How can you register your child in a pre-school entry class or a nursery 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 English. There are also versions with subtitles in Dutch and French.
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 2021? Then they can start school in 2023.
Register them now, even if they are not starting until September 2024. Children born in 2022 cannot be registered until next year. More information about the entry times (in Dutch).
To 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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Register 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. Go to the school and register your child from 9 January 2023 (8 a.m.) to 20 January 2023 (4 p.m.).
Find out here how to register your child.
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Attend an online information session
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During an information session you receive information about the registration procedure in (mainstream) nursery and primary education in Dutch. The sessions take place on Monday 13 February (7.30 – 8.30 p.m.) and Thursday 16 February (7.30 – 8.30 p.m.). The information sessions are organised by the LOP Brussel Basisonderwijs.
Read here how to attend 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 28 February (9 a.m.) to 21 March 2023 (4 p.m.). Some children have priority. Was your child born in 2021? Apply for a place for them now, even if they are not starting school until September 2024.
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 21 April 2023 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 24 April to 15 May 2023 (12 a.m.) 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 May 2023, but only in the schools that still have places available.
Find out here how to register your child.
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Open registration
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Still looking for a place in a school for the 2023-2024 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 May 2023 at 9 a.m. 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 2023-2024
Still looking for a place in a school for the 2023-2024 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 6 October 2023. For children born in 2021, the waiting list is valid until 30 June 2024.
Stay up to date
Want to stay informed about the registration procedure for nursery and primary education for 2023-2024? 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 do not need to apply for a place online. Go to the school from 9 to 20 January 2023 and register your child. There are two possibilities:
- The school has enough places available for all siblings and children of staff. Your child is registered.
- The school does not have enough places available. Then you must register your child in the school. Afterwards, you will be notified about whether you have a place.
No place or forgot to register? Then you can still apply for a place for your child during the registration period for all children. In this case, you no longer have priority. More information about priority.
Step 1: Prepare
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. Prepare your application well:
- 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. 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 28 February (9 a.m.) to 21 March 2023 (4 p.m.). 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 from 24 April to 15 May 2023 (12 a.m.). 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
- pupils with a GOK or non-GOK profile
More information about the priority groups.
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 May 2023 at 9 a.m.
Learn more about what you can do if your child does not have a place.