Nursery Admissions 2026: What Parents Should Know Before Applying

Parents need careful planning and up-to-date awareness to secure their child’s place in Delhi’s nursery admission cycle for 2026. The key changes include newly announced official dates and revised age criteria aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Many parents find the nursery admission process for 2026 confusing and stressful. This article explains every important step in a simple way. The minimum age requirement is 3 years or above as of March 31, 2026. The full admission timeline usually runs from December 2025 to March 2026. This structured process ensures that children receive enough early learning preparation before entering formal schooling Updated Age Criteria and Eligibility The National Education Policy 2020 has brought major changes to nursery admission age requirements in India. Delhi schools now require children to be at least 3 years old but under 4 as of March 31, 2026, to join Nursery. These changes match the new three-tier pre-primary structure that takes over from the old two-year system. The complete age criteria for Delhi schools will follow this structure: Nursery/Balvatika 1: 3+ to under 4 years Lower KG/Balvatika 2: 4+ to under 5 years Upper KG/Balvatika 3: 5+ to under 6 years Class 1: 6+ to under 7 years This transition will take place gradually over three years. Schools will start admitting children to Balvatika 1 and Class 1 in 2026-27, and introduce Balvatika 2 and 3 in the following years. The rules allow some flexibility with a one-month relaxation on both age limits. School principals can use their judgment to admit children slightly younger than 3 or older than 4 years. These new requirements won\'t affect students already enrolled during the 2025-26 session. Students who transfer from recognised schools with valid certificates don\'t need to follow these age criteria. Delhi Nursery Admission 2026: Key Dates and Process The Directorate of Education (DoE) announced the nursery admission schedule for 2026-27 on November 22, 2025. Parents must follow this timeline carefully. Schools need to upload their admission criteria by November 28, 2025. Application forms will be accessible to more people from December 4. Parents have a window until December 27 to submit their applications. Schools will then display their applicant lists by January 9, 2026, and share the points given to each child by January 16. January 23, 2026 marks the release of the first merit list with waiting lists. Parents who have concerns about point allocation can raise them between January 24 and February 3. The second list comes out on February 9, and the whole ordeal wraps up by March 19. Schools select students through a points-based system. The core team\'s children, siblings already in school, alumni connections, and distance from home affect admission chances. Distance plays a crucial role, as schools often give 50-80 points to children living nearby. When multiple children get equal points for limited seats, schools resolve it thr