School in Romania: compulsory from four, the preparatory class at six, and the district that decides your place

Can your child go to an ordinary public school in Romania? Yes, and it costs nothing: Eurydice writes that state education is free of charge, and that early childhood care is free too, even full-time. Two things differ from the Netherlands. Compulsory education starts early, at the middle kindergarten group, so at age four. And for a place your address counts: EURES describes the catchment principle, under which schools first guarantee places for the children from their own area. The pitfall is that lessons are in Romanian, and that the alternative, an international school, costs money.

From what age must your child go to school?

Law 198/2023 governs education. According to Eurydice, compulsory education comprises fourteen grades: the middle and senior kindergarten groups (four to six years), primary school, lower and upper secondary education. From September 2030 the junior kindergarten group becomes compulsory too, so from age three.

Age or moment	What applies
4 years	kindergarten compulsory, free at public schools, including the long day
6 years on 31 August	enrolment in the clasa pregătitoare, the preparatory class
6 years between 1 September and 31 December	also allowed, if the school finds the child ready
After the preparatory class	grades I to IV primary, then lower secondary
Admission to high school	computer allocation after the national evaluation and the lower secondary average
From September 2030	compulsory from age 3

The ministry puts it precisely: children who are six on 31 August must be enrolled in the preparatory class; those who turn six between 1 September and 31 December may be enrolled if their development fits. Enrolment follows an annual calendar of the ministry, in spring.

How is a place allocated?

Your district decides your school. School inspectorates and schools must publish the lists of circumscripții școlare, the school districts, and EURES explains what they do: schools up to high school guarantee places for the children living in their area, and only then allocate the remaining places to children from outside. Anyone with a school in mind therefore chooses the address first, and arranges the family's registration certificate at that address.

There is no entrance exam for kindergarten, primary school or lower secondary; the only thing you submit is a medical certificate on any conditions your child has. All schools are, according to the ministry, obliged to inform parents about enrolment, even if you don't live in their district. Bring your child's reports and certificates, translated, so the new school knows what it has already done.

In which language are the lessons?

Eurydice: education may be provided in Romanian, in the languages of the national minorities, or in internationally used languages. At an ordinary public school that is Romanian, a Romance language a Dutch child reads sooner than a Slavic one, but still a language it hears all day. In Transylvania there are public schools with Hungarian or German as the language of instruction, and in the big cities private and international schools with English. Those charge, according to EURES, enrolment and tuition fees; the amount differs per school.

A free Romanian language course for newcomers, as some countries have, we could not check for Romania at an official source. Ask the school at enrolment.

Which benefit do you get?

The alocația de stat pentru copii exists for every child up to eighteen legally resident in Romania, and according to the European Commission's guide also for children of foreign parents living with them. The amount depends on age:

Age	Amount per month
up to 2 years (up to 3 with a disability)	719 lei
2 to 18 years, or until the end of secondary education	292 lei

You apply for the benefit at the town hall of your place of residence, with the form, the child's birth certificate, the parent's identity document and a bank statement if you want it paid into your account. The benefit is untaxed. Dutch child benefit stops on departure; what replaces it therefore depends on this counter.

Where do you find the schools?

The ministry keeps a map of all kindergartens, and EURES points to the national admission system for high schools. In any case, as EURES advises, do some research on the schools near your new address before you move: the address decides the school, not the other way round. How school fits into the rest of your move is in the step-by-step plan for Romania.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.4: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Romania or go straight to step 5.4 in the open plan.