution
   You do not pay the kindergarten contribution for a child:

   • who is fulfilling compulsory pre-primary education in a state kindergarten (a kindergarten established by a municipality, town, or higher territorial unit),
   • if, as a legal guardian, you apply in writing for a waiver of the contribution and are a member of a household receiving assistance in material need,
   • who is placed in a facility based on a court decision.

    

   Important information
   In the case of receiving assistance in material need, the contribution is not waived automatically. You must submit a written request for a waiver of the contribution to the kindergarten.

    

   Further details on the admission of children to pre-primary education in kindergarten can be found in the informational material Manual – Pre-primary Education Opens in a new window