Finding a Kita or childminder in Berlin (Kita-Gutschein)

Before you start

• You live in Berlin and are registered at your address (Anmeldung). The voucher comes from the youth office of the district you live in.
• Everyone with custody of the child agrees to the application and signs it, or you can show you have sole custody.
• For care beyond seven hours a day, or for a child under one, proof of why you need it (for example an employment contract or proof of studies).

Documents you need

• Registration certificate (Meldebestätigung) for the child and parents

  Shows that you live in the district whose youth office handles your application.

  required

• Child's birth certificate or passport

  Proves the child's identity and age.

  required

• Proof of work, training, studies or self-employment

  Needed for more than seven hours of care a day and for children under one.

  optional

• Kita voucher (Kita-Gutschein), once issued

  You hand it to the Kita or childminder when you sign the care contract.

  required

• Proof of measles protection

  Required before the first day for children aged one and over. Usually the vaccination record (Impfpass).

  required

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Register your address

   The voucher is issued by the youth office of the district where you live, and Berlin's Senate states that the family generally has to live in Berlin and be registered there. If you have just arrived, complete your address registration first and keep the registration certificate (Meldebestätigung) for the application.

   If you are still abroad, ask the youth office of your future district how to proceed. Do not count on a place being reserved before you live here.

2. 2

   Step 2: Apply for the Kita-Gutschein at the youth office

   Apply no earlier than nine months and no later than two months before the start date you want. The Service-Portal Berlin page for the Kita voucher has an online fill-in form. Complete it, have everyone with custody sign it, and send it by post to your district youth office or hand it in at a family service office. Attach proof of need if you ask for more than seven hours a day or if your child will be under one at the start.

   Berlin has also been building a new Kita-Gutschein-Portal, announced for September 2026, to apply for or adjust vouchers online. If it is available for your case, you can use it instead. If not, use the service portal form.

   Processing takes about 6 to 8 weeks. The voucher states how many hours of care a day your child is entitled to. A voucher for up to seven hours does not expire. A voucher for longer care must be used within seven months of approval.

3. 3

   Step 3: Search for a place

   The official search tool is the Kita-Navigator. It shows every Kita in the Berlin system with its address, opening hours, age groups, educational approach and languages, plus a monthly indicator of whether places are free. You can search by distance from your address or across the city.

   With a free BundID account (the federal citizen login) you can keep a watch list and send care requests (Betreuungsanfragen) to Kitas directly from the Navigator. The number of open requests per child is limited, so choose Kitas that realistically fit your area and hours.

   In practice, many parents also phone or email Kitas, visit open days and ask to be put on a waiting list. For childminders, ask the youth office or the district's childminder advice service (see the section below).

4. 4

   Step 4: Sign the care contract and hand over the voucher

   When a Kita or childminder offers you a place, you sign a care contract (Betreuungsvertrag) and hand over the voucher. The provider reports the contract to the youth office and you receive a confirmation that the place is financed.

   Before signing, check the start date, the hours, the settling-in plan and any additional fees (Zusatzbeiträge). Extras are voluntary. Every provider must offer places without them.

5. 5

   Step 5: Prepare for the first day

   • Measles proof. From age one, the Kita must see proof of measles protection before your child starts (see below). For a child under one, no proof is needed yet, but you will have to provide it in time once your child turns one.
   • Settling-in period (Eingewöhnung). New children usually start with a gradual settling-in phase. Ask the Kita how it organises this, how long it usually takes and when a parent needs to be present, and plan your working hours for the first weeks accordingly.
   • Meal contribution. Set up the €23 monthly payment (2026), or hand in your berlinpass-BuT if you have one.

The legal right and how many hours you get

What you pay in 2026

Kita or childminder

Measles protection (Masernschutzgesetz)

Waiting lists and how to improve your chances

Bilingual and international Kitas

Children who do not attend a Kita

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Waiting until a Kita offers a place before applying for the voucher. Without the voucher the Kita cannot sign the contract, and processing takes 6 to 8 weeks.
• Forgetting the second parent's signature. If both parents have custody, both must sign or the other parent must give written consent.
• Assuming extra fees are mandatory. Extras are voluntary, capped at €100 per month (since 2025), and you can leave them with one month's notice.
• Sending care requests only to Kitas marked as full. Use the free-place indicator and widen the search area or start date.

Tips

• Create a BundID account early. You need it to send care requests through the Kita-Navigator.
• Keep a simple list of every Kita you contacted, the date and the answer. It helps with follow-ups and, if needed, with the youth office.
• Check your child's vaccination record at the same time as you apply for the voucher, so there is time for a paediatrician to give any missing measles dose before the start date.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Apply for the Kita voucherAdd to plan
• Find a Kita place or childminderAdd to plan
• Plan childcare and school for your childrenAdd to plan
• Register your child for primary school entryAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 2 Feb 2027.