How can you register your child in a nursery school (including the pre-school entry class) or primary school in Brussels? This page tells you how and when to do this:
Information video about the procedure
How can you register your child in a Dutch-speaking nursery or primary school in Brussels? This video shows the procedure step by step. Registration for the pre-school entry class is done in the same way.
The video has subtitles in Dutch, French or English. Click on the CC button at the bottom right to show the subtitles.
Which children should be registered?
Starting school for the first time (pre-school entry class)
Children can attend a nursery school from 2.5 years old. Each year, they can start at different entry times. Was your child born in 2022? Then they can start school in 2024.Register them now, even if they are not starting until September 2025. More information about the entry times (in Dutch).
Do you have a younger child, born in 2023 or after? Check out here when you can register your child.
To the first year
Is your child moving from the 3rd year of nursery school to the 1st year of primary school? In some schools, you have to re-register your child even if they stay in the same school. Inquire with the school management in time or check the school regulations.
There are also admission requirements for primary school. Learn more about admission requirements (in Dutch).
Changing schools
Is your child changing schools...
- at the start of a new school year? Then you must apply for a place for your child before you can register them in a new school.
- during the school year? Then contact the new school and ask if there are still places available.
When to register?
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Prepare
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Prepare your application well: get to know schools, inform yourself about the procedure and gather the necessary documents. Learn more about what you can do to prepare.
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Apply for a place for siblings and children of staff
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Do you already have a child in a Dutch-speaking school in Brussels? Or do you work at the school where you want to register your child? Then you have priority. However, you do need to apply for a place for your child before you can register them. You can do this from 08.01.2024 (10 am) to 19.01.2024 (12 pm).
Find out here how to apply for a place for your child.
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Register siblings of pupils and children of staff after applying for a place
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On 23.01.2024 you will receive an allocation notice. This states whether your child has a place at the school or not. Did you get a place? Then go to the school from 24.01.2024 (10 am) to 07.02.2024 (noon) and register your child. Does your child not have a place? Then you are on the school's waiting list. The school will contact you when a place opens up. You can also still apply for a place for your child at other schools during the application period for all children. In this case, you no longer have priority.
Find out here how to register your child.
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Participate in an online information session
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During an information session you receive information about the registration procedure in nursery and primary education. These sessions take place online on 05.02.2024 (7.30 pm) and 08.02.2024 (7.30 pm). LOP Brussel Basisonderwijs organises the information sessions.
Find out here how to participate in an information session.
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Apply for a place for your child online
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First, you have to apply for a place for your child online. Only then can you effectively register your child in a nursery or primary school. Apply for a place for your child from 27.02.2024 (10 am) to 19.03.2024 (4 pm). Some children have priority. Was your child born in 2022? Apply for a place for them now, even if they are not starting school until September 2025.
Did you not register a sibling or a child of staff during the priority period? Then you can still apply for a place for them during this period. In this case, you no longer have priority.
Find out here how to apply for a place for your child.
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Register your child after applying for a place
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On 16.04.2024 you will receive an allocation notice via email. This states whether your child has a place or not. Did you get a place? Go to the school from 22.04.2024 (8 am) to 13.05.2024 (4 pm) and register your child. Otherwise, you will lose the place reserved for you. Does your child not have a place? Then you are on the school's waiting list. The school will contact you when a place opens up.
Do you not have a place, or did you not apply for a place for your child? Then you can also register your child during the open registration period starting on 23.05.2024, in the schools that still have places available.
Find out here how to register your child.
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Open registration
Still looking for a place in a school for the 2024-2025 school year? Or would you like to have your child placed on the waiting list of a school? You can do so during the open registration period. This starts on 23.05.2024 (9 am). Go to the school to register your child.
Please note: During the open registration period, registration takes place chronologically: whoever arrives first gets a place first. No priority applies anymore.
See how many places are available: are there still places available in the schools in which you want to register your child?
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Start of school year 2024-2025
Still looking for a place in a school for the 2024-2025 school year? Contact the school where you want to register your child. Are there still places available? Register your child.
Is your child already on a waiting list? The school will contact you when a place opens up. The waiting list is valid until 07.10.2024. For children born in 2022, the waiting list is valid until 30.06.2025.
Stay up to date
Want to stay informed about the registration procedure for nursery and primary education for 2024-2025? If so, please provide your email address and/or mobile phone number below. You will receive information by email throughout the registration procedure, and you will receive a reminder at the start of the registration period by text message.
How to register?
In advance: siblings of pupils and children of staff
Siblings and children of staff register before all other children. They must first apply for a place for the school where they have priority. Only then can they effectively register. This takes place in three steps:
Step 1: Prepare your application well
- Contact the school and inform yourself about the procedure.
- Check if your child also has other types of priority and gather the necessary documents.
- Check the list of available places.
Step 2: Apply for a place for a sibling or a child of staff
You can apply for a place from 08.01.2024 (10 am) to 19.01.2024 (noon). Contact the school where you have priority and apply for a place for your child. Be sure to apply for a place for your child within this period, as otherwise they will no longer have priority as a sibling or a child of staff.
Step 3: Register a sibling or a child of staff
On 23.01.2024 you will be notified about whether you have a place. Did you get a place? Then go to the school from 24.01.2024 (10 am) to 07.02.2024 (noon) and register your child. Otherwise, you will lose the place reserved for you. Did you not get a place? Then your child will automatically be placed on the waiting list. The school will contact you when a place opens up.
Did you not get a place? Or did you forget to apply for a place? Then you can still apply for a place for your child during the application period for all children. Your child then no longer has priority as a sibling or a child of staff. More information about how to apply for a place during the application period for all children.
Registration of other children
After the siblings and children of staff, all other children can register. To register in a nursery or primary school, you must first apply for a place for your child online. Only then can they effectively register. This takes place in three steps:
Step 1: Prepare
- Make a list of the schools of your choice.
- Inform yourself about the procedure.
- Check if your child has priority.
- Gather the necessary documents.
- Check the list of available places.
More information and tips on how to prepare your application.
Step 2: Apply for a place for your child
To register in a nursery or primary school, you must first apply for a place for your child online. Applying for a place is not the same as registration. Applying means that you as a parent indicate online which schools you are interested in. After the application period, the computer distributes the pupils who have applied across the available places. Only after that, you know in which school you can register.
You can apply for a place from 27.02.2024 (10 am) to 19.03.2024 (4 pm). Go to inschrijveninbrussel.be and the online application section to apply for a place for your child. The time of application is not important. It is not the case that the first one to apply gets a place first. However, it is important that you apply for a place for your child during this period.
More information on how to apply.
Step 3: Register your child
After applying, you will receive an allocation notice. This states whether your child has a place or not. Did you get a place? Go to the school where you have obtained a place and register your child. You can do this from 22.04.2024 (8 am) to 13.05.2024 (4 pm). Otherwise, you will lose the place reserved for you. Did you not get a place? Then your child will automatically be placed on the waiting list. The school will contact you when a place opens up.
Learn more about registering after applying and about what to do if you did not get a place.
Who has priority?
Siblings and children of staff can register first. During the application period for all children, priority is given to:
- children with at least one Dutch-speaking parent (65% of the capacity)
- pupils with a GOK or non-GOK profile (20% of the capacity)
Check whether your child has priority, gather the necessary documents and tick the priority option on your application. You can also choose not to tick the priority option. More information about the priority.
What if you did not get a place?
Did you apply for a place for your child, but did you not get one? Then your child will be placed on the waiting list. The school will contact you when a place opens up. You can also still register your child during the open registration period.
Did you not apply for a place for your child? Then you can register your child during the open registration period in the schools that still have places available. The open registration period starts on 23.05.2024 (9 am). Check the list of available places to know in which schools there are still places available.
Learn more about what you can do if your child does not have a place.