Admission requirements and choice of ECEC setting

Children have a guaranteed place in a kindergarten, within the municipality in which they live, from the age of 1 year until the age of 6 years, when they begin primary school. They are not guaranteed a place in a specific kindergarten.

Private providers and municipalities with available capacity can also offer places for children younger than 1 year. However, as paid parental leave of absence from work has a duration of almost 1 year, few parents or guardians apply for a place before the child has turned 1 year old. 

Attendance in kindergarten is not compulsory, and there are no formal entrance requirements. The parents or guardians can choose which kindergarten they would like their child to attend and send an application to the municipality. All kindergartens approved by the municipality must collaborate on the admission of children. The parents’ or guardians' choice of kindergarten will be taken into account.

Each child has the right to a place in a kindergarten in the municipality where he or she lives, but they won't necessarily receive a place in the parents or guardians preferred kindergarten. A coordinated admissions process ensures equal treatment of children and equal treatment of municipal and private kindergartens.

Group size and child-staff ratios

Kindergartens are normally divided into groups of children aged 0–2 years and children aged 3–5 years, or mixed age groups of children aged 0–5 years old. The group organization is the responsibility of the kindergarten owners.

In August 2018, Norway introduced statutory standards for child–staff and child–teacher ratios in kindergartens. The rules require one staff member per three children under three, and per six children aged three and over, as well as stricter ratios for qualified kindergarten teachers; the regulations do not govern group size or organisational structure. These ratios are calculated on an annual full-time equivalent basis, and children under three count as two in the calculation. Only staff who work directly with children are included.

The staffing requirements must be met at all times while the kindergarten is operating, and municipalities are responsible for supervision and enforcement. In addition, there is a separate requirement for qualified kindergarten teachers, with stricter ratios. Temporary exemptions may be granted in exceptional circumstances, but the rules cannot be permanently waived for financial reasons alone.

The pedagogical leader/qualified kindergarten teacher must have at least a Bachelor’s degree (International Standard Classification of Education level 6). There are two types of assistants in kindergartens in Norway: Childcare and youth worker with ISCED 3 vocational qualification and other assistants, for whom there are no minimum qualifications. 

Annual, weekly and daily organisation

The annual schedule usually starts in August, as does the primary school year; however, the kindergarten owner decides how many days a year the kindergartenis open. The kindergarten owner decides whether the kindergarten will be closed during shorter and longer vacation periods, such as Christmas, Easter and the summer holidays.

There are no national regulations concerning weekly and daily timetables. Most ordinary kindergartens are open at least 41 hours a week (Monday–Friday) and some are even longer. Children may attend part-time or full-time. Full-time attendance is 41 hours or more per week; however, parents or guardians can choose how much time they actually use. Normally kindergartens open at 7:00 or 8:00 and close at 17:00 or 18:00.