What to know before applying for preschool

Here are a few things to know before you apply for preschool.

To start at a City-run preschool, your child must live in Reykjavík and have their legal residence registered there.

You can apply for preschool as soon as your child is registered with Registers Iceland. This usually happens a few days after your child is born.
Applying early does not help your child get a preschool spot sooner. We use the date of birth in each child's Icelandic ID number (kennitala) to put the oldest children first on the waiting list.

Submit your preschool application through Vala.
If you don't have an electronic ID, email innritun.leikskolar@reykjavik.is for help.

When your child turns 6 months old, they join the waiting list for each preschool you chose. You can submit your application earlier.
The waiting list can change each day as new applications come in. Each child is added to the list in order of age.
Older children get offers before younger children.

The City aims to offer a fall spot to every child who will be at least 18 months old by Sept. 1. For example, children born by the end of February 2026 will receive offers in the main round in 2027.
The main round of offers takes place in early March each year. These spots are for the fall, when the oldest children leave preschool to start primary school.
If you submit your application after the main round, we will review it later. By then, many preschools may already be full.

We try to offer your child a spot at one of the preschools you choose.
We start with the oldest child on the overall waiting list. We review each application carefully and try to offer a spot at the family's first choice.
If there is no spot at your first choice, we try your other choices in the order you listed them.
First choice: List the preschool you want most as your first choice. It is hard to know where spots will open up, so include your favorite preschool even if you think it might be full. If one of your children already attends preschool, list that school first to give your children a better chance of going together.
Additional choices: Choose other preschools where you would accept a spot if your first choice is full.
The Preschool Admission Tracker can help you choose.

If your child will be under 18 months old on Sept. 1, consider a nursery school or a preschool with a nursery division for the March round. These schools sometimes accept younger children. Learn more about nursery schools and nursery divisions.
Your child must be under 2 when they start nursery school. For a spot in a City-run nursery school, your child must have been born on or after Sept. 1 of the previous year.
Your child can stay at nursery school until the year they turn 3. That year, you need to apply for a transfer.