Public childcare
Both you and your child must have a civil registration number (CPR number) and an officially registered address in Copenhagen when you apply for public childcare. Your choice of childcare will depend on the age of your child.
As there is usually a waiting list for public childcare, remember to sign up for childcare services before your child is 4 months old. The childcare guarantee in Copenhagen will ensure that your child is offered a place within 2 months of signing up on the guaranteed list.
Activities to support child development are part of all childcare services.
Day nursery and home-based childminding
– From 6 months old to 2 years and 10 months old
When your child's age is from 6 months to 2 years and 10 months, your child can be cared for at a day nursery or by a home-based childminder, who is a registered municipal employee.
Day nursery
– In Danish: Vuggestue
A day nursery looks after larger groups of children (60–96 children per nursery with groups of 12 children and 3 adults to each room).
Home-based childminding
– In Danish: Dagpleje
A public home-based childminder looks after 4 or 5 children in the childminder’s own home.
Kindergarten
– In Danish: Børnehave
– From 2 years and 10 months to 5 years old
When your child's age is from 2 years and 10 months to 5 years old, your child can be cared for in a kindergarten.
Enrolment procedure for newcomers
Contact the local area office closest to the district in which you live. You can find the address and contact information for your local area office listed in the table below. You must provide the following information when you contact the local area office:
- Name of the child
- Civil registration number (CPR number)
- Address
- Parents' contact information (email and/or telephone number)
- Country of origin
- The child's most fluent language
The coordinator at the local area office will guide you and make sure that your child receives the best individual offer of nursery/childminder or kindergarten.
If you are not yet living in Copenhagen, you can contact a local area office for advice and guidance regarding nursery/childminder, kindergarten, or schools.
| District | Telephone | |
| Amager | omradeAmager@buf.kk.dk | 33 66 74 00 |
| Indre By/Østerbro | iboe@buf.kk.dk | 60 20 74 00 |
| Nørrebro-Bispebjerg | omradeNB@buf.kk.dk | 33 17 50 81 |
| Vanløse-Brønshøj | bv@buf.kk.dk | 33 17 59 33 |
| Valby-Vesterbro-Kgs. Enghave | vvk@buf.kk.dk | 33 17 56 08 |
Questions and answers
Expand all
How long will I have to wait before my child gets a childcare place?
Placing your child on a guaranteed list ensures that your child will be offered a place in childcare within 2 months.
Find out more about the childminding guarantee in Copenhagen.
What is the cost of childcare in Copenhagen?
Are there childcare options in English?
Yes, 3 municipal childcare facilities use English as the primary language of instruction in nursery or kindergarten groups.
Find out more about English-language groups in public childcare.
How do I withdraw my child from childcare?
You must give 1 month's notice to the Pladsanvisningen (the placement service) if you wish to withdraw your child from childcare. You can give notice online on the 15th or the last day of the month.
To withdraw your child from childcare, use your MitID to access Pladsanvisningen online.
Will there be transfer of knowledge when your child changes day care?
Yes. In the Municipality of Copenhagen, we have a goal that all children have a good and coherent transition when they have to change between day care facilities.
Therefore, factual and relevant information about the child is transferred, so that the staff in the new daycare can organize the reception as best as possible. For example, this could be information about the child's development or descriptions aimed at the upcoming transition. We call this transfer of knowledge.
Parents and daycare services work together to make the transfer of knowledge based on the child's needs.
Log in to Aula if you are a diplomat posted in Denmark
In order to log in to Aula, you and your family must have registered with the Civil Registration System (CPR) and you must have a MitID.
Diplomats who work in Denmark can receive help through the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can set up a civil registration number (CPR number) for diplomats and their family members, ensure the correct registration of children, and help with MitID.
CONTACT
Pladsanvisningen
Nyropsgade 7, 1st floor
Office opening hours
09:00 - 13:00
09:00 - 13:00
09:00 - 13:00
13:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
Phone opening hours
09:00 - 13:00
09:00 - 13:00
13:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00