How to enrol your child in a nursery or kindergarten in Portugal
This guide is for parents looking for a nursery or kindergarten for their child in Portugal: state, private or a place under the Creche Feliz programme. Below is how it usually goes, step by step: where to look for nurseries, when to apply, what to ask on the spot and where things most often get stuck.
First, work out which option you need for your child's age
In Portugal there is usually a split between creche (nursery, for children under 3) and then pre-escolar / jardim de infância (pre-school, roughly from 3 until school). In practice this matters: it is harder to get into a nursery, and after 3 there are usually more options.
If you are counting on the Creche Feliz programme, check straight away whether the particular nursery takes part in the programme and whether it has places under this programme specifically. These are not the same thing: a nursery may take part, but have no subsidised places left. It is also worth asking up front how old children can stay: some private nurseries only take children up to 5, and after that you will still need to move to another pre-escolar.
“At 3 your child should be attending a jardim. Under 3 is creche, 3-5 is jardim, then at 6 they start primary school is my understanding. It’s incredibly difficult to find a spot. We’ve been trying to get our daughter in a creche since we moved in January and finally had to go private in order to find one (9 months later).”
r/PortugalExpats20.08.2026
“Yes. It actually starts from nursery there, but you can't get into nursery. Kindergarten's hard too, but sometimes there are places. My son was taken into a group a year older because he's a December baby, so he ended up being one of the youngest there.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkschoolinportugal23.02.2025
Start looking early — ideally a few months ahead, sometimes even before the birth
The most common approach that works is to look for nurseries around your home or workplace and apply to several at once. In big cities and popular neighbourhoods there may be no places even if you pay, especially in a creche.
In practice parents often start in February or spring for the next school year, which begins in September. But if the area is oversubscribed, some put their names on a waiting list while still pregnant. If you are moving in the middle of the year, your chances are usually lower: groups are often filled for September, and mid-year a place only comes up if someone leaves.
“My daughter was born in January 2025, and in February I put her on the waiting list for the 2025/2026 school year. They open registration in February. I went to the 3 nearest nurseries (creche). At one they asked me to send an application online, at another I filled it in by hand on the spot. In May I heard back from 2 of the 3 nurseries I'd applied to. As they said, this was one of the stages of selection for a place. I sent the documents they asked for. At the end of June I got an answer that both of these 2 nurseries had a place for my daughter. I turned one down and picked the one closer to home.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkpequenos_PT01.08.2025
“The way I understand it, here it's better to get in the queue while you're still pregnant)) I signed up somewhere around 7 months pregnant. When the baby was 3 months old they rang and said come in, there's a place. For us that was way too early of course, so the place went to someone else, and when we wanted to go at 1.5–2 the next turn never reached us, and at 3 we just went to an ordinary kindergarten.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkpequenos_PT01.08.2025
Look for nurseries through several channels at once
Don't stick to just one method. Usually several work at once: Google Maps, the nurseries' own websites, visiting the nearest creche and jardim de infância in person, and searching for free places under Creche Feliz on the Segurança Social Direta portal (social security) — for nurseries that take part in this programme.
There is no longer a separate Creche Feliz app: since 9 April 2026 a place under the programme can only be requested online — on the Segurança Social Direta portal or in the Segurança Social app. You can log in with Chave Móvel Digital or with your NISS (social security number) and password, then go to Família → Desenvolvimento de crianças e jovens → Creche Feliz. There you can also search for free places by district, municipality and parish and choose up to three nurseries at once. Another practical option is paid directories with lists of nurseries by area, if you want to build up a list of contacts quickly. And be prepared for the fact that not everyone replies by email: sometimes fewer than half of the nurseries answer, so it is worth following up your emails with a phone call or a visit in person.
“The question of how to look for a kindergarten for your child and how to actually find these places has come up in the chat many times. I'll share my experience, maybe it'll be useful) I started searching with Google Maps and searches, but there were very few results. I installed the Crèche Feliz app on my phone. You register with your NISS. In the search you enter the name of the area you're interested in, don't tick the ‘free places’ box. The search shows all the kindergartens on the Creche Feliz scheme in the area you picked.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkpequenos_PT03.03.2026
“I was recently looking for a kindergarten in Porto, from experience about 40% reply to emails. In Braga I was recommended this one, but they had no places at the time: [email] (they're fine by email)”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkschoolinportugal01.04.2026
Apply to several nurseries at once
It is safer not to wait for an answer from the one nursery you liked, but to apply to several. Some will ask for an online form, some will hand you a paper form on the spot, and some will send you a QR code or a link to apply.
If it is a municipal or state allocation, the procedure may differ by municipality and agrupamento (school cluster). Going by more recent experience, parents sometimes apply through an app or portal, but then still have to do something in person. So after applying online it is best to check with the nursery itself or with the agrupamento that your application can actually be seen and has been accepted.
“I want to send my daughter to kindergarten from next September. I picked 2 kindergartens nearby with good reviews in the app. At the one I liked more, the head said they take registrations in April for the following year and hinted that most likely there wouldn't be a free place for us, as there are few of them and children who already attend get priority. At the other kindergarten they confirmed a place for next year straight away, and the head emailed me a QR code to apply through the app. The yes from Segurança came 2 days later.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkpequenos_PT22.10.2025
Find out when registration opens at your particular nursery or in your area
On the ground it may not feel like there is a single procedure for everyone: one nursery opens registration in February, another collects applications in April, and somewhere else a place for the following year may be confirmed straight away. So don't rely only on general advice — ask each nursery for the exact date.
If you want a place for September, it is best to find out the deadlines in winter or early spring. For state and municipal places, even a month's delay can be critical, because after places are allocated there are almost none left.
If you want a Creche Feliz place, check two things: that the nursery takes part and that your child is approved
In recent years the Creche Feliz programme has genuinely helped to cut fees or cover them completely, but in practice there are two separate stages: the nursery must work with the programme, and your child must be approved by Segurança Social (social security).
Going by parents' experience, sometimes the child starts attending a private nursery first and approval under the programme comes 2 weeks later; in such cases the money already paid at the start was sometimes refunded. But there is also a recent case the other way round: the nursery invited the child for a trial day, and then a refusal came from Segurança Social because there were no places. In other words, a verbal confirmation from the nursery is not yet a guarantee until the programme place is officially confirmed.
Parents used to describe the programme as working fairly well with no problems getting approval, but recent messages from 2026 show that there may simply not be enough places under the programme. This is important to bear in mind when planning your budget.
“Well then everything's fine for you)) We moved in September, found a kindergarten in October, started going first, even paid ourselves, then applied for creche feliz, and even in that situation there were no problems at all with the programme, and the money we'd paid at the start was refunded.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkschoolinportugal25.02.2025
After a provisional answer, send the documents the nursery asks for quickly
Once a nursery replies, a second stage usually begins: they ask for a set of documents and only then confirm the place for good. The list may vary, but the faster you put it together, the better: good places quickly go to the next child in the queue.
Ask separately about the requirements for vaccinations and medical papers. Formally, not everything a nursery asks for on its own is a legal requirement, but in practice some nurseries ask for a vaccination certificate before the child joins the group. If there is a point of dispute, it is best to discuss it in writing so that you have a record of the nursery's requirements.
“We were given a place, the kindergarten took our documents, but the day before they asked for a certificate showing at least these vaccines. I sent an official letter with links to the laws saying that in Portugal this is a recommended measure and that by refusing us a place at the nursery they're violating my child's rights under at least two articles.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkschoolinportugal07.10.2024
Before signing, ask about everything that affects daily life and the price
Before you finally agree, ask the nursery for a written breakdown: what is included in the mensalidade (monthly fee), whether there is an inscrição (enrolment fee), whether meals, uniform, after-hours care and extra activities are paid separately, and whether you have to pay for the full month if your child starts mid-month.
This matters especially because the same ‘€300+ nursery’ can turn out to be noticeably more expensive once you add the uniform, meals and extra activities. And in some places, even if the child only attends for 2 hours a day while settling in, they still charge for the full month. If the nursery takes part in Creche Feliz, also ask them to explain what you will still have to pay for: uniform, materials, meals or extra activities.
“Yes, it's a private nursery, there's a uniform, we got in under creche feliz, we'll be paying 50 euros a month, but I don't know yet exactly what that covers, they didn't give us any detailed information.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkpequenos_PT16.08.2026
“We don't have residence permits yet, so it's not free for us, but they just didn't warn us that we'd be paying for the full month, otherwise we'd have waited a week..”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkschoolinportugal24.09.2024
Once the place is confirmed, find out the rules for starting: drop-off time, settling in, daily routine
Before the first day, find out how the adaptação (settling-in period) works: whether a parent can stay nearby, how many days the child attends for shorter hours, when naps and lunch start, and after what time you can no longer bring the child in. These everyday rules are often quite strict in Portugal.
Going by recent experience, many nurseries expect children to be dropped off early in the morning, and after 9:00–10:00 they may not accept the child that day. Some nurseries also want the parent to leave the child at the door from the very first day, without a long settling-in period together. If you need a gentle start, discuss it in advance, not on the morning of the first day.
“honestly I don't know about the application, the kindergarten did it for us from my personal account. The application hasn't been approved yet, but the kindergarten let us come for short spells to get used to the group. It's going really hard so far. The child is scared, there are lots of carers and kids. My son is in shock, to put it mildly, and cries a lot. So far it's 10 min and that's it, we leave. Yesterday the kindergarten tried to tell me that actually the normal thing for them is the parent leaves the child and goes. And if something's wrong, they ring and ask you to pick them up. In the end, after long discussions, I stood my ground and got to stay inside by the exit, in the kindergarten corridor.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkschoolinportugal06.12.2024
“Friends of ours went to a private nursery. Same thing there, you had to arrive by 8.30 or 9 at the latest. Didn't make it — you're not at nursery today. And you don't get the money back for that day either — the Portuguese love a routine in that sense.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkberemennost_portugal22.08.2026
Be ready for waiting, refusals and a back-up plan
Even if you did everything on time, you may not get a place: especially in a creche, especially close to home and especially for the month you need. So it is best to have a plan B: another area, a private nursery outside the programme, a half-day group, a nanny for the transition period or waiting until the following September.
If you are moving in the middle of the year, the risk is higher: you may have to wait for the next intake. If you are offered a place far from home, it is sometimes still better than no place at all — you can try to transfer closer later. And yes, age matters too: the older the child, the better the chances of finding a place.
“Yes, I submitted more than 10 applications, and the number of emails I wrote, about 20 altogether to different nurseries. In the end only one accepted us, at 1.5 years old: they signed us up in spring for September. One rang back in December — a place had come up there.”
Translated from Russian; the original is at the linkschoolinportugal16.07.2025
What it costs, according to community conversations
| private nursery | €275 | source |
| kindergarten in an expensive area | nearly €400 a month | source |
| kindergarten, T5 | nearly €400 a month | source |
| kindergarten under Creche Feliz | about €125 | source |
| kindergarten under contract, T15 | €342 | source |
| enrolment fee, T15 | €250 | source |
| kindergarten, meals, uniform and extra activities | over €500 | source |
| municipally subsidised nurseries in Cascais, maximum | €350 | source |
| private kindergarten, T18 | about €200 a month | source |
| nursery, T1, Creche Feliz | €50 a month | source |
| flat, T11 | €1,500 | source |
| transport, T11 | €40 a month | source |
| kindergarten with meals and uniform, T15 | over €500 | source |
| private kindergarten, T19 | €240 | source |
What changed
- 20 October 2026 — Creche Feliz applications now go through Segurança Social Direta
- 26 August 2026 — added readers' stories
What to bring
- The child's passport or other ID
- The child's and/or parents' NIF (tax number), if you already have one
- NISS (social security number), if you are applying through Creche Feliz
- Proof of address in Portugal
- The parents' documents
- Vaccination record / boletim de vacinas (vaccination certificate), if the nursery asks for it
- Medical information about the child, if there are special needs
- Proof of household income, if the nursery or municipality sets the fee by income
- Contact details: phone, email
- IBAN, if the nursery asks for it for direct debit
Where people most often trip up
- Looking at just one nursery instead of applying to several at once — that's an easy way to end up without a place.
- Starting your search too late: for September many people apply in winter or spring.
- Confusing a nursery being part of the Creche Feliz system with it having a free place under the programme.
- Relying only on applying online: sometimes you still have to come in person afterwards.
- Not checking in advance how old children can stay at the nursery, and then having to rush to find a new one after 5.
- Not asking for a written breakdown of the price: inscrição, uniform, meals and extra activities may crop up separately.
- Not checking how the first month is charged: sometimes they charge for the full month even with a short settling-in period.
- Not discussing drop-off times: at a number of nurseries the child is no longer accepted after 9:00–10:00.
- Expecting a gentle settling-in by default: some nurseries ask you to leave the child at the door straight away.
- Moving in the middle of the school year and expecting to get into a group near home quickly.
How it went for people
A private nursery after a missed deadline
The family missed the April application deadline and first put their child in a private nursery that took children in any month. The nursery cost about €370 a month, with an annual fee of €170 and materials of roughly another €200 a year, and snacks had to be brought from home. After their second daughter was born, both children were given places at a social nursery thanks to priority for siblings. For the two of them they paid about €250 a month, with meals included, and the conditions and staff turned out to be better than at the private nursery.
Finding nurseries through an app and a list
At first this parent searched for kindergartens using maps and search engines, but found few options. They then installed an app for finding nurseries, registered with their NISS and searched for places by area without switching on the free places filter. On top of that, they ordered a paid list of kindergartens for 3 areas for €2.50. The result was 5 pages with the names of the nurseries, their websites and phone numbers.
A Spanish kindergarten because there were no places
The family could not find a kindergarten place in their own town, and at 1 year and 8 months they sent their daughter to a Spanish kindergarten across the border, driving her there every day. The parents did not speak Spanish and had not taught it to the child beforehand. At first the daughter cried when they said goodbye, but during the day she played with the other children and the toys; settling in took about 2 months. After 4 months she was already saying a few words in Spanish and had mostly stopped crying in the mornings.
On the waiting list in February — a place offered at the end of June
The daughter was born in January, and in February, when nurseries open registration, her mother already put her on the waiting list at the three nearest nurseries (creche). At one they asked her to apply online, at another she filled in a paper form on the spot. In May two of the three nurseries got back to her and asked for documents, and at the end of June both said they had a place for her daughter. She turned one down and chose the one closer to home.
Turned down by a state kindergarten because of income
A family from Caldas da Rainha applied in good time to two kindergartens for the school year and did not get a place. The kindergartens select by priorities: living near the kindergarten, the parents working in the same town and a statement of income from Segurança Social (the social security service). The family only met the first criterion, so they were put on the general waiting list with no clear timeframe. That year the child went to a private kindergarten.
One nursery took them within a month, at another their turn never came in three years
The family lived in Baixa da Banheira and applied to a nursery near home in May — in June the nursery rang and took the child from the new school year. At the same time they applied to a large kindergarten nearby that takes children both under and over three: there they were told there was a waiting list and asked to wait. Three years have passed since then, the family has moved, and their turn has still not come.
Retold in our own words from messages in open chats. The link leads to the full original message.