Germany School Start Calculator by State
When your child starts Klasse 1 in your Bundesland: the Stichtag, the Bavarian and Lower Saxon corridor, Kann-Kind early entry and deferral, from the state rules.
In Germany a child starts Klasse 1 on 1 August of the year they turn 6 by the state cut-off: 30 June in 8 states including Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Saxony, 31 August in Rhineland-Palatinate, and 30 September in Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony and NRW (checked October 2026).
Germany School Start Calculator by State
Frequently asked
What is the Einschulung Stichtag in NRW?
A child who has completed their 6th year of life by the start of 30 September starts school on 1 August that year (§ 35 SchulG NRW), so children born up to 30 September. Younger children can start on application.
What is the Einschulungskorridor in Bavaria?
Children who turn 6 between 1 July and 30 September are schulpflichtig that year, but their parents can put the start off by one year by telling the primary school in writing by 10 April (Art. 37 BayEUG).
What is a Kann-Kind?
A child who is not yet schulpflichtig but may start school early on the parents' application. Each state sets its own limits: Berlin only for children born 1 October to 31 March, Brandenburg for October to December birthdays, and Baden-Württemberg for any child who turns 6 by 30 June of the following year.
Can I delay my child starting school in Germany?
Usually only by applying for a Zurückstellung, which the school decides, often with a school doctor report. In Bavaria and Lower Saxony parents of 1 July to 30 September birthdays can choose to wait a year by a simple written declaration.
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