Arriving with a toddler outside the nursery admission window

Key rules

• Late applications: Most regions and councils accept late applications, but you go behind families who applied on time.
• Private nurseries: Most private nurseries enrol all year if they have space, so they are usually your fastest route.
• Nannies: A nanny you employ at home must be registered with Social Security as a domestic worker.
• Regional rules: Procedures differ by region and council, so confirm the route with your town hall.

You do not have to wait for next spring

Missing the main application period does not close the door. Start two things at once: ask for a late public place, and contact private nurseries. Private is usually the fastest way to get your child into care now.

Apply late for a public place

Most regions and councils accept applications outside the main window, for example from families who have just arrived. These are handled as late applications and go to any vacancies left after the families who applied on time. Expect to go to the end of the list.

Apply at your town hall's education office, the regional admissions platform or the nursery itself. Which one depends on where you live, and the rules differ by region, so ask your town hall which route applies to you.

Watch for vacancies

After the main period, places open up when families drop out. Who publishes the vacancies varies: the nursery, the council or the regional platform. Places are filled from the waiting list in order of points, or by the council's admissions commission. If no list remains, you may be able to apply directly at the nursery or the council. Some regions publish lists of nurseries with vacancies after the main allocation. Ask the education office whether yours does.

Try private nurseries

Most private nurseries enrol children all year, depending on vacancies, and many take children from around 16 weeks. In most cities a place can often be found within days or weeks. Popular centres can have waiting lists, especially for September.

Book visits at several nurseries. Ask each one about vacancies, the registration fee and the monthly fee. The timeline below shows the order.

Cover the gap with a bridge plan

While you wait for a public place, you can combine other options:

• Childminders (cuidadoras or "madres de día"). The rules for them vary by region, so ask what is required where you live.
• Nannies (canguros), often hired by the hour. If you employ one at home, you must register them with Social Security as a domestic worker.
• Ludotecas, drop-in play centres for a few hours at a time.
• Au pairs. These are legal only with the right visa or stay arrangement, and they are less common for toddlers.
• Family help, if relatives can support you.

Costs vary a lot by city and hours, so ask for prices before you commit.

Public places are allocated in the spring-summer round. A mid-year arrival usually uses private or informal care first and gets a public place only if vacancies remain. The "What if you do not get a nursery place?" section below covers that case.

Timeline and deadlines

• Shortlist private nurseries and book visits: As soon as you know where you will live; most take enrolment year-round

• Ask each centre about vacancies, registration fees and monthly fees: During or right after each visit

• Enrol your child: Usually within days or weeks in most cities; for September, expect waiting lists at popular centres

• Start nursery: From about 16 weeks of age, once a place is free

What if you do not get a nursery place?

You have three routes: challenge the result, stay on the waiting list, or use private care. They are not either/or, and you can do all three at once.

Challenge the list if something looks wrong

After the provisional list comes out, you get only a few working days to file a objection. The exact dates are in this year's admission calendar, so check it the day the list is published. You file with the nursery, the town hall or the regional education department, often through the online portal.

• Ask to see your score sheet and the points scale used.
• Look for errors in income, distance from home, siblings or work status.
• Attach documents that prove each point you are disputing.

The authority then publishes the definitive list. If you still disagree, you can appeal the definitive result, normally within one month of it being published or notified. For a municipal nursery, the appeal goes to the mayor or the municipal body. For other public nurseries, it goes to the regional education authority. If nobody replies, the silence generally counts as a refusal after three months, and the next step is the courts.

Stay on the waiting list

Being waitlisted is not a refusal. Lists move mainly in the weeks after the main allocation, when families turn places down or choose another centre or a private place. For the rest of the year, movement is generally small, and only a few places open when families withdraw. How much a list moves varies a lot between centres and cities, so ask the nursery or the council how far down you are and how many places usually open.

Also ask about these:

• Other public or municipal nurseries. Some have vacancies, and in some areas you can apply outside your catchment area.
• Mid-year applications. Some regions and towns accept applications for vacancies during the year.
• Publicly funded private centres. These are privately run but receive public funding. Ask whether they have spaces.

Use private care while you wait

Private nurseries charge a monthly fee that depends mainly on the city and the hours. Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque cities are the most expensive, while mid-sized and southern cities are cheaper. Fees are normally higher for children under 1 and for full-day schedules. Meals, extended hours, enrolment fees and materials are often charged on top, so ask for the full monthly total. Prices rise every year.

Ways to bring the cost down:

• Regional or town schemes. Some areas run a voucher or subsidy for private nurseries, such as the Madrid nursery cheque and schemes in the Basque Country and Catalonia. They usually depend on household income, so ask your regional education department what exists where you live.
• Tax deduction. For children under 3 in a registered nursery, you can claim a childcare deduction in your income tax return, up to an annual limit. Some regions add their own. Keep the nursery's invoices and proof that it is authorised as an educational centre.
• Employer help. Some employers offer childcare vouchers, which are partly tax-exempt.

Check that a private nursery is authorised as an educational centre before you pay a deposit. Without that, the tax deduction may not apply.

Deadlines, subsidies and tax deductions differ by region and town and change each year, so check current terms with your town hall or regional education department.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still apply for a public nursery place if I arrive mid-year?

Yes, most regions and councils accept applications outside the main window from families who have just arrived. These are treated as late applications and go to any remaining vacancies, usually after families who applied on time. Apply at the council, the regional platform or the centre.

How are public nursery vacancies filled after the main period?

Vacancies are usually filled from the waiting list in order of points, or by the council's admissions commission. If no list remains, you may apply directly at the centre or the council. Some regions publish lists of centres with free places.

How quickly can I find a place in a private nursery?

In most cities you can often find a private place within days or weeks, since most enrol year-round depending on vacancies. Popular centres and baby classes can have waiting lists, especially for September. Book visits and ask about registration and monthly fees.

What childcare can I use while I wait for a public place?

Mid-year arrivals usually use private or informal care first, such as a childminder, an hourly nanny, a ludoteca (drop-in play centre) or family help. A nanny employed at home must be registered with Social Security as a domestic worker. Childminder rules vary by region.