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Right to a kindergarten place and reduced parental payment
Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →
Children born January through November have the right to a kindergarten place. If your household has a low income, you may be entitled to a reduced price or free core hours.
Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 21 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.
Right to a place
Children have the right to a kindergarten place in the year they turn one, as long as they are born from January through November. According to the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (Udir), this applies as follows:
- If the child turns one by the end of August, they have the right to a place from August.
- If the child turns one in September, October or November, they have the right to a place by the end of their birth month.
- Children born in December are only entitled to a place from August the following year.
The municipality has a duty to ensure the right is fulfilled, and sets its own application deadline for admissions. Some municipalities have several admission rounds with their own deadlines throughout the kindergarten year.
Reduced parental payment
According to Udir, these schemes apply:
- Price cap: From 1 August 2025, the price cap for a kindergarten place is NOK 1,200 a month. In the least central municipalities it is lower, NOK 700. In the incentive zone in Finnmark and North Troms, kindergarten is free.
- Income-based reduction: If the price cap amounts to more than 6 percent of the household's total income, you are entitled to a reduction. For the 2025/2026 kindergarten year, this applies to households with an income of NOK 220,000 or less in 2024.
- Free core hours: Children aged 2 to 5 in low-income families have the right to 20 free hours a week in kindergarten. The income threshold is NOK 669,050 from 1 August 2025, rising to NOK 692,465 from 1 August 2026.
How to apply for a reduced payment
The application is sent to the municipality where the child is registered as resident. The municipality should inform you about the possibilities for reduction and free core hours.
Tip: The thresholds change annually. Always check the current amounts with the municipality or on Udir's website before you apply.
Sources
- Udir. Kindergarten admissions (Norwegian)
- Udir. Parental payment for a kindergarten place and reduction schemes (Norwegian)
- Lovdata. Act amending the Kindergarten Act (right to a kindergarten place for children born in November, etc.) (Norwegian)
Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.
This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.