Opening your own nursery is a major undertaking – both financially and organisationally. Before you welcome your first child, you must meet a number of legal requirements. The good news: the procedures are clearly defined, and this guide will walk you through every step.

Legal Basis – The Act on Care for Children Under 3

Nurseries in Poland operate under the Act of 4 February 2011 on Care for Children Under the Age of 3. It regulates forms of care (nursery, toddler club, day carer), premises and staffing requirements, and the registration procedure.

A nursery may be run by: an individual, a legal entity (e.g. a limited liability company, association) or an unincorporated organisational unit – each requiring the appropriate business registration or statutes.

Step 1: Register in the Nursery and Toddler Club Register (RKZ)

Before accepting the first child you must obtain an entry in the register kept by the mayor or city president of the municipality where the facility is located. Registration is done through the emp@tia portal (empatia.mrpips.gov.pl).

Attach to the application:

  • Details of the entity running the nursery (NIP, REGON, KRS or CEIDG)
  • Address and room number of the premises
  • Information on the number of places
  • Email address and phone number of the facility
  • A declaration of compliance with sanitary, fire and construction requirements

The municipality has 7 days to register or refuse. Refusal can only occur if the application is incomplete or the premises do not meet requirements.

Step 2: Premises and Technical Requirements

The premises must meet conditions set by the Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy. The most important:

  • Min. 2.5 m² of room area per child
  • Adequate natural and artificial lighting, ventilation
  • Bathroom adapted for small children (changing tables, potties)
  • Emergency exit and fire extinguishers in accordance with fire regulations
  • Accessibility for children with disabilities (where applicable)

Before opening, it is worth obtaining a positive opinion from the Sanitary Inspectorate and fire brigade – although these are not formally required for registration, inspections may occur during operation.

Step 3: Staff Qualifications

A nursery carer must:

  • Hold a qualification in: nursing, midwifery, childcare, early years teaching, pedagogy, psychology, or
  • Have completed a 280-hour nursery carer training course, or
  • Have at least one year of experience working with children under 3

Every employee must hold a current criminal record certificate (KRK) confirming no convictions and a current health clearance book.

Step 4: Mandatory Documentation

Before accepting the first children, prepare:

  • Nursery statute – including objectives, admission criteria and withdrawal procedure
  • Organisational regulations – opening hours, catering rules, safety procedures
  • Parent contract template – care conditions, fee amount and calculation method, notice period
  • GDPR clauses – privacy policy, consent for data processing and image use
  • Safety procedures – child collection, accident procedure, health and safety

Step 5: Start-up Costs – What to Plan For

Approximate costs for a 15-child nursery:

  • Premises adaptation: PLN 20,000–80,000 (depending on condition)
  • Equipment (cots, toys, furniture): PLN 15,000–30,000
  • Third-party liability insurance: PLN 1,000–2,000/year
  • Management software: about PLN 80 net/month for 15 places (TwójSzkrab: PLN 50 + PLN 2 per place in the agreed limit)
  • Fixed monthly costs: rent + staff + utilities = PLN 15,000–25,000/month

How TwójSzkrab Helps From Day One

A new nursery immediately faces administrative challenges: child records, attendance lists, contracts, invoices and parent communication. TwójSzkrab centralises these tasks:

  • Children and carer records in one place
  • Automatic billing based on attendance
  • Announcements and parent chat via mobile app
  • Excel import when migrating from another system

Summary

Opening a nursery requires patience and precision – but the procedures are transparent. The key steps: registration in RKZ via emp@tia, meeting premises requirements, hiring qualified staff and preparing full documentation.

Once you open, TwójSzkrab will help you manage it efficiently. Have questions? Write to us.