Start with three questions: the child’s age on 31 August, their residence status, and whether they need first admission or a transfer. A family arriving in October follows a different route from the spring intake of future first graders. This guide reflects the position on 2 October 2026 and helps prepare for the next school year.
Kindergarten: age and entitlement to a place
Materská škola normally admits children from age three; exceptional admission from age two is possible where the necessary conditions exist. For 2026/2027, entitlement to admission also covers children who turned three by 31 August 2026. This entitlement follows a statutory procedure and does not guarantee a place in any chosen kindergarten. If capacity is exhausted, the operator, usually the municipality or city district, becomes involved.
Compulsory pre-primary education applies to children who turn five by 31 August before the relevant school year. These children receive priority. Submit an application and work through the kindergarten and its operator rather than expecting younger children to be displaced. Additional compulsory education rules for Ukrainian children with temporary protection are explained in a separate article in this section.
Application dates: 2026 and the next intake
The main 2026/2027 intake has closed: kindergarten applications ran from 1–31 May 2026 and first-grade applications from 1–30 April. Under the current law, the next general kindergarten application window is 1 April–31 May; first-grade applications run from 1 February–31 March. Use these windows to plan for autumn 2027, and check the school’s published conditions and specific April zápis dates.
Applications can be submitted through the government’s ePrihlášky portal; paper applications remain available. List schools in preference order. Kindergarten applications require a paediatrician’s medical fitness certificate including mandatory vaccination information. Keep the submission confirmation and application code. If your child arrives during the school year, contact the headteacher now: spring first-admission dates do not mean they must remain out of education until next autumn.
First grade and school readiness
Základná škola is basic school, normally grades 1–9; stredná škola is the next stage, such as a grammar or vocational school. Children normally start school after turning six and reaching school readiness. Parents of a child permanently resident in Slovakia who turns six by 31 August must apply regardless of the child’s expected readiness.
Continuing compulsory pre-primary education requires a decision by the kindergarten head based on written consent from a counselling and prevention centre (CPP), a paediatrician, and informed consent from the legal representative. A psychologist’s verbal recommendation alone is insufficient. Exceptional admission before age six also requires favourable CPP and paediatrician statements. Discuss these issues before the admission process ends.
Costs: check your district’s rules
There is no nationwide fee of “€30–60 for kindergarten and €15 for meals”. Municipal kindergarten contributions are set by the operator’s local VZN regulation. Children in compulsory pre-primary education are exempt from the kindergarten contribution at a state school; meals are accounted for separately. Ask for current fees, meal subsidy conditions, cancellation rules and exemptions: the total depends on the institution.
Compare schools using a family budget that includes tuition, meals, after-school care (ŠKD), clubs and trips. Check when supervision ends and who may collect your child. Ask private schools for the contract, full fee schedule, cancellation terms and programme status. A trial visit helps assess the daily journey and communication with a family that does not yet speak Slovak.
School holidays in 2026/2027
The ministry’s calendar sets autumn holidays for 29–30 October 2026, Christmas holidays for 23 December 2026–7 January 2027, and the half-year holiday for 1 February 2027. Spring holidays in Bratislava, Nitra and Trnava regions run from 1–5 March 2027; other regions use different weeks. Easter holidays are 25–30 March and summer holidays 1 July–31 August 2027. Check kindergarten and after-school care opening separately; the school calendar does not determine their full operating schedules.