New Registrations

If you intend to open an early years service, you must complete the registration process before any children can attend. Under Section 58D(2) of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, all proposed services are legally required to submit a registration application at least three months before they plan to begin operating. Temporary early years services must submit their application at least 21 days before opening.

Please ensure you have all required documentation ready to upload before submitting your application. Applications that remain incomplete for more than 10 days will be automatically closed and a refund will not be provided.

2026 New Applications Timeframes

Fully completed applications (which includes the submission of all required documentation) for proposed new services that are submitted before 01st June 2026 will be approved for opening in September 2026. Applications submitted after this date are unlikely to be approved in time for a September opening date. All new applications for preschool settings currently require a pre-registration inspection and time taken to complete same. This should be factored into your preparation.

New Registration Portal

We have developed a new online portal for submitting all new registration applications for pre‑school, school‑age, and childminding services.

All applications must be submitted through this new portal. Applications sent through previous channels will no longer be accepted. You can access the new portal here: https://submissions.tusla.ie/account/login

Please follow the link for more information:  https://www.tusla.ie/services/preschool-services/new-providers/