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In brief
Section actions
Duration: Town hall registration: 1–2 visits; school registration: 1 visit
Cost: Free (public school); canteen/garden according to QF
Possible online

Who this guide is for

Section actions
  • You if your child is 3–6 years old and enters kindergarten
  • You if you have just moved and have to register your child in a new school
  • You if you want to know the coins and the calendar

To be prepared in advance

Section actions
  • Family Booklet (or birth certificate)
  • Proof of domicile (less than 3 months)
  • Health booklet (vaccination pages: DTP, ROR, BCG)

Step-by-step procedure

Section actions
  1. 1Identify the school in your area (school card): each address falls under a kindergarten and elementary school. Find out more about town hall (online map or school service).
  2. 2Registration in town hall: present yourself with the documents (family book, proof of residence, health book). Complete Form cerfa. Receive a certificate of enrolment indicating the school.
  3. 3Enrolment in the school: with the certificate of the town hall, introduce yourself to the school. The Director shall register the child, provide the list of supplies and return information. Usually in June before September.
  4. 4Vaccines: mandatory — DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis). Recommended (but not mandatory since the law 2017): ROR (Redole-mould-rubella), BCG, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae. Without compulsory vaccines — refusal to register.
  5. 5DEROGATION (exception): if you want an out-of-sector school (proximity of work, alternate care, educational speciality), submit a request for exemption to the municipal school service. Answer within 1 month.
  6. 6Registration ALSH (Activités de Loisirs Péri-Scolaires) / daycare : for the extracurricular (garderie matin/soir), the canteen, on Wednesdays. Registration in town hall or school, rate according to the family quota CAF.
  7. 7For a non-French-speaking child: according to the department — UPE2A (Pedagogical Unit for Allophone Arriving Students). 12 hours of French/week in addition to ordinary classes. Check with the director.
  8. 8In case of a move: inform the town hall of the old and the new municipality. Get a write-off certificate (ex-transfer) from the old school, give it to the new one. The child may continue in the old school until the end of the year upon request.
  9. 9Private school: enrollment directly at the school. Price: from 200 €/month (under contract) to 800 €/month (excluding contract). Under contract — public programme, State-paid teachers.

Common mistakes

Section actions
  • Do not register in town hall — without a certificate, the school does not take the child.
  • Missing deadlines (June) — the place can be taken, you have to turn to another school.
  • Do not check vaccinations — refusal of registration possible.
  • Do not apply for an exemption for an out-of-sector school — the place is not guaranteed.
  • Believing that the private non-contract is free as the public — it is paid, without guarantee of equivalence.

Official sources

Section actions
Show sources in this section

Useful links

Section actions
School canine: priceBack-to-school allowanceFamily Section

Important remark

Kindergarten/elementary school is governed by the Education Code. Indicative information; specific requirements in the town hall of your municipality.

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