🏫 Compulsory schooling and choice of school

All children must attend school, for nine or ten years depending on the state. The states regulate the details.

compulsory schooling primary school choice of school school enrolment vocational school attendance federal states special needs special educational needs learning materials

In brief

In Germany all children must go to school. General compulsory schooling lasts nine or ten years depending on the state: Bavaria 9, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) 10, Berlin 10. After that, young people not in full-time school must attend vocational school (Berufsschule); its length follows the training relationship.

Primary school runs to grade 4, in Berlin and Brandenburg to grade 6.

Only Bavaria (BY), NRW and Berlin (BE) have been checked; this has not been checked for 13 other states.

School enrolment: BY cut-off date 30 June; children whose 6th birthday falls between 1 July and 30 September: parents decide on deferral (Art. 37 Abs. 1 BayEUG). NRW cut-off date 30 September (§ 35 Abs. 1 SchulG NRW). BE cut-off date 30 September, early enrolment on application until 31 March (§ 42 SchulG Bln).
Choice of school: BY catchment-area requirement (Art. 42 BayEUG), exception by guest-pupil application (Art. 43). NRW primary school catchment areas abolished since 1 August 2008, free choice within capacity (§ 46 SchulG NRW). BE enrolment areas (§ 54 SchulG Bln), deviation on application.
Learning materials: BY on loan (Art. 21 BaySchFG). NRW own contribution of at most one third (§ 96 SchulG NRW), currently up to €16 primary level, €34 lower secondary, €31 upper secondary per school year (BASS 16-01 Nr. 1) (not checked in full text). BE own contribution up to €100 per school year, exemption for benefit recipients (§ 50 Abs. 2 SchulG Bln).
Special educational needs: NRW regular case is mainstream school, parents can choose a special school; school supervision decides (§§ 19, 20 SchulG NRW, AO-SF). BY parents' decision (Art. 41 BayEUG), but compulsory special-school attendance if the need cannot be met at a mainstream school (Abs. 5). BE priority for inclusive teaching (§§ 36, 37 SchulG Bln, SopädVO).

Ask your school office (Schulamt) or the school.

Step by step

Ask about enrolment datesAsk at the primary school or the city.
Discuss the type of schoolTalk to the teacher about the transition.
Report problems earlyRaise problems early with the school and school supervision.

Deadlines

9 or 10 years

Compulsory schooling by state: BY 9 (Art. 37 Abs. 1 BayEUG), NRW 10 (§ 37 Abs. 1 SchulG NRW), BE 10 (§ 42 SchulG Bln); also ten years, among others, in Brandenburg § 38 BbgSchulG, Thuringia § 19 ThürSchulG (not checked in full text). Berlin has no "full-time compulsory schooling" but general compulsory schooling; it ends at the latest with the school year of the 18th year of age, and the 10th year of school attendance can also be completed at a vocational school.Art. 37 BayEUG; § 37 SchulG NRW; § 42 SchulG Bln

Length follows training

Vocational school attendance: BY until the end of the school year of the 21st birthday (Art. 39 Abs. 2 BayEUG). NRW until the end of the training relationship (started before 21); without training until the end of the school year of the 18th birthday (§ 38 SchulG NRW). BE until the end of training, otherwise at least one further school year, at most until the end of the school year of the 18th birthday (§ 43 SchulG Bln).Art. 39 BayEUG; § 38 SchulG NRW; § 43 SchulG Bln

Fine by state

BY Art. 119 BayEUG without its own maximum, fallback framework § 17 OWiG up to €1,000. NRW § 126 SchulG NRW: €5,000 only for Abs. 1 Nr. 7/8, breach of compulsory schooling under § 17 OWiG. BE § 126 SchulG Bln up to €2,500.Art. 119 BayEUG; § 126 SchulG NRW; § 126 SchulG Bln

Watch out – common mistakes

School law is state law. Only BY, NRW and BE have been checked; for 13 other states this information does not apply unchecked.
Persistent absence can have consequences; fines differ by state (see deadlines).
Whether you may freely choose the school depends on the state (see above).

In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Structure

According to the Kultusministerkonferenz, compulsory schooling is nine or ten full-time school years depending on the state; children usually start at six. Primary school covers grades 1 to 4, in Berlin and Brandenburg 1 to 6. In lower secondary level (Sekundarbereich I) there are courses leading to the lower secondary (Hauptschule) and intermediate school leaving certificates and to the Gymnasium; a change is provided for in grades 5 and 6 (permeability).

State provisions Bavaria, NRW, Berlin

Length: BY 9 years (Art. 37 Abs. 1 BayEUG); NRW 10 (§ 37 Abs. 1 SchulG NRW); BE 10 (§ 42 SchulG Bln), general compulsory schooling, at the latest until the school year of the 18th year of age.
NRW Gymnasium: G9 across the board since 2019/20. The nine-year half-sentence in § 37 Abs. 1 applies now only to a few G8 Gymnasien (special case) (not checked in full text).
School entry phase: NRW § 37 Abs. 1 S. 3: the 3rd year in the school entry phase is not counted; Berlin has a comparable initial phase (not checked in full text).
School enrolment, choice of school, learning materials, fines, vocational school attendance and special educational needs: see the short version and deadlines.

Other states: use your state's school laws.

Who is responsible

School and school office (Schulamt) of your federal state: Berlin school offices by district, school supervision at the Senate department; NRW school offices as lower school supervisory authority for districts and independent cities (§ 89 SchulG NRW); Bavaria state school office (not checked in full text)
State ministry of education

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Compulsory schooling and choice of school“?

All children must attend school, for nine or ten years depending on the state. The states regulate the details.

Which deadlines and figures matter?

9 or 10 years: Compulsory schooling by state: BY 9 (Art. 37 Abs. 1 BayEUG), NRW 10 (§ 37 Abs. 1 SchulG NRW), BE 10 (§ 42 SchulG Bln); also ten years, among others, in Brandenburg § 38 BbgSchulG, Thuringia § 19 ThürSchulG (not checked in full text). Berlin has no "full-time compulsory schooling" but general compulsory schooling; it ends at the latest with the school year of the 18th year of age, and the 10th year of school attendance can also be completed at a vocational school. (Art. 37 BayEUG; § 37 SchulG NRW; § 42 SchulG Bln)
Length follows training: Vocational school attendance: BY until the end of the school year of the 21st birthday (Art. 39 Abs. 2 BayEUG). NRW until the end of the training relationship (started before 21); without training until the end of the school year of the 18th birthday (§ 38 SchulG NRW). BE until the end of training, otherwise at least one further school year, at most until the end of the school year of the 18th birthday (§ 43 SchulG Bln). (Art. 39 BayEUG; § 38 SchulG NRW; § 43 SchulG Bln)
Fine by state: BY Art. 119 BayEUG without its own maximum, fallback framework § 17 OWiG up to €1,000. NRW § 126 SchulG NRW: €5,000 only for Abs. 1 Nr. 7/8, breach of compulsory schooling under § 17 OWiG. BE § 126 SchulG Bln up to €2,500. (Art. 119 BayEUG; § 126 SchulG NRW; § 126 SchulG Bln)

What should I do first?

Ask about enrolment dates: Ask at the primary school or the city.
Discuss the type of school: Talk to the teacher about the transition.
Report problems early: Raise problems early with the school and school supervision.

What do I need to watch out for?

School law is state law. Only BY, NRW and BE have been checked; for 13 other states this information does not apply unchecked.
Persistent absence can have consequences; fines differ by state (see deadlines).
Whether you may freely choose the school depends on the state (see above).

Evidence

Kultusministerkonferenz, Bildungswege und Abschlüsse in Deutschland, retrieved 20 September 2026
Bavaria: Art. 37, 39, 41, 42, 43, 119 BayEUG; Art. 21 BaySchFG; NRW: §§ 19, 20, 35, 37, 38, 46, 89, 96, 126 SchulG NRW; Berlin: §§ 36, 37, 42, 43, 50, 54, 126 SchulG Bln
Other states (not checked in full text): § 38 BbgSchulG, § 19 ThürSchulG

As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

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