Nurseries and Kindergartens in Cyprus: Public, Community and Private Options, Ages and Fees (2026–27)

In Cyprus, babies and toddlers go to day nurseries registered with the Social Welfare Services, and children from age 3 go to kindergarten. Public kindergarten is free, and it becomes compulsory once your child is 4 years and 4 months old on 1 September (2026–27 rule). Registration happens at your local school in January, so if you are moving with a pre-schooler, plan the year before.

Below we explain the different types of nursery and kindergarten, the age rules for 2026–27 and 2027–28, how and when to register, what each option costs, the childcare subsidies for 2026–27, and how to check that a nursery is properly registered.

How does early childhood care work in Cyprus?

There are two systems, run by two different ministries:

Day nurseries focus on care and are not part of compulsory education. Kindergartens follow the national pre-primary curriculum and are inspected by the Ministry's Department of Primary Education. Some "integrated" nurseries take children up to 6 and are registered with both ministries, each covering its own age group.

What types of nursery and kindergarten are there?

Day nurseries (0–4)

Day nurseries can be public (set up by the Deputy Ministry with a parents' association and the local authority), community (run on a not-for-profit basis by local authorities) or private. Private nurseries are widespread in the main towns.

Every day-care centre for pre-school children must hold a registration certificate from the Director of Social Welfare Services, under the Children Law (Cap. 352) and the 2011 day-care centres decree. Inspectors visit before approval and can return at any reasonable time. The law sets minimum staffing levels:

These are legal minimums; many private nurseries work with smaller groups, so ask.

At what age is kindergarten compulsory in Cyprus?

Pre-primary education is compulsory once your child reaches a set age before 1 September of the school year. The age is being lowered gradually under Cyprus's Recovery and Resilience Plan:

For 2026–27, that means children born between 1 September 2021 and 30 April 2022 are in compulsory pre-primary, and children born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 are in the pre-primary class (the year before primary school). Younger children, born between 1 May 2022 and 31 August 2023, could apply for a non-compulsory place.

For 2027–28, the Ministry's pages list the same age of 4 years 4 months, which means children born on or before 30 April 2023. Confirm the exact birth dates in the Ministry's enrolment circular, and use the age checker on its starting age page.

How do you register for a public kindergarten?

Any child who lives in Cyprus, permanently or temporarily, can register, whatever their nationality. You register at the kindergarten for the educational area of your home address. A younger child can join the kindergarten next to the primary school an older sibling attends.

When to register

Registration takes place once a year, in January, for the school year starting the following September. For 2026–27 the main dates were:

For 2027–28, the dates had not been announced as of October 2026. Expect the circular in December 2026 and registration in January 2027.

How to apply

1. New pupils: fill in form YPAN DDE 11 and put it, with copies of your documents, in a sealed envelope in the box at the kindergarten during the registration week. The school then phones you to confirm or ask for anything missing.
2. Children aged 3 to 4 years 4 months: use form YPAN DDE 30 at the kindergarten. The District Education Office does not take these applications.
3. Children already at the kindergarten: the school sends a registration declaration home to fill in and return.
4. Missed the deadline? For a child of compulsory age, contact your District Education Office by email.

In 2026–27, kindergarten registration was done on paper at the school, while primary school registration was online through the eDEA portal. Check the new circular in case this changes; our guide to enrolling your child in a public school explains CY Login and eDEA.

Documents

• Form YPAN DDE 11 (or YPAN DDE 30 for younger children).
• The child's birth certificate, or for children born abroad, the Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) or an official document from the country of birth. Copies must be certified.
• Two proofs of address: a recent electricity bill and a refuse (or sewerage) bill. Tenants without a refuse bill can give the tenancy agreement with the electricity bill.
• For the pre-primary class: a certificate of kindergarten attendance (form YPAN DDE 29).

How younger children are selected

Places for children under the compulsory age go to a selection committee (the kindergarten head teacher, the nearest primary head teacher, the school board and the parents' association). Children with special educational needs come first, then the older group (4 to 4 years 4 months). Other criteria include having attended the year before, a sibling at the same kindergarten, single-parent or large families, and both parents being unemployed. Supporting certificates must be less than a month old.

How much do nurseries and kindergartens cost?

Fees vary a lot between towns and providers, so ask each one for a written list of fees, meals, registration and summer months.

What childcare subsidies are there for 2026–27?

The Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare runs two schemes for 2026–27, both approved by the Cabinet on 19 May 2026 and paid straight to the nursery or kindergarten every month:

How to claim:

1. Enrol your child at a participating nursery or kindergarten and get its registration certificate.
2. Apply online through gov.cy or the Welfare Benefits Administration Service website. Only one parent applies; if you are separated, the parent with custody applies.
3. Applications sent by 30 September 2026 were backdated to 1 September; later ones start from the month you apply. Everyone must reapply each year.

For comparison, in 2025–26 the under-four scheme paid up to €350 a month for children up to 2 and €250 for older children, plus €50 for extended hours, depending on income and family size. The caps for 2026–27 haven't been published yet, so ask your nursery.

Families must live legally in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus.

What about English-language nurseries and international early years?

Public and community kindergartens teach in Greek. If you want English-speaking care, look at private nurseries and at the early-years sections of international schools, and ask each one which curriculum it follows and from what age it takes children. Kindergartens with their own curriculum are private kindergartens of the "different type", so they need Ministry approval and charge full fees. The four-year-old subsidy above can apply if the kindergarten participates in the scheme.

Compare schools, curricula and 2026–27 fees, including early-years prices, in our guides to international schools in Cyprus and British, IB or American curricula.

How do you check that a nursery is registered?

• Ask for the certificate. A day nursery must hold a registration certificate from the Director of Social Welfare Services. If the nursery cannot show it, walk away.
• Confirm it. Contact your district Social Welfare Office (contact details on the Business in Cyprus day-care page) or the central Social Welfare Services on +357 22406701 or central.sws@sws.dmsw.gov.cy.
• For kindergartens, ask for the Ministry of Education approval and which type of private kindergarten it is; see the Ministry's private pre-primary page.
• Check subsidy participation if you plan to claim; only participating nurseries qualify.
• Visit and ask about group sizes, staff qualifications, meals, hours, summer opening and sick-child rules.

What to do next

Put the January registration week in your diary, set up your electricity and refuse bills early (they are your proof of address), and keep an eye on the 2026–27 school holidays, which public kindergartens share with primary schools. When your child moves up, read our guide to enrolling in a public school, and for afternoons see after-school activities and clubs for kids.