Moving to Germany with kids: schools, visas and costs

Quick answer: what do you need to know about moving to Germany with kids? School is compulsory from age six and home education is allowed only in exceptional cases. You register your address within two weeks, children get a legal right to a childcare place from age one, and Kindergeld pays EUR 259 per child a month. In Düsseldorf, ISD charges EUR 20,930 to EUR 28,270 for 2026-27.

Last reviewed: November 2026 by Catherine from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Key takeaways

In North Rhine-Westphalia, children who turn six by 30 September start school on 1 August that year and full-time schooling lasts ten years, under the state Schulgesetz.
Kita care for children aged three until they start school is free in Düsseldorf whatever the parents' income, according to the city's 2026 rules; under-threes pay up to EUR 400 a month.
Kindergeld is EUR 259 per child per month and does not depend on income, according to the Familienkasse.
An EU Blue Card needs a gross salary of at least EUR 50,700 in 2026, or EUR 45,934.20 in shortage occupations, according to Make it in Germany.

Germany's paperwork has a reputation, but for families it follows a clear order: residence permit, address registration, school or Kita place, then child benefit. This guide to moving to Germany with kids walks through each step with 2026 figures, using Düsseldorf as the worked example for school fees and childcare costs.

It also answers the question many parents type first: can you move to Germany without knowing German? For children, yes, through one of two routes: a free state school with German support classes, or a fee-paying international school that teaches in English.

Schulpflicht in Germany: is school compulsory, and can you home-school?

Yes, school is compulsory, and home schooling is not a real option. Make it in Germany, the federal government's portal for skilled workers, says children must attend school from the age of six for nine or ten years of full-time education, depending on the state, and that home education is allowed only in exceptional cases such as prolonged illness.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, where Düsseldorf sits, the Schulgesetz sets the details: compulsory schooling applies to everyone whose residence is in the state, including children of foreign nationals; it starts on 1 August for children who have turned six by 30 September; and full-time schooling lasts ten years. If you choose a private or international school, ask it to confirm in writing that attendance meets NRW compulsory schooling.

Your first weeks: Anmeldung, residence permits and family reunification

Register your address. Everyone must register at the residents' registration office within two weeks of moving in, according to Make it in Germany. Bring identity documents and the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, the form your landlord signs to confirm when you moved in. Appointments are often booked online, so reserve one as soon as you have a lease.

Bring the family. The EU Blue Card requires a salary of at least EUR 50,700 a year in 2026, or EUR 45,934.20 in shortage occupations and for career starters, with Federal Employment Agency approval. Make it in Germany states that family members joining a skilled worker with a valid residence title do not need to prove German, and that a spouse can work without restriction once their permit is issued.

Children's permits. Children under 16 of parents with temporary residence permits also receive one; special requirements apply from 16, and an 18-year-old needs their own residence title. Citizens of countries such as the US, the UK, Canada and Japan can enter without a visa and apply in Germany, while others apply at the embassy. A single parent applying for a child's visa needs the consent of the other parent with custody.

German state school or international school?

State schools are free and teach in German; international schools charge fees and teach mainly in English. In the German system children attend primary school (Grundschule) from grade 1 to grade 4 in most states, then move to a Gymnasium, a Gesamtschule or, in a few states, a Realschule or Hauptschule. Make it in Germany notes that children who arrive without German are usually offered German as a second language (Deutsch als Zweitsprache).

Option	Teaching language	Cost in Düsseldorf, 2026-27	Leads to
Kita (age 1 to 6)	German	Free from age 3; up to EUR 400 a month under 3	Start of school at 6
State Grundschule and Gymnasium	German	No tuition	Abitur
International School of Düsseldorf	English	EUR 20,930 to 28,270	IB Diploma
ISR (Neuss) and St. George's (Duisburg)	English	On request	IGCSE and IB Diploma

Kita figures from the City of Düsseldorf fee tables valid from 1 August 2026; ISD from its 2026-27 fee schedule.

Think about your time horizon. A long stay with young children makes the German route realistic; a two or three year posting, or a teenager close to exams, points to an English-medium curriculum that moves with you.

International schools in and around Düsseldorf

International School of Düsseldorf

ISD, on Niederrheinstrasse in Düsseldorf, teaches the full IB continuum (Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes) and says its students come from more than 57 countries. Its 2026-27 schedule runs from EUR 20,930 for pre-school and grades 1 and 2 to EUR 28,270 for grade 12, plus a one-off admission fee of EUR 6,500. Lunch is extra: EUR 4.17 to EUR 5.95 a day in 2024-25, the latest prices the school lists.

ISR International School on the Rhine

ISR's main campus is in Neuss, just across the Rhine from Düsseldorf, with kindergartens in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel and Meerbusch. Its secondary school offers the IGCSE and the IB Diploma, and the school highlights a route to German university entrance with the IB Diploma. ISR quotes fees individually through an applicant questionnaire. A new ISR Elementary School in Düsseldorf-Oberkassel is due to open in August 2027.

St. George's The British International School Düsseldorf Rhein-Ruhr

Despite the name, St. George's is in Duisburg-Ungelsheim, reached by the U79 tram, and takes children from age 2 to 18. It follows the National Curriculum of England to Year 9, Cambridge IGCSEs in Years 10 and 11 and IB programmes in the sixth form. The school says IGCSEs with the right subjects and grades are on a par with the Mittlere Reife and the IB Diploma with the Abitur. Fees are available from admissions.

Heading to Bavaria instead? Our guide to international school admissions in Munich covers deadlines and assessments there.

How much does a Kita cost in NRW?

In Düsseldorf, nothing from age three: the city states that Kita care from three until school entry is free at every income level, though lunch is charged (EUR 75 a month in municipal Kitas from August 2026). For under-threes, fees depend on household income and hours. Under the table valid from 1 August 2026, a family earning more than EUR 80,000 pays EUR 300 a month for 35 hours and EUR 350 for 45 hours. From 1 August 2027 the city plans free care of up to 35 hours a week for all families. Places are scarce in big cities, so apply to several Kitas as soon as you have an address.

What will moving to Germany with a family cost in the first year?

Worked example. A family in Düsseldorf with an eight-year-old entering grade 3 at ISD and a four-year-old in a municipal Kita, 2026-27:

ISD tuition, grade 3: EUR 21,760
ISD admission fee: EUR 6,500
Kita lunch, 12 months at EUR 75: EUR 900
Kindergeld received, two children at EUR 259 for 12 months: minus EUR 6,216

That leaves about EUR 22,944 in net school and childcare costs for the first year, before uniforms, buses and after-school care. Our guide to international school fees in Düsseldorf compares more schools.

Checklist for your first month

Sign a lease and get the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from your landlord.
Book the Anmeldung appointment for a date within two weeks of moving in.
Apply to Kitas and contact schools straight away; ask international schools for the 2026-27 or 2027-28 fee schedule in writing.
Bring birth certificates and, if one parent applies alone for a child's visa, the other custodial parent's consent.
Claim Kindergeld from the Familienkasse once the family is registered.

Compare schools in Düsseldorf

When you know where you will live, compare curricula, fees and locations with our guide to the best international schools in Düsseldorf.

Sources: Make it in Germany (school, childcare, registration, family reunification, EU Blue Card); Schulgesetz NRW, sections 34, 35 and 37; City of Düsseldorf, Kita fee tables from 1 August 2026 and rules from 1 August 2027; Familienkasse, Federal Employment Agency; International School of Düsseldorf 2026-27 fee schedule; ISR International School on the Rhine; St. George's The British International School Düsseldorf Rhein-Ruhr.

More guides to schools in Düsseldorf

Frequently asked questions

Can you move to Germany with kids without knowing German?

Yes. Family members joining a skilled worker with a valid residence title do not need to prove German, according to Make it in Germany. Children can attend a free state school, where newcomers are usually offered German as a second language, or an English-medium international school such as the International School of Düsseldorf, which charges EUR 20,930 to EUR 28,270 for 2026-27.

Is home schooling allowed in Germany?

No, except in exceptional cases such as prolonged illness, according to Make it in Germany. School is compulsory from age six. In North Rhine-Westphalia, children who turn six by 30 September start school on 1 August of that year, compulsory schooling covers foreign nationals resident in the state, and full-time schooling lasts ten years under the Schulgesetz.

How much is Kindergeld in 2026?

Kindergeld is EUR 259 per child per month, according to the Familienkasse of the Federal Employment Agency, and it does not depend on parental income. It is paid for children under 18, and in some cases for older children in education. Parents living in Germany claim it from the Familienkasse; for two children that is EUR 6,216 a year.