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