Preschool priority

Preschool spaces are allocated based on the age of the children applying for a specific preschool. You can apply for priority admission for a child if special circumstances warrant it, such as if the child has turned 5 years old, has a disability, or is experiencing difficult home circumstances.

How does priority in preschools work?

If a priority application is approved, the child goes to the top of the waiting list. In cases where there are multiple priority applications for the same preschool, admission is granted by age order. Children with priority start in preschool no sooner than at 12 months old.

Which children are eligible for priority in preschools?

  • Children who have turned 5 years old when applying.
  • Disabled children and children with diagnosed developmental delays. A certificate from a recognized diagnostician must accompany the application.
  • Children of parents under the age of 18 (“undir lögaldri).
  • Children of single parents with three or more children where the oldest child is not older than 9 years.
  • Triplets.
  • Children of City of Reykjavík preschool staff. Confirmation from the preschool principal must be provided.
  • Children experiencing difficult home circumstances. This includes:
  • (a) Child protection matters. A certificate from social welfare authorities must accompany the application.
  • (b) Serious illness, severe disability, or severe social difficulties affecting the child's family members. A certificate from a physician or other public entities must accompany the application.

Application

To apply for preschool priority, you log in to My pages with electronic IDs, select Application for priority in preschool, attach an attachment to the application (e.g. certificate from a doctor) and submit it. You can monitor the status of the application in My cases on My pages. A child's guardians will receive an email when a decision has been made regarding the priority application. 

If you do not have electronic ID, you can contact the service center on phone 4111111 or via email innritun.leikskolar@reykjavik.is. You can also access instructional videos about electronic IDs here, which cover how electronic IDs work, where you can get them and how to log in with them.

How can we help?

Do you need further assistance or didn't find what you were looking for? The City Service Center can help you by phone at 411 1111, via live chat, and through email at innritun.leikskolar@reykjavik.is.