Enrolling your child in school
In France, school is compulsory for every child aged 3 to 16. Public school is free.
What to do
- Maternelle and élémentaire: first the mairie (your child's and your identity documents, a recent proof of address, vaccinations for maternelle), which gives a certificat d'inscription; then the school.
- Collège and lycée for a child from abroad: the CASNAV of your académie assesses your child and assigns a school. A child who needs French joins a UPE2A class.
- Vaccinations are required for school and crèche. If some are missing, the child is admitted provisionally, with 3 months to catch up.
- After a move, enrol your child at the new mairie within 8 days. If enrolment gets stuck, write to the DSDEN of your department.
Official sources
- Service-Public F1898: Compulsory schooling (14 August 2020)
- Service-Public F1864: Enrolling in maternelle (3 April 2024)
- Service-Public F21304: Pupil from abroad in collège or lycée (5 August 2026)
- Service-Public F767: Vaccinations for school (6 January 2026)
Checked: 4 October 2026. Official pages are in French. This is general information, not legal advice.
Your dates, not general ones
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