Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Yes. Yes. If you move to the Canton of Geneva during the school year, you must enrol your child in a school within three days of your move using the procedure for children living in Geneva.

If your child lives outside the Canton of Geneva and you wish to enrol them in a Geneva public school, you must check that they meet the enrolment conditions and then follow the enrolment procedure for children living outside the Canton.

In the Canton of Vaud

Articles 34 and 46 of the Constitution of Vaud set out the educational rights and duties relevant to all children residing in the Canton. As a general rule, children who arrive during the school year or who transfer from a private school, home schooling, a special education school or a school outside the Canton are placed in a class on the basis of their age.

Enrolment in a public school is based on the catchment area in which the parents’ place of residence is located. The procedure is different for primary and secondary schools: Enrolment at the primary level (grades 1P to 8P), Enrolment at the secondary level (grades 9S to 11S).

Crèches and nursery schools provide care for children between the ages of 16 weeks and 4 years. regular full- or part-time care are possible

Under the Compulsory Education Act, children who have reached the age of four years on 31 July must attend school.

f you live in the City of Geneva, you should register with the Bureau d’information petite enfance (Early Years Information Office), which is the only office authorized to handle registration for childcare facilities subsidized by the City of Geneva. In the City of Geneva, childcare places are allocated using the same criteria for everyone. The waiting list is very long. It is advisable to try various options such as contacting a network of approved childminders (list available from the Bureau d’information petite enfance) or approved nannies (e.g. Mary Poppins, Chaperon Rouge; lists available on the websites of: fondation 022 famille or Chaperon Rouge.

If you live outside the City of Geneva or in the Canton of Vaud, you should contact the town hall of your commune directly.

Salary and/or security deposit: the banks in the Nations neighbourhood and in certain international organizations offer the advantage of having extensive experience with international clients. They are the banks that will set up a security deposit for you if necessary. f you are unable to transfer the necessary funds to set up the security deposit, you can ask the lessor if they would agree to a “caution” (type of rent guarantee not requiring a deposit) .

It is essential that you renew (reactivate) the registration every 6 months and provide the documents concerning your professional situation. Yes, you must renew (reactivate) your registration. If you do not, your file will be cancelled and you will have to register again and wait even longer.

If you live outside the City of Geneva or in the Canton of Vaud, you should contact the town hall of your commune directly.

Yes, children who do not speak French can enrol in a public school.

hildren between four and six years of age will be placed in a regular class and given individual support if necessary. Children over six years of age will spend 50 per cent of their time in a regular class and 50 per cent in specialist French-language classes. They will spend a minimum of 12 months taking French classes.

Students with special educational needs or disabilities are enrolled in the same way as other students.