How to access your Gan Iriya placement and appeal if you need to

The results are in! If this is your first time navigating the Gan Iriya system, it can feel like a lot. Here's a clear breakdown of how to get your placement results, why you got it, and what to do if you'd like to appeal.

🏫 First things first: What even is Gan Iriya?

Gan Iriya literally means "municipal kindergarten." It's the free, city-run kindergarten system for children aged 3 to 6. The Israeli early childhood system is split into three levels based on age:

• Trom-Trom Chova (גן טרום-טרום חובה): For 3-year-olds. Children who turn 3 by December 31st of the upcoming school year are eligible to begin in September.
  

• Trom-Chova (גן טרום חובה): For 4-year-olds.Children who turn 4 by December 31st of the upcoming school year are eligible to begin in September.

• Gan Chova (גן חובה): Kindergarten for 5-year-olds+. This is compulsory under Israeli law.

There are different educational streams including the most common ones: Mamlachti (secular, state education) and Mamlachti Dati (religious education). When registering, you choose which stream you prefer. The municipality is required to honor your stream preference, even if it can't guarantee you the specific gan you asked for.

📅 The timeline: from registration to results

Here's roughly how the whole process unfolds every year year, with specific dates for the year 2026: 

• Registration: January 19th to February 9th, 2026 This is when you submit your child's details, choose your stream, and list up to two preferred ganim. 

• Placement announcement: June 18th 2026

• Appeal period: June 18th to June 25th

• Final placement: July 31st 2026 

💻 How to find out your placement results, using TLV as an example

Results are published on the Tel Aviv municipality's education registration system, the same portal you used to register. Here's what to do:

1. Go to www.tel-aviv.gov.il and navigate to Residents > Education > Registration for Kindergartens (the page is primarily in Hebrew: רישום ושיבוץ לגני הילדים). Alternatively, you can also access it through this direct link.

2. Log in using your Teudat Zeut number

3. Look for your child's placement results. You'll see the name and address of the Gan your child has been assigned to, along with the stream and class level.

💡The system can get slow when results drop because every parent in Tel Aviv is refreshing at the same time. If it's loading strangely, try again later during the day.

🔍 Why did you get placed in that particular Gan?

The assignment process is not random, though it can sometimes feel that way. Here's what the municipality actually takes into account when deciding where to place your child:

• Geographic proximity is the main factor. The closer you live to a Gan, the stronger your claim to a spot there. Tel Aviv divides the city into zones and tries to place children in their neighborhood Gan first. 

• Siblings already at the Gan: If an older child is already attending the same Gan, younger siblings are generally placed there too.

• Your stated preferences are taken into consideration after proximity and siblings. During registration, you listed up to two preferred ganim. The municipality tries to accommodate these requests, but it's not guaranteed. Children who live closer to a requested Gan will always have priority over those who listed it as a preference from farther away.

• Educational stream is honored. If you registered for Mamlachti, you will be placed in a Mamlachti Gan..

• Age and class composition also play a role. In some years and some ganim, multiple age groups are combined (trom-trom and trom-chova together, for example). The exact mix is often only confirmed after all placements are finalized, because it depends on how many children registered at each level in that area.

📝 How to appeal if you're not happy

Not thrilled with where your child was placed? You can appeal. The Hebrew word for this is Irur (עירעור), and in Tel Aviv for the 2026 school year, the appeal window is June 18-25, 2026.

A few important things to know before you appeal:

• You can only submit one appeal

• You can indicate up to two preferences

• Your appeal must be justified and supported by documentation. The system requires you to explain why, and to upload evidence if you have any.

• Responses to appeals are published on July 31, 2026, through the same portal.

The appeal is filed through the online registration system, in the same place where you checked your results.

📋 What criteria are considered in an appeal

Your appeal is more likely to succeed if it's grounded in one or more of the following:

• Medical or developmental needs: If your child has a diagnosis, a recommendation from a specialist, or an ongoing therapeutic relationship that makes a specific Gan more appropriate, include documentation. A letter from a doctor, developmental therapist, or psychologist is the kind of thing that carries weight.

• Proximity and logistics: If the assigned Gan is significantly farther from your home than another available Gan, and you can show why this creates a genuine hardship (no car, a sibling at a nearby school), that's worth stating.

• A confirmed move: If you're moving to a new address within Tel Aviv before September and your new home is closer to a different Gan, upload your rental or purchase contract showing the move date.

• Sibling: If a sibling is already at a nearby Gan or school and you were not placed in the same complex, that's a legitimate reason to appeal.

• Social or emotional considerations: Some parents request placement in the same Gan as friends. This can be raised in an appeal, though this is typically considered lower priority than the criteria above.

A note on what happens after the appeal

If you're told the gan you want is full, don't necessarily take that as the final word. Placements shift between June and September as families move, register for private options, or leave the country. Keep an eye on the portal and, if needed, follow up with the education department directly to ask if spots have opened up.

P.S. If you'd like to feel even more prepared for Israeli early childhood education, we'd love to see you in one of our programs! Browse our upcoming in-person events or explore our online workshops designed specifically for parents in Israel ✌️