At What Age Do Children in Other European Countries Start School?

Children in Europe do not all cross the threshold into primary school at the same age. In Slovenia, classes had already been underway for nearly a week, while Croatia began its school year on Sept. 7. Slovenia recorded 19,058 first-graders, compared with 36,300 in Croatia, according to Index.hr.

For parents whose children have birthdays near the cutoff, the decision can be difficult: should a child spend another year in kindergarten or start school earlier? The rules differ across Europe because education systems and laws set their own entry ages.

In many countries, children begin first grade at six or seven. The official starting age is six in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Greece and Turkey. Croatia, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria generally set it at seven. England and Ireland stand out with an official starting age of five.

The school calendar varies as well. Eurydice data shows that the academic year begins on Sept. 1 in about half of European countries, although that date does not always mark the first day of classes. In the 2026/27 school year, classes begin on Sept. 1 in Slovenia, France, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Serbia. Croatia and Romania start on Sept. 7, Bulgaria on Sept. 15, while Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Italy use different dates by region. In northern Europe, schools often reopen in August, with Finland and Sweden typically starting in the first half or middle of that month.