Arriving & registering4 min readReviewed

Enrolling your child in school in Ireland

In Ireland, children can start primary school from age 4 and must get an education from 6 to 16. You apply to each school directly, on its own form, and a State-funded school with places must take your child, with no fees to apply or enrol. If a school is full, it chooses by the criteria in its admission policy, and you can ask for a review and then appeal. Tusla helps if you can't find a place. Check your child's place.

Check my child's place Read the guide
6–16 years
The ages when your child must get an education. Primary can start from 4
€0 to enrol
State-funded schools can't charge to apply or enrol. Schoolbooks are free
63 days
To appeal a refusal to the Department, under Section 29
Check my child’s place

The short answer

  • Ages: primary from 4, usually to 12; post-primary from 12 to 18. Education is compulsory from 6 to 16.
  • Applying: to each school directly, on its own form, following its admission notice.
  • Places: a school with room must admit your child. A full school chooses by its published criteria.
  • Cost: no fees to apply or enrol in State-funded schools, and free schoolbooks.
  • Refused or stuck? Ask for a review, appeal under Section 29, or contact Tusla.

Check your child’s place

School place checker

Which school level, how to apply, the Irish exemption, and what to do if you’re refused.

You want a place…
Schooled abroad for 3+ years in a row, without Irish?

    What to have ready

        From the Department of Education, Tusla and Citizens Information. Each school has its own admission policy. Nothing you enter is sent or saved.

        How school works in Ireland

        Ages Classes
        Pre-school (ECCE) From 2 years 8 months Free, 3 hours a day, for 2 years before primary
        Primary From 4, usually to 12 Junior and senior infants, then first to sixth class: 8 years
        Post-primary (secondary) Usually 12 to 18 Junior cycle, then senior cycle and the Leaving Certificate

        Your child must get an education from 6 to 16, or until they’ve completed 3 years of post-primary school. If your child has been to school before, the principal decides the class with you.

        Most primary schools are State-funded and have a religious patron, often Catholic; others are multi-denominational, such as Educate Together and Community National Schools, or teach through Irish (Gaelscoileanna). Since 2018, State-funded primary schools can’t use religion to choose children, except some minority-faith schools when they’re full. You can find schools by county, ethos and language with the Department’s Find a School tool.

        Applying, step by step

        1. Find schools near you on the Find a School tool and their websites.
        2. Read each school’s admission notice. It gives the dates to apply, when you’ll hear back, the deadline to accept and the number of places.
        3. Read its admission policy, which explains how it chooses children if it’s full.
        4. Apply on the school’s form. For September, applications open from 1 October of the year before at the earliest. Arriving during the year? Contact schools straight away.
        5. Get the decision in writing, by the date in the notice. You can apply to several schools, but accept only one place, and tell the school about other offers.

        What schools can and can’t do

        • Must admit your child if they have a place, even after the deadline, if they’re not full.
        • Can’t charge fees or ask for contributions to apply or enrol. A voluntary contribution is optional.
        • Can’t choose by the date you applied, interviews, open days, your child’s ability, or your job or income.
        • Can’t discriminate on grounds such as race, religion, disability, special educational needs, family status or membership of the Traveller community.
        • Can choose by the criteria in their published admission policy, but only when they’re full.

        Arriving mid-year, or from abroad

        Tusla says children aged 4 to 18 who are new to Ireland are supported to get a place in a State school. Contact schools as soon as you can after you arrive. If you can’t find a place, the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) can help: call 01 771 8500. Families with temporary protection can also contact their local Regional Education and Language Team (REALT).

        Irish at school

        Irish is a core subject in English-medium schools. Your child can get an exemption if they were educated abroad for 3 or more years in a row without the chance to learn Irish, and either:

        • are 12 or over on the day they enrol, or
        • completed primary school in another country.

        Apply to the principal, who must decide within 21 working days. If you’re refused, you can appeal to the Irish Exemptions Appeal Committee within 30 days. There’s no exemption in a Gaelscoil, and an exemption at school doesn’t carry over to college entry.

        Costs

        • No fees in State-funded schools. Private fee-paying secondary schools are the exception.
        • Free schoolbooks: the Department funds schoolbooks in primary and special schools, and in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme, which lend the books and provide core classroom resources. You don’t need to apply.
        • Uniforms are set by each school’s board, and some schools have none.

        If you’re refused

        • The school was full: request a board of management review (form BOMR1) first. The board replies within 42 days of the refusal. Then appeal online under Section 29 within 63 days of the original refusal.
        • Another reason: you can appeal under Section 29 straight away, or ask for a review first.
        • No place anywhere: contact your local Educational Welfare Officer at Tusla.

        The school’s refusal letter should give the reason and where your child ranked against its criteria.

        Common mix-ups

        Common questions

        At what age do children start school in Ireland?

        Children can start primary school from age 4, and most start at 4 or 5. They must get an education from 6 to 16, or until they've completed 3 years of post-primary school. Post-primary (secondary) school is usually from 12 to 18.

        How do I enrol my child in a school in Ireland?

        Apply to each school directly, using the application form on its website. Every school publishes an annual admission notice with its dates and number of places, and an admission policy explaining how it chooses if it's full. Applications for September open from 1 October of the year before at the earliest.

        Can my child start school in the middle of the year?

        Yes. Contact schools as soon as you arrive. A school that has places must admit your child, and if it isn't full it should keep accepting applications after its deadline.

        Do I have to pay to enrol my child?

        No. State-funded schools can't charge fees or ask for contributions for admission. Many ask for a voluntary contribution, which is optional. Schoolbooks are free. Only private fee-paying schools charge fees.

        Does my child have to learn Irish?

        Irish is a core subject, but a child who was educated abroad for 3 or more years in a row without the chance to learn Irish can get an exemption if they're 12 or over when they enrol, or finished primary school abroad. Ask the principal, who must decide within 21 working days.

        What if a school refuses my child?

        If it was full, first ask the board of management to review the decision; then you can appeal to the Department of Education and Youth under Section 29, within 63 days of the refusal. For other reasons, you can appeal straight away.

        I can't find any school place. Who can help?

        Contact the Tusla Education Support Service on 01 771 8500. An Educational Welfare Officer can help you find a place. Families from Ukraine can also contact their Regional Education and Language Team.

        Sources

        All sources checked on 5 Oct 2026.

        1. School admissions/enrolmentDepartment of Education and Youth
        2. Admissions policies in primary and secondary schoolsCitizens Information
        3. Choosing a primary schoolCitizens Information
        4. Starting primary school for the first timeCitizens Information
        5. Exemption from studying IrishCitizens Information
        6. A short guide for parents who are newly arrived in IrelandTusla
        7. Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme 2026/27, a guide for parentsDepartment of Education and Youth
        Guidance, not advice. This guide explains the published rules in plain English. Rules and processing differ by case, so always check the current official instructions before you apply. On Path is not affiliated with Immigration Service Delivery or the Department of Justice.

        Check your child's place.

        Which school level, how to apply, the Irish exemption, and what to do if you're refused.

        Check my child's place