How do you enrol children in public school in Belgium in 2026?

Register the family’s principal residence so the child appears in the National Register: Register address. Schools and communes ask for identity documents, residence proof, vaccination or health records, and prior school reports with translations when needed. Bring a local phone number for callbacks: Get a mobile phone.

Flanders runs Dutch-medium networks; Wallonia and most Brussels francophone options run French-medium networks; the German-speaking Community has its own schools around Eupen and Malmedy. Brussels families often choose by language preference and commune practice, not by a single city education office: Regional languages and Where to live.

Public preschool (kleuterschool / école maternelle) commonly accepts children from about age 2.5. That can replace expensive private daycare once a place exists: Childcare costs. Compulsory primary and secondary follow Community calendars; after-school care and meals may still carry fees.

International schools sit outside this public path and charge tuition. For ordinary public enrolment, contact the school secretariat early, especially in high-demand Brussels and Flemish communes: Best places for families. Residence status for parents remains a separate Immigration file: Residence permit. eID cards later simplify some portals: Get an eID.