Applications open in Cyprus for kindergarten subsidy: up to €200 per month

Applications opened in Cyprus on 7 September at 10:00 for a kindergarten fee subsidy for children aged 4 and over. The announcement was made by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare. The scheme covers 100% of tuition fees, up to €130 per month for public and community kindergartens and €200 for private ones.

The ministry draws parents’ attention to the deadline: applications submitted by 30 September qualify for the subsidy from 1 September, that is, from the beginning of the school year. If an application is submitted later, payments will begin only in the month in which it is submitted.

The scheme is intended for families legally residing in government-controlled areas who have at least one child aged 4 or over and below the age of compulsory free pre-primary education. There are no income restrictions, but the child must be enrolled in a kindergarten participating in the programme.

Applications are also still being accepted under the second scheme, for children who will not have turned 4 by 31 August 2026. It is available to recipients of child benefit and covers up to 80% of the monthly cost of tuition and meals at nurseries and kindergartens participating in the programme. Applications for this scheme have been accepted since 1 September, and the deadline for payments from the beginning of the school year is the same — 30 September.

Applications can be submitted only electronically, through the gov.cy portal or the website of the Welfare Benefits Administration Service at wbas.dmsw.gov.cy. If the applicant meets the criteria, approval is issued immediately upon submission, and the subsidy is paid monthly. A total of 365 kindergartens are participating in the programme, while this year the schemes have been moved from European funding to permanent state funding.