At nursery or kindergarten enrollment there is no classic “appeal” (contestație) against not getting a place — the methodology provides no such stage. But that doesn’t leave you without options: if you don’t get a place, you automatically move to the next stage and to the adjustment stage run by the inspectorate, and you can retrieve the rejected file within 5 working days. Below you’ll find exactly what you can do.

Why there’s no classic appeal

The framework methodology (Order ME no. 4018/2024, as amended) contains no appeal procedure against non-admission to nursery or kindergarten. Preparatory-class enrollment doesn’t have a classic appeal either — but there it isn’t needed, because every child has a guaranteed place at the catchment (circumscripție) school.

The appeal parents know is from the National Evaluation / high-school admission — a different education level. At kindergarten, the safety net is different: the successive stages.

The real remedies

1. Automatically moving to the next stage

Enrollment has three stages: stage I → stage II → adjustment stage. A rejected request automatically moves to the next of your 3 options within the stage, then to the next stage. The adjustment stage is run at ISJ level and collects new requests from children not placed in the first two stages. See our guide to the adjustment stage.

2. The right to retrieve your file within 5 working days

After the results are posted, you can retrieve the rejected file from the unit within 5 working days of the posting of the stage’s final results.

It’s not “first come, first served”

The order of submission is not a criterion. Placement is by the tiebreak criteria (Art. 11): proximity of domicile, parental employment, single-parent/large family, a sibling already enrolled, etc., plus the unit’s specific, non-discriminatory criteria. So if you feel you weren’t treated fairly, first check how the criteria were applied — see the tiebreak criteria.

What to do, in practice

  • Check the free places after each stage — see free places.
  • Take part in the adjustment stage if you didn’t get a place.
  • Retrieve the file within the 5 days, if you want to resubmit it elsewhere.
  • Ask the commission how the score was calculated, if you have doubts.
  • Always confirm the exact procedure for the year in the enrollment calendar and with ISJ Cluj.

Frequently asked questions

Can I appeal if I didn’t get a kindergarten place? There’s no classic appeal at kindergarten/nursery enrollment. The remedies are moving to the next stage, the adjustment stage and the right to retrieve your file within 5 working days.

Does preparatory class have an appeal but kindergarten doesn’t? Preparatory class doesn’t have a classic admission appeal either — but there the catchment-school place is guaranteed, so it isn’t needed. The known appeal is from the National Evaluation/high school.

What do I do if I think the score is wrong? Check with the commission how the tiebreak criteria (Art. 11) were applied. The order of submission doesn’t matter; the criteria do.

How long do I have to retrieve the rejected file? 5 working days from the posting of the stage’s final results.

What is the adjustment stage? The last stage, at ISJ level, for children not placed in the first two stages, who choose among units with remaining places.

Sources

  • Order ME no. 4018/2024 (as amended, including OMEC 3706/2026) — the enrollment methodology (the stages; retrieving the file within 5 days; the Art. 11 criteria)
  • edu.ro — FAQ on nursery/kindergarten enrollment
  • ISJ Cluj

See all our official sources on the data sources page.

Conclusion

There’s no classic appeal at kindergarten enrollment, but you have real remedies: the successive stages, the adjustment stage and retrieving your file within 5 working days. Check how the criteria were applied and the free places, then see every kindergarten in Cluj-Napoca on the interactive piticluj.ro map.