The German school system for children who move with you

Does my child have to go to school as soon as we arrive?

Yes, from the day you live here, with no waiting period for skilled workers' families. § 41 (1) SchulG Berlin, § 34 (1) SchulG NRW, Art. 35 (1) BayEUG and § 72 (1) SchG tie compulsory schooling to residence, not nationality. The three-month delay in Bavaria and the six-month delay in Baden-Württemberg apply only to asylum seekers, tolerated persons and, in Bavaria, holders of permits under § 23 (1) or § 24 AufenthG.

Can we teach our child at home instead?

No. In its decision of 31 May 2006 (2 BvR 1693/04) the Federal Constitutional Court called compulsory schooling a suitable and necessary means of enforcing the state's educational mandate. The European Court of Human Rights agreed in Wunderlich v. Germany, judgment of 10 January 2019, finding unanimously no violation of Article 8 in a case where homeschooling parents partly lost custody and the children spent three weeks in a home.

At what age does my child start school?

At six, with the cut-off date set by each state. Under § 42 (1) SchulG Berlin and § 35 (1) SchulG NRW, a child who turns six by 30 September is of school age from 1 August; Bavaria (Art. 37 (1) BayEUG) and Baden-Württemberg (§ 73 (1) SchG) use 30 June. Baden-Württemberg has been moving its date forward step by step from 30 September since the 2022/23 school year.

Can we move school entry forward or back by a year?

Only in some states and within narrow limits. Bavarian parents of a child born from 1 July to 30 September can defer entry by a year, in writing to the school by 10 April (§ 2 (4) GrSO). In Berlin, a child born from 1 October to 31 March can start early on application under § 42 (2) SchulG, if it needs no German support. Baden-Württemberg has no such corridor, according to its education ministry.

How many years is school compulsory?

Nine or ten years of full-time schooling, depending on the state. Eurydice lists nine years in most states and ten in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Thüringen; § 37 (1) SchulG NRW sets ten, or nine at a Gymnasium on the eight-year track. Art. 35 (2) BayEUG counts twelve years in total, nine of them full-time. Part-time vocational school then usually lasts three years, according to Eurydice.

Do we have to pay for school?

Not at a public school: attendance is free of charge, as Eurydice records for Germany. The Federal Statistical Office reported on 19 January 2026 that in 2024/25 around 807,900 pupils, 9 per cent of pupils at general schools, attended one of around 3,800 private schools, and that parents paid on average 2,042 euros a year for a fee-paying place, based on the 2021 income tax statistics.

Does an international school count as going to school?

Often not. An Ersatzschule replaces a public school and needs state approval under Art. 7 (4) of the Basic Law; an Ergänzungsschule, a supplementary school, does not. An international private school is usually an Ergänzungsschule, so the state decides whether attending it counts, not the school's reputation or its fees: no in Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, and yes in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia only with a ministry finding.

Does an international school count in Berlin and Baden-Württemberg?

No, only an individual exemption helps. § 41 (3) SchulG Berlin accepts only public schools and Ersatzschulen, the Senate Department confirms that an Ergänzungsschule does not count, and the way out is an exemption for a special reason under § 43a (1). § 72 (4) SchG requires a German school, with the school supervisory authority deciding on exceptions, and the regional councils (Regierungspräsidien) confirm that Ergänzungsschulen do not count.

Does an international school count in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia?

Only if the state ministry has formally found that school suitable. Art. 36 (1) no. 3 BayEUG sets this condition for Ergänzungsschulen in Bavaria, and § 34 (5) and § 118 (3) SchulG NRW do the same for foreign and international ones. We found no official list of schools with such a finding, so ask the school for the ministry's decision itself, not for a sentence from its brochure.

When is the secondary school chosen, and who decides?

After year 4 in almost all states and after year 6 in Berlin and Brandenburg, according to Eurydice. The decision lies with the parents in North Rhine-Westphalia, with the grades in Bavaria and with a mix of both in Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, under the state school acts:

• North Rhine-Westphalia: a non-binding recommendation with the half-year report in year 4; the parents decide after advice (§ 11 SchulG NRW).
• Bavaria: the May transfer certificate averages German, mathematics and Heimat- und Sachunterricht; a Gymnasium needs 2.33 or better, a Realschule 2.66, otherwise three days of trial lessons (§ 6 (5) GrSO). Children who did not start at a German primary school and whose first language is not German can qualify with up to 3.33 (§ 6 (6)).
• Berlin: the parents choose (§ 56 (1) SchulG), but a Förderprognose above 14 means trial lessons before a Gymnasium (§ 56 (3)).
• Baden-Württemberg: a Gymnasium needs the parents' wish plus a teacher recommendation or a sufficient result in the compulsory Kompass 4 test (18 and 19 November 2026), otherwise a potential test.

Which primary school will my child go to?

Usually the one responsible for the area where you live. § 55a (1) SchulG Berlin assigns the school of the Einschulungsbereich; a reasoned request for another school is possible, with a lottery at the end. Art. 42 (1) BayEUG assigns the Schulsprengel school, searchable online in Munich, and § 76 (2) SchG the district school in Baden-Württemberg. § 46 (1) SchulG NRW gives a claim to the nearest primary school where no districts exist.

When and how do we register our child for school?

Straight away if your child is already of school age, otherwise within the registration window. In Bavaria, § 2 (8) GrSO requires a child who arrives after compulsory schooling has begun to be registered without delay. Berlin's window for 2027/28 runs from 5 to 16 October 2026, in person, a date we plan around in our placement service, which is free for you because the employer pays. North Rhine-Westphalia's deadline is 15 November; Munich's registration day was 11 March 2026.

• Berlin: parents' ID, a current Meldebescheinigung, birth certificate, the child's ID or passport (Senate Department).
• Baden-Württemberg: ID or passport, birth certificate, registration letter, and proof of measles protection before lessons begin (education ministry).

What happens if my child speaks no German yet?

Your child still starts school at once, usually in a class or course that teaches German first, with the move into regular lessons expected within one to two years. Each state runs its own model, according to its school ministry:

• Berlin: Willkommensklassen from year 3 (§ 15 (2) SchulG); more than 12 months need an application by the school (Senate guideline 09/2024).
• Bavaria: Deutschklassen (Art. 36 (3) BayEUG), ending as a rule after one and at the latest after two school years.
• Baden-Württemberg: Vorbereitungsklassen for one to, as a rule, two years, with partial integration into a regular class after about three months (SprachbildungsVwV, 5 November 2025).
• North Rhine-Westphalia: at least 10 to 12 hours of German a week, as a rule for no more than two years (BASS 13-63 no. 3).

Can we take our child out of school a few days before the holidays?

No. Berlin's regulation on school attendance, § 2 (1) AV Schulbesuchspflicht in the version of 9 January 2026, states that leaving early for a holiday or coming back late is not an exceptional case. Unexcused absence is an administrative offence in all four states covered here, with different ceilings:

• Berlin: up to 2,500 euros, imposed by the district office (§ 126 SchulG).
• Baden-Württemberg: 5 to 1,000 euros, at most 500 euros for negligence (§ 92 SchG, Landtag printed paper 16/4184).
• Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia: Art. 119 BayEUG and § 126 SchulG NRW name no amount for parents, so the general OWiG ceiling of 1,000 euros applies (§ 17 (1) OWiG), a maximum, not a typical fine.

When are the school holidays?

At different times in each state. According to the KMK's holiday rules, summer holidays rotate among five groups of states, last at least six weeks and fall between 20 June and 15 September; the states set the other holidays, for a total of 75 working days. Check the KMK calendar before booking flights for the first summer.

Is there after-school care for primary school children?

Yes, with a legal claim for children starting year 1 from this school year. § 24 (4) SGB VIII gives a child entering year 1 in 2026/2027 or later eight hours of care on working days until year 5, counting lessons and all-day school, with up to four weeks' holiday closure allowed. The federal family ministry announced on 30 July 2026 that all years 1 to 4 are covered from 2029/30.

Does my child have to attend religious education?

No, you decide. Art. 7 (2) of the Basic Law gives the parents, not the school, the right to decide whether their child takes part in religious education. Art. 7 (3) makes it a regular subject at public schools except non-denominational ones, so it is on the timetable, but taking part is your choice.

Can my child be excused from swimming lessons for religious reasons?

As a rule, no, if a burkini is an option. The Federal Administrative Court decided on 11 September 2013 (6 C 25.12) that Muslim schoolgirls cannot as a rule demand exemption from coeducational swimming lessons when they can wear a burkini. Individual cases are for the school or a lawyer.

Are my child's foreign school certificates recognised in Germany?

They can be, through an official assessment, and who assesses depends on the purpose. According to the KMK, the states' certificate recognition offices (Zeugnisanerkennungsstellen) decide whether a foreign certificate counts as a Hauptschulabschluss, a Mittlerer Abschluss or, for vocational purposes, a higher education entrance qualification. For university admission the universities decide themselves.

The honest answer, in one paragraph

Before you sign with an international school, get written confirmation that this particular school satisfies compulsory schooling in your state, and check it with the local Schulamt. For an Ergänzungsschule the answer is no in Berlin and Baden-Württemberg, and yes in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia only with a ministry finding. Without that confirmation you can pay the fees and still face fine proceedings. Unusual cases are for the Schulamt or a lawyer, not for this guide.