If only a few years ago, you would have told me I would soon look for daycare in Berlin & apply for a KiTa Gutschein in Berlin: I would have not believed you!
What started as a few-months stay in the city for me has now been a 10-years journey which keeps on bringing new challenges.
Back in the days, i just had to worry about if I could afford another week-end out or if I had enough time to check all those abandoned sites around the city in the summer.
Fast-forwarding a few years, now a married man, I need to juggle between a side-project (this blog), a brand new job and the duties of a young father. Oh, gone are the days of simplicity and innocence.

As young parents, one of the keys to a more relaxed routine is the possibility to leave our children at the Kindergarten in Berlin. There is perhaps no other more important commodity that can make such a drastic change on parenthood and work life, since grandparents are away.
In this post, you will understand your choices, the process to find daycare in Berlin & how to apply for a Kita Gutschein in Berlin.
You should know this:
Why it’s difficult to find a Kindergarten in Berlin
The simple reality is: there is a steep shortage of kita spots in the whole city. Prepare yourself for a hard-ride.
Why? To put it in the nutshell: Berlin’s population is currently experiencing a sharp increase, after years of stagnation. What’s more: young people have been flocking to the city because of (once) cheap rents. Most of them eventually settle down and start having kids.
The demand is increasing while the offer is not following, also because it’s hard to find Erziehern (caretakers) to take care of the kids.
Result: It was usually not easy to find a kita spot in Berlin, but recent events is making the matter more complicated.
Elephant in the room: start early
With this in mind, let’s start with the most important factor to find a kita spot in Berlin first: timing. It’s no secret. The earlier you start contacting Kitas, the better your chances are. The current shortage forces you to sign-up for waiting list as early as possible.
How early you ask? It used to be enough to start looking at this at birth or so. Nowadays, it’s not rare to have parents start the process in the middle of the pregnancy. This makes sense because most kitas will take kids only from 1 year-old. This accounts for the all too common 2 years waiting time.
Daycare in Berlin is paid by the city
Unlike most other states in Germany, Berlin is financing KiTas 100%. This means that you don’t pay yourself. Instead, you need to apply for so called voucher. We explain how in this post. However, expect the KiTa to request 20€ to 60€ to cover some expenses (museums, outdoor activities, meals & more).
Picking daycare in Berlin: know the different types
The term Kita (Kindertagesstätte) covers different types and forms of childcare in Germany. This is a quick overview to understand the different types:
Krippe vs Kindergarten
You will encounter both terms during your search. Put simply; Krippe is where kids under 3 years old go. They then go to Kindergartens until they are old enough to go to school. Some Kitas have both groups within their buildings, some have Kindergartens and not Krippe. They often also have different opening times.. Depends.
The different “operators”
Privately operated (Freie Träger)
Associations
These institutions are offering different approaches concerning pedagogy with kids, often coming from their particular nature/history. They are operated by associations, religious communities or charities. If you want your kid to be educated within a certain community, this might be good option. Some examples:
- Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband – Dachverband vieler kleiner Träger
- Deutsches Rotes Kreuz
- Arbeiterwohlfahrt
- Diakonie
- Caritas
- pro familia
- SOS-Kinderdörfer
- Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland e.V.
- Internationaler Bund – Freier Träger der Bildungs-,Jugend-, und Sozialarbeit e.V.
Eltern Initiative
When there is a need for more spots and parents talk to each other, they might want to start organizing their own KiTa. This is what the term “Eltern Initiative” (Parents’ Initiative) covers. It’s then operated through an association (“Verein”) managed by the parents themselves. This also allows for greater flexibility in the education and in some cases, a higher level of care. However, there is a catch. One of the conditions to get a spot is often to contribute your own time and resources to run the whole thing (buying supplies, bookkeeping, gardening, renovation works, etc.). It’s a great way to be involved in the community.
For profit companies (GmbH)
Although it might be unusual to place kids in a structure run by a company, they offer equally good environments for the development of the child. Daycare centers in Berlin like these are under scrutiny by local authorities and must provide a strict standard of service as well as a pedagogy framework.
Kindertagespflege – Tagesmutter
This another form a childcare provided by single persons, often women, hence the term Tagesmutter. They provide childcare in the environment of their own home, often along side their own children. It usually offers a greater time flexibility and a somewhat more personal approach. It won’t be a group of 10 or 15 kids.
City operated (Öffentliche Träger)
Daycare centers in Berlin that are working under direct contract with the local authorities.

Picking your Kindergarten in Berlin: education styles
Regardless of the structure, the Kita must follow a basic set of requirements, when it comes to educating and stimulating kids. It is a framework defined by the Berlin senate around 6 themes; health, social and cultural life, communication, arts, mathematics, nature & environment. You can find more info about it in multiple languages here.
However, each Kita has the freedom to set their own ways to get there. This is why you must not hesitate to ask about how they do things, the daily routine, the outings, etc. This is why you will probably encounter different methodologies such as Montessori or Waldorf. Here are the most common ones and very short summaries.
- Situationsansatz: This is about letting the kids decide what to do, depending on their current interests and their own curiosity
- Montessori-Kinderhaus: The focus is to develop a sense of own responsibility with each child, by providing a supportive learning environment
- Freinet-Kindergarten: One trusts the instincts of the child and build upon them, about cooperation too
- Waldorf-Kindergarten: Focus on intellectual, artistic development
- Reggio Emilia-Kindergarten: Priority given to experimentation
- Waldkindergarten: Nature Kindergarden in the outdoors
- Bewegungskindergarten: Pushing for physical activities and movements
Open house
To see the place for yourself and feel the vibe, most daycares in Berlin will have 2-3 open day/house days per year, during which you will be able to meet the personel and see the different rooms. It’s a great way to get insights on what’s going on. In German, it’s called “Tag der offenen Tür”.
How to find KiTas in Berlin around you
A good old Google search, paired with a physical scouting of your area and recommendations from friends can already do wonders. Added to that, you can turn to:
- Official Berlin search portal. Kita navigator lists options around you and lets you know if there are upcoming open spots. Using the advanced search, you can even filter down by languages, pedagogic styles & more.
- Kita Spot Berlin: A Facebook page & updated (paid) database that periodically publishes free spots.
- International families in Berlin: A good Facebook group to look for recommendations in your area, especially for international/bilingual ones.
- Kita in Berlin: Another pretty active Facebook group. Parents helping other parents. It’s less international.
Getting a Kita Gutschein in Berlin:
What is it?
It is basically a “pass” provided by the city that states how much childcare your kid will get at a Kita. This is how the KiTa knows how much money they will get from the city in return, when taking on your child. It is the paper connecting you, the Kita and the city. Some Kitas won’t accept you on the waiting list unless you have one already. Although, considering the dire situation, I have found that many Kitas don’t have this requirement. Useful to know:
- You can get one maximum 9 months before the child care starts and need to have it sorted at the latest 2 months before.
- Children under 1 are eligible to a voucher granting 4-5 hours of care per day.
- Children over 1 are eligible to a voucher granting 5-9 hours of care per day.
Who is eligible?
Any child is eligible for daycare in Berlin if they are registed in Berlin & is not going to school yet.
Applying for a Kita Gutschein in Berlin
The process for getting a Kita Gutschein in Berlin is fairly easy in nature and it can be done online here. It is essentially a form asking you:
- How many hours (4-5 hours, 5-7 hours, 7-9 hours or 9+ hours of childcare per day)
- What your income/resources are.
- Which situation do you have (employee, student, freelancer, etc).
- Who the legal guardians are, etc.
- Your working hours. This is easy for employees but a bit annoying for freelancers as you can’t just give in your employment contract for proof.
- You will also need to provide basic documents such as birth certificate, Meldebescheinigung & a copy of ID card/passport.
When your application has been accepted, the Kita Gutschein in Berlin remains valid only for 3 months, which means you will need to apply again if you haven’t gotten a contract with a Kita within that time span. Without it, you can’t sign a contract.
A few more remarks:
- It is your legal right in Berlin to receive at least a 7-hours Gutschein.
- Since your child has another language than German at home, that grants you automatically an extension of the Gutschein.
- Most daycares will favor children with 7+ hours Gutscheine because they receive more funds doing so.

What are the alternatives until you get daycare in Berlin
If you haven’t planned ahead, it’s unlikely you will get a kita spot right away (unless you have good connections or a ridiculous amount of luck). In the meantime, you will have to come up with a plan B until you obtain the holy grail. As foreigners away from home, we cannot rely on the help of close relatives like grand-parents. You can instead turn to the following options.
Krabbel- und Spielgruppen
Meaning “crawling and play” groups, they are simple initiatives from parents meeting in cafes or other public places to let babies socialize with one another. I grant you; it won’t free up your time since you have to keep an eye on your child. However, it will make up for the lack of social interactions with other kids your child may experience, especially if it’s your first child. It will also allow you to chat with other parents, exchange experiences and tips. Sometimes, you may also hear about neighboring Kitas, how good they are, what you should do to get in, etc. It’s a good entry point into your local neighborhood and you might feel less alone in the impossible task of finding a kita spot in Berlin.
You can search krabbel groups in Berlin on this page, or these Facebook groups: 1 and 2.
Tagesmutter
As mentioned above, Tagesmutter could prove to be an excellent alternative if you need a helping hand, with added flexibility. There is a search engine for this here and plenty of other websites such as this one here. Beware though: for a lot of people, this is the next best option after getting a Kita spot in Berlin. There is also a high demand for that. It might also be clever to start your search and make calls early.
Babysitters
Not a lot of people know this but if you are registered with the Jugendamt, you can ask for a babysitter to be paid while you are looking for a Kita. They help you to pay a babysitter at a rate of about 600€ per month! That could be huge help to bridge the gap. Take advantage from this! More info there.
Some others tips
Staying on the top of the waiting list
Make sure to ask the KiTa manager how to proceed there. It’s usually best practice to call every 3 months or so, to confirm again that you are still interested in a spot. However, some don’t like this. It’s best to ask what their preference is. And make a list with plenty of reminders!
How many applications
There aren’t any rules but most will mention a number between 5-10 applications at different daycares to be sure to get a spot. Remember that you will need to follow-up with each one of them. It’s a time intensive business.
About costs
To that regard, we are pretty lucky in Berlin because it was made completely free for all kids. This is not the case everywhere in Germany. The only part that you have to pay is a contribution for the food; about 25€ per month, and sometimes small additional fees for extra activities.
Making the situation change
This situation sucks, there are just not enough kita spots in Berlin. Every year, thousands of kids aren’t able to find a spot. If you want to commit and make the situation change, you can go sign the petition and demonstrate. More info here.
I wish you all the best for you and your child. Don’t hesitate to ask questions in the comments if you need more info how to apply for a Kita Gutschein in Berlin or how to find daycare in Berlin.
Hi, this helps alot. I,m kinda confuse with the rules of pension refunds. Im from Philippines, so this work after 24 months after my last pension contribution in Germany that’s the time that i can submit my application? Thanks agaain.
Hey Khim. this is not the right place to comment: go here.
Hi bastien, Thanks for your information. I cannot seem to get one thing clear: does it help to speed up the process if you go in person to the jugendamt, and if so, can you go to any Jugendamt or do you have to go to the one where you are registered?
Hey there. The part of the process that is slow is getting a spot in the first place, not getting the Kita Gutschein. If you mean that you want to involve the Jugendamt in helping you finding a spot, I don’t know if going in person helps more than asking for help in writing or via phone. In any case, talk to your local Jugendamt.
Hello
Thank you for the very clear information. My daughter has a place but we would like to move her. How should we do this? Thank you so much for your help in advance.
Hello Rosalind. Well, it’s the same process than listed above. When your new kita is ready to take your kid, your let your old kita know. Some contracts plan for 3 month notice but it’s usually more flexible since the demand is so high. Don’t cancel your current contract until you have new one with the new kita. Good luck!
Hello Bastien, nice to e-meet you! I have been following your website for years. It’s super useful! Thanks so much for your effort! Now that we have a newborn baby, finally I’m writing my first questionS. 😛
– May I ask what should be included in a Kita application (apart from the application form, if available)? I guess it should include a cover letter / email. Anything else I should include?
– Is bilingual Kita more expensive than monolingual (German) Kita?
– I heard that the “semester” begins in September also for Kita. Would it be more difficult to find a place if we’d like the baby to start Kita in say November?
– I’m on Elternzeit for 12 months and won’t be working, meaning I won’t get a full-time Kitagutschein before baby turns 1 year old. I will resume working as soon as the baby is 1 year old. Is there a way to get full-time Kitagutschein before baby turns 1 so that there is a buffer for Eingewöhnung? If not, how do parents usually handle the Eingewöhnung while working?!
Sorry for the many questions (not easy to be new and foreign parents in Germany!) Thanks so much in advance!
Hey Doris. Glad I could help. All that’s listed in this post in what is required. It’s a pretty simple process because it’s a right to every Berlin resident. Bilingual Kitas are not more expensive than German ones.
It is true that the new year starts in September for Kita. That is because the older kids start school, which logically frees up new spots for others. It’s indeed around that time of the year where it’s a bit easier but it’s not as bad for the youngest kids. If there are 3 spots available, there will probably not do the Eingewöhnung for all kids at the same time in September, but incrementally over several weeks. It’s important to be on the waiting list to be the next in line. Also: there are movements during the year too: people switching kitas, moving away, etc). There is no rule. My kids started in October & November if I remember correctly.
You can apply for a “smaller” Gutschein for now and change to a bigger one when you start working. When applying for Kitas, tell them you will switch to a full-time Gutschein as soon as possible. You can do the Eingewöhnung while in Elternzeit (if you manage it) or else, you will have to ask your employer to be flexible. Most employers understand. Good luck with it all!
Hello Bastien,
I have been moved Into Berlin last month with my family. I am from India. I am here with my employer on 3years work permit visa.
I have not completely understood the process from applying for a Kita Voucher to get admitted my child into any Kita near to my place.
Though I have opened a service account and after filling the details there I have got a registration form where it says I need to visit the youth welfare office to submit that form along with child’s birth certificate and my passport.
Could you advise me how to proceed here?
Thanks.
Sajal Das
Hey Sajal. Welcome! It may have to do with the fact that you just arrived. They might want to check your residence permit to complete the process? What does the letter say?
Hi Bastien!
Thank you so much for the help! Me and my husband are both working for our homecountry Portugal, in our family company as Administrators.. we are employers and also owners of the company.
We have a contract of course, but it is written in Portuguese and fairly long.
Do you think they will accept a kind of Declaration letter from the company specifying the daily hours of work and wage written in English? Or does it need to be the official contract with an official translation to english/german?
Hey Carmo. I think your suggestion is a good one, as long as the letter is official looking. It should work. Better make it in German though.
Let’s try that 🙂
danke
So… at the Jugendamt they gave me a paper to be filled by my Portuguese company with information about my Job, hours per day, etc, stamp and signature. It replaces the Arbeitsvertrag. einfach:)
Hi Bastien,
Great resources you have put together, very useful!
Are there any tax implications for the company I work for (UK company) when receiving kitaguschein in Berlin? I couldn’t find any information about it.
Thank you,
Abel
Hey Abel. As mentioned in the other page: I suppose that if you remain a UK resident, you will be paying your taxes, NHS contributions and so on in the UK as well. You would be considered a detached worker. That’s only my opinion. If you are still in doubt, I suggest you approach your HR services for more details.
Hi Bastien,
This is great help. Thanks a lot for all your efforts and please keep doing it 🙂
Much appreciated.
Best regards.
^_^/
Hi. I am on Elternzeit from my second child and would like to visit family overseas. My older child is in the kita. Is there any amount of time that he can be absent? How many weeks? In case of an affirmative answer, are the weeks consecutive? Or as far he is coming to kita here and there, there is no limit? Many thanks in advance.
Hey Andre. Check with your Kita directly if there any policies that apply in particular. I don’t that is an issue at all.
And what if you got the kita spot and still no kitagutschein?? I am afraid I am going to lose the spot I have because I dont have the kitagutschein! Any ideas how to speed up this part?
Hey Carolina. That’s a stressful situation indeed. When did you apply for one?
There is an in between solution until you get a Kita Spot: Coworking with childcare, as in Work’n’Kid (Friedrichshain). Reimbursement via Jugendamt (authorities) possible.
hello
can you help regarding getting a kita gutschein before the birth of the child ?
I am
Hey Marie, I am … what?