In Berlin, the Kita-Gutschein (childcare voucher) is an essential requirement for registering your child in a daycare centre (Kita) or with a childminder (Tagesmutter).
The voucher covers the basic childcare costs and is issued by the local Jugendamt (youth welfare office) in your district.
Go to Berlin’s official service portal:
service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/324873
Click on “Online-Ausfüllhilfe nutzen” to start filling in the form.
(expath.com, service.berlin.de)
You will be asked to provide, among other things:
Child’s details: name, date of birth, desired starting date of care
Language spoken at home
Requested number of childcare hours per day: e.g. 5–7 hours or 7–9 hours
Information about your employment or education situation:
e.g. job, vocational training, studies, integration or language course
(kietzee.com)
After you complete the online form, a PDF version of your application will be generated.
Print the application and sign it.
If there is more than one legal guardian, all guardians must sign.
Send the signed application together with all required documents to the Jugendamt in your district –
either by post or by handing it in personally.
(kitaapplications.com)
Usually, the following documents must be included:
Copy of the child’s birth certificate
Copy of the ID card or passport of each legal guardian
Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) for you and your child
Additional documents are needed if:
you request more than 7 hours of care per day, or
the child is under one year of age:
Proof of employment (e.g. work contract or a confirmation from your employer)
for self-employed persons: business registration or a confirmation from a tax advisor
for students: certificate of enrolment from the university or educational institution
In cases of joint custody:
signatures of both parents, or
proof of sole custody.
(germanyso.com, kietzee.com)
You can usually apply for the voucher between 9 and 2 months before the desired start of childcare.
At the time of application, your child must be at least 8 weeks old.
(kitaapplications.com)
You will receive the Kita-Gutschein by post, typically within 6–8 weeks.
Once you have the voucher, you can use it to register your child at any approved Kita or licensed childminder in Berlin.
For more information or assistance with filling in the form, you can visit the official website:
service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/324873 (expath.com)
The editorial team of this website strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and multiple sources. Nonetheless, errors may occur or information may be incomplete or not fully confirmed. Please treat the contents of this article as an initial reference only and always contact the competent authorities for binding and up-to-date information.
