To enroll your child in school in Czechia, submit an admission application (žádost o přijetí) to a primary school — základní škola — during the official enrollment period, zápis, which since 2026 runs from January 15 to February 15 instead of April, as before. Priority goes to the spádová škola, the school assigned to your child's address of residence; you'll need the child's passport, proof of legal residence, and a parent's ID.
Enrollment is mandatory for all children turning six by August 31, including children of foreigners who have lived in the country for more than 90 days. Below we cover the deadlines, required documents, deferral (odklad), and what to do if your child doesn't yet speak Czech.
School attendance in Czechia is compulsory and lasts nine years (povinná školní docházka). A child starts first grade on September 1 of the year they turn six by August 31 inclusive. The following children must attend enrollment:
Failing to enroll a child is an administrative offense (přestupek) that can result in a fine for the parents. Citizenship doesn't matter here: the duty — and the right — to attend a Czech school applies to every child living in the country.
An amendment to the Schools Act (zákon č. 239/2025 Sb.) moved first-grade enrollment from April to a window running from January 15 to February 15 — the new schedule was first used for zápis in January–February 2026. Each school sets its own specific date within this window and publishes it in advance on its website and on the town's notice board. Kindergarten enrollment has shifted too, now running from March 15 to April 15 — details in our guide on kindergarten enrollment.
| Stage | When |
|---|---|
| Open house days (den otevřených dveří), choosing a school | October–December |
| Schools publish admission conditions and criteria | December – early January |
| Submitting the žádost o přijetí — zápis itself | January 15 – February 15 |
| Admission decision (lists of registration numbers on the school website) | usually within 30 days of submission |
| Appeal (odvolání) in case of rejection | 15 days from receiving the decision |
| Start of the school year | September 1 |
If you arrive in Czechia after enrollment has already closed, don't wait until next year — contact the spádová school right away: children of school age must be admitted at any point during the school year.
Every address in Czechia falls within a school catchment district (spádový obvod). For citizens it's determined by permanent residence registration (trvalý pobyt); for foreigners, by the child's officially registered place of residence (místo pobytu). The spádová škola is required to give priority admission to children from its own district; if there aren't enough places, the municipality must find the child a spot at another school.
You can find your assigned school on the city's website or through the local municipal office (obecní úřad) — catchment districts are set by local ordinance. In Prague, you can look up your spádový district by address on the city's geoportal; Brno and other major cities have their own online enrollment systems. You can also apply to any other school, but a child will only be admitted there if places remain — when applications exceed capacity, schools apply transparent criteria, sometimes including a lottery (los). Since your address matters so much, make sure your residence registration is up to date — see our guide on changing your address (hlášení pobytu).
| Document | Note |
|---|---|
| Žádost o přijetí | form available on the school's website; in many cities it's filled out online through the enrollment system. Since 2026, the application must also state where the child completed the mandatory pre-school year — kindergarten, a preparatory class, or home schooling |
| Child's birth certificate | for a foreign document, schools usually ask for a translation — order a certified translation in advance; if your child was born in Czechia, see our guide on documents for newborns |
| Child's passport and residence document | povolení k pobytu (residence permit), a visa, or a vízový štítek dočasné ochrany |
| Parent's ID | passport or biometric ID card; guardians must provide guardianship documentation |
| Proof of residential address | used to determine the spádová school — e.g., a lease agreement or a residence registration extract |
You can submit the application in person at the school on enrollment day, by mail, with an electronic signature, or through a datová schránka — we explain how to set one up for free in our guide to datová schránka.
Enrollment consists of two parts. The formal part — checking documents and submitting the application — is the only mandatory step. The motivational part is a short conversation between a teacher and the child (15–20 minutes): naming colors, counting to ten, reciting a short rhyme, drawing a shape. This is not an exam or a Czech-language test: a school has no right to reject a child for not knowing the language. Results are published as a list of registration numbers on the school's website and front door.
An application for deferral is submitted right at enrollment and requires two supporting documents: a recommendation from a school counseling center (pedagogicko-psychologická poradna, PPP, or speciálně pedagogické centrum, SPC) and a statement from a relevant specialist physician or clinical psychologist.
Important: the same amendment (239/2025 Sb.) significantly tightened the rules. Under the new regulations, a deferral is granted only if the child's health condition prevents them from participating in schooling over a long period — a statement from a single pediatrician is no longer enough, and the option of an "additional deferral" after first grade has already started has been abolished. The stricter requirements are being phased in gradually: at the 2026 enrollment, children born on or after April 1, 2020, could still qualify under the older, more lenient rules; at the 2027 enrollment, only children born on or after July 1, 2021, will qualify this way; and starting with the 2028 enrollment, the new rules apply to everyone. It's worth discussing your child's readiness with a pediatrician well in advance — see our guide on pediatricians and children's health insurance for tips on finding one. If a deferral is approved, the child must attend an additional final year of kindergarten or a preparatory class (přípravná třída) at the school.
Not knowing the language is not a barrier to admission — it's grounds for free support. Under Section 20 of the Schools Act, students who have attended a Czech school for less than 24 months are entitled to free language preparation — Czech as a second language (čeština jako druhý jazyk) lessons. Following an amendment in effect since September 2024, the number of hours was increased from 200 to 400, usable over a period of 20 school months.
Private lessons can help alongside this — find vetted teachers in our tutors directory. It's worth brushing up your own Czech too, as a parent: we've put together a list of free Czech courses and essential everyday phrases.
Children aged 7–15 can be enrolled at any point during the school year: simply submit an application to the principal of the spádová school. The grade is determined by age, taking previous schooling into account — report cards and certificates from the previous school, translated, will come in handy. Translators from our directory can help with document translation.
Yes, there's no limit on the number of applications. If your child is admitted to more than one school, choose one and notify the others so they can free up the place.
State-run základní školy are free. Parents only pay for school lunches (obědy), after-school care (družina), and extracurricular clubs.
Yes. If the child turns six between September and December, a parental request plus a recommendation from the counseling center (PPP) is enough; if the birthday falls between January and June, a statement from a relevant specialist physician is also required.
Within 15 days, file an appeal (odvolání) through the school to the regional authority (krajský úřad). If the spádová school rejected the child due to lack of space, the municipality is obligated to secure a place at another school.
Yes. Compulsory schooling applies to all children who have been in Czechia for more than 90 days, regardless of their type of residence status.
Contact the spádová school as soon as possible and explain your situation: children of school age must be admitted even outside the official enrollment window. Don't delay — failing to enroll a child can result in a fine.
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