Last verified: 5 October 2026, based on the official pages cited at the bottom of the page.

Children aged 3 to 16 are subject to compulsory education.

Are you arriving with your child and want to prepare their enrolment? Here are the steps to follow depending on their situation.

Step 1 — Registration at the town hall, then at the school

For a first move to France, your child's enrolment is first done at the town hall, then at the school.

Documents to bring to the town hall:

In public nursery school, you provide a document proving your identity and your child's: family record book, identity card, passport, copy of birth certificate extract or sworn statement.

You must also provide a recent proof of address; a sworn statement is possible.

For public nursery school, the list also includes a document proving your child has had the compulsory vaccinations for their age or showing a medical exemption.

For a child aged 6 or over at the time of a first move to France, the list of documents at the town hall includes a document proving your identity and your child's, as well as a recent proof of address; a sworn statement is accepted for these documents.

For the move from nursery school in another municipality to primary school in your municipality, enrolment is first done at the town hall then at the school; the proof of identity and address can also take the form of a sworn statement.

For the school canteen or extracurricular activities, other documents may be requested in addition to the enrolment file at the town hall.

Admission to the school:

In public nursery school, once enrolment is complete, the town hall issues a registration certificate indicating the assigned school.

Go to the school indicated on this certificate as soon as you receive it, with the certificate from the town hall and the document proving your child has had the compulsory vaccinations for their age or a medical exemption.

For the move to primary school in your municipality described above, the school management asks for the certificate from the town hall and the document proving your child has had the compulsory vaccinations for their age or a medical exemption.

In primary school, if the registration certificate or proof of vaccination or exemption is missing, the headteacher will grant provisional admission.

Provisional admission is possible if your child's vaccinations are not up to date; you then have 3 months to have them vaccinated, and the school head may exclude them if you do not do so.

Step 2 — The school catchment area: knowing your child's school

For public nursery school in your municipality of residence, you must in principle enrol your child in the local catchment school; the catchment areas are decided by the municipal council.

For another public nursery school in your municipality, you must request an exemption from the town hall.

For a public nursery school outside your municipality of residence, you must obtain the agreement of the mayor of the host municipality.

Step 3 — UPE2A: welcoming a non-French-speaking child

In primary school, on first arrival:

If your child is 6 or older, their academic skills are assessed and the results determine their assigned class.

If you are settling in France for the first time and your child is 6 or older, the town hall will, at the time of enrolment, refer you to specialist teachers to assess your child's academic skills.

The assessment covers French, other languages taught, knowledge acquired in the previous language of schooling, especially mathematics, and familiarity with written schoolwork.

When the results are known, the town hall issues you the certificate indicating the assigned school.

In elementary school, the éduSCOL information sheet specifies that the diagnostic assessment is carried out by the person appointed by the local inspector of the Éducation nationale, with the support of the CASNAV; it is performed by the local school.

This assessment is carried out in the language of first schooling to identify the student's academic achievements and needs.

In preschool, the assessment of needs is based on observing the child during activities, not on formal evaluation tests.

In middle school or high school, when settling in for the first time:

When you arrive, contact the CASNAV for your main home (résidence principale): the Centre académique pour la scolarisation des enfants allophones nouvellement arrivés.

Your child will meet there with a psychologist from the Éducation nationale, who will review their background and organise an educational assessment; the results are sent to the academy's services.

Placement depends on your child's academic skills and the availability of places in a suitable school near your home.

Then register your child at the middle school or high school designated by the academy; your child must be present in France at the time of registration.

The documents required vary by rectorat: ask the assigned school for the list before registering.

Understanding UPE2A:

UPE2A stands for "unité pédagogique pour élèves allophones arrivants" (educational unit for newly arrived allophone students).

Circular no. 2012-141 of 2 October 2012 provides, during the first year in UPE2A, for at least 9 hours of French per week in primary school and 12 hours in secondary school, with time spent in regular classes.

The same circular provides, except in special cases, for a grouping period not exceeding the equivalent of one school year.

For a teenager who has already attended school in their country of origin, registration is in the regular class corresponding to their level; if they need intensive French instruction, they can join a UPE2A.

For a teenager who has not attended school or has attended very little in their country of origin, they are welcomed full-time in a UPE2A to learn French.

FAQ

Which vaccines are required depending on my child's year of birth?

Your child must be vaccinated to be admitted to school, unless there is a recognised medical exemption.

For a child born before 2018, the initial diphtheria, tetanus and polio (DTP) vaccination is required to attend school.

For a child born between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022, the mandatory vaccinations are: DTP, whooping cough, invasive infections by Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, invasive pneumococcal infections, meningococcus serogroup C, measles, mumps and rubella.

For the category "Child born from 2023", Service Public states on the page "Faut-il faire vacciner son enfant pour l'inscrire à l'école, en crèche ou garderie ?" the following mandatory vaccinations: Diphtheria, tetanus and polio (DTP); whooping cough; invasive infections by Haemophilus influenzae type B; hepatitis B; invasive pneumococcal infections; meningococcus serogroups A, B, C, W and Y; measles, mumps and rubella.

Catch-up vaccination is planned for children aged 2 to 4 inclusive (until the day before their 5th birthday), including those already vaccinated against meningococcus C; for children born from 1 January 2023, this catch-up is only mandatory if they were not vaccinated according to the schedule before the age of 2.

For residents of French Guiana, the lists for children born between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022 and those born from 2023 add yellow fever from age 1. For children born before 2018, yellow fever is mandatory for residents of French Guiana over 12 months old or anyone staying there.

Can a residence permit (titre de séjour) be required for registration?

Registration in a school for a student of foreign nationality, whatever their age, cannot be made conditional on presenting a residence permit.

Who to contact if you have trouble registering?

When settling in France for the first time, if you have trouble registering your child in primary school, you can contact the departmental Éducation nationale office for your département.

Official resources

• "Instruction obligatoire" (Service Public)

• "École primaire (maternelle ou élémentaire) pour un élève venant de l'étranger" (Service Public)

• “Enrolling your child in nursery school” (Service Public)

• “Enrolling your child in primary school (elementary)” (Service Public)

• “Enrolment and admission of pupils” (Ministère de l’Éducation nationale)

• “How the welcome process works in primary school” (Ministère de l’Éducation nationale)

• “Enrolling a student coming from abroad in a collège or lycée” (Service Public)

• “Organisation of schooling for newly arrived allophone students” (Ministère de l’Éducation nationale)

• “Do you have to vaccinate your child to enrol them in school, nursery or daycare?” (Service Public)

• “Vaccination schedule: what changes for 2026?” (Service Public)

And what about Pionra?

Pionra does not replace the mairie, the school, or the services of the Éducation nationale. It is a space to share your experience.

Have you just completed this process? Share your experience in a comment or in a note to help those who come after you.