Enrolling in a public nursery in Cluj-Napoca is one of the most competitive administrative procedures. Cluj-Napoca has approximately 1,650 spots in its public nurseries, administered by the Centrul Bugetar de Administrare Creșe (Budgetary Center for Nursery Administration, 15 Mehedinți Street).

Who can enroll

  1. Age: between 3 months and 3 years
  2. Residence in Cluj-Napoca (or temporary residence permit)
  3. Employment status: both parents employed/self-employed (PFA)/full-time students
  4. Health status: clinically healthy with up-to-date vaccinations

Required documents — full checklist

Prepare the file at least 2 weeks before enrollment opens.

  • Standard enrollment form (from edirect.e-guvernare.ro [Romanian government online services portal] or from Creșa pentru Educație Timpurie)
  • Copies of both parents’ ID cards (CI)
  • Child’s birth certificate
  • Income statements (no older than 30 days)
  • Medical certificate “fit for collectivity”
  • Child’s health booklet (vaccinations)
  • Epidemiological clearance (max 48h before the first day)
  • Proof of residence: utility bill / ANAF-registered rental contract / land registry extract
  • Court ruling for divorce/custody (if applicable)
  • Documents for special situations (sibling enrolled, disability, social inquiry)

Tip: plastic folder with ring binder, in order.

Enrollment calendar

Stage I — spring

  • Target audience: children starting nursery in the autumn
  • Submission place: online at edirect.e-guvernare.ro and/or at Creșa pentru Educație Timpurie
  • Results: a few weeks after submission

Stage II

  • Remaining spots + withdrawals

Stage III — autumn

  • From autumn onwards, ongoing
  • Preferred nursery not guaranteed

The exact dates change from year to year, so always check the up-to-date calendar on the Cluj-Napoca City Hall portal before submitting your file.

Golden rule: submit in Stage I, even with a missing document.

Tie-breaking criteria (scoring)

  1. Both parents employed on permanent contracts
  2. Siblings already enrolled
  3. Distance between home and nursery
  4. Special social situation (single-parent, disability, special educational needs, 3+ children)
  5. Child’s age — where an equal number of criteria are met, ranking is by descending age (a local rule, from Creșa pentru Educație Timpurie’s official 2026 information note)

The submission date is not a tie-breaking criterion: the methodology does not provide for one, and submitting on the first day earns you no extra points. Submit when your file is complete and correct.

At Cluj state nurseries no contestations may be filed once results are posted — see how results are posted and what to do next.

List of public nurseries with addresses

  1. Casa Spiridușilor — Mănăștur
  2. Patrocle — Gheorgheni
  3. Scufița Roșie — Mărăști
  4. Castelul Fermecat — central (with Hungarian section)
  5. Martinel — Grigorescu
  6. Vrăjitorul din Oz — Mănăștur (with Hungarian section)
  7. Prâslea cel Voinic — Zorilor
  8. Lacul Fermecat — Gheorgheni
  9. Ursulețul I — Mărăști
  10. Ursulețul II — Mărăști
  11. Cenușăreasa I — Mănăștur
  12. Cenușăreasa II — Mănăștur
  13. Prichindel — Iris
  14. Clopoțica — Andrei Mureșanu
  15. Căsuța Iepurașilor — central (with Hungarian section)
  16. Micul Cercetaș — Bună Ziua
  17. Tom Degețel — Plopilor
  18. Casa Ștrumfilor — Someșeni

See the exact addresses on the Piticluj interactive map or in the list of state nurseries in Cluj.

How to choose a public nursery

  1. Proximity — under 15 minutes’ walk
  2. Group capacity — ask how many children and how many adults
  3. Parent reviews — Facebook
  4. Hungarian section — Castelul Fermecat, Vrăjitorul din Oz, Căsuța Iepurașilor
  5. Outdoor yard — Lacul Fermecat and Patrocle have large yards

See also the public vs. private nursery comparison.

2026 costs

  • Tuition fee: 0 RON
  • Food contribution: 15 lei per day of attendance, set by Decision no. 25 of 7.11.2024, in force since 1 January 2025
  • Monthly total: varies with attendance, because it is charged per day — 20 days comes to 300 lei

We publish no figure for hygiene supplies or other extras: the institution publishes none, and an estimate of ours would be an invention. Confirm the current amount at creseclujnapoca.ro or on 0264-458.320. For payment, exemptions and how absences are counted: how you pay for a state nursery.

For comparison, see how much a private kindergarten costs.

Schedule

  • Monday-Friday: 7:30 AM–5:30 PM or 7:00 AM–5:00 PM
  • Saturday-Sunday: closed
  • Holidays: 2-3 weeks in summer + 1 in winter + legal holidays

Plan B if you don’t get a spot

  1. Waiting list — moves 5-10% in the first 4 weeks
  2. 2-3 nurseries simultaneously where regulations allow
  3. Affordable private nurseries — 1,500-2,000 RON, in Florești and Mărăști
  4. Half-day program — 800-1,200 RON/month
  5. Shared nanny — 1,000-1,500 RON/family
  6. Re-apply in Stage II and III

Tips from parents who succeeded

  • Visit the nursery beforehand
  • File ready a month in advance
  • Read the regulations on the Primăria Cluj-Napoca (Cluj-Napoca City Hall) website
  • Submit on the first day
  • Backup at a private nursery

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I enroll? In Stage I, usually in spring — submit on the very first day.

Can I change nurseries? Yes, by submitting a transfer request to Creșa pentru Educație Timpurie.

No Cluj residence? With only a temporary residence permit — reduced score.

Is it physically safe? Yes. All nurseries are sanitarily authorized, with a medical assistant and clear protocols.

The holidays? August: sanitization. The Primăria Cluj-Napoca offers “swap groups” through rotation.

Sources

Conclusion

Three basic rules: full file ready by February, submission on the first day of Stage I, plan B at an affordable private nursery. See the piticluj.ro interactive map.