With the start of the new school year, parents must once again verify that all health requirements for their children are met. Following the legislative changes of 2025, the administrative process has been significantly simplified – many of the familiar paper documents have been phased out, and preventive health information is now maintained entirely electronically within the National Health Information System (NHIS). It is important to note that requirements vary depending on whether the child is entering a nursery, kindergarten, or school, as well as whether it is an initial enrollment or a return to the facility after a long absence.
For initial admission to a nursery, you must observe the following conditions:
- Following the 2025 changes, two of the previous requirements have been removed: the medical note confirming no contact with infectious diseases and the syphilis test (Wassermann reaction) for one parent.
- The child must have received all mandatory immunizations and re-immunizations for their age. Data for these is contained within their electronic health records. An exception is made only if there are medical contraindications, in which case the established procedure for deferral is followed, provided the child has received all other vaccines permissible for them.
- Children are subject to preventive check-ups according to their age, with the information automatically reflected in their electronic health record by their general practitioner. If the check-up has already been conducted earlier in the year, a repeat exam is not required solely for nursery enrollment, unless there is a specific medical reason for it.
When returning to the nursery after a long absence, all initial tests are not automatically repeated. If the child has been absent for more than a month, testing for pathogenic intestinal bacteria is required only if there are epidemic indications. For an absence of more than two months, only a single negative result for intestinal parasites is required. For example, after such an absence, it is not necessary for the child to repeat blood tests, urine tests, or bacteriological examinations.
For kindergartens, starting from the 2025/2026 school year, a paper preventive health card is no longer necessary, nor is a "contact note" required. The medical professional at the kindergarten has direct access to data in the NHIS. The main highlights are:
- Preventive check-ups are annual and include data on height, weight, body mass index, and allergies. This data must be available in the NHIS no later than September 30th. If the check-up was conducted earlier in the year, the data is already in the system, and a repeat check-up in September is not required.
- Mandatory age-appropriate immunizations are required; the data is electronically accessible, and parents do not need to carry paper documents.
- Routine blood and urine tests are not required for initial enrollment in kindergarten.
- When returning after the summer or any absence over two months, only a test for intestinal parasites is necessary. Routine testing for pathogenic intestinal bacteria is not automatically required just because of the length of the absence.
Regarding students, the process is entirely digitized:
- There is no need to present a paper preventive health card, as the school medical professional has access to the information in the NHIS.
- All data from preventive check-ups, immunizations, dispensary monitoring, and physical development must be reflected in the NHIS by September 30th. This does not mandate a new check-up in September, provided the child has completed their annual check-up earlier in the same calendar year.
- There is no regulatory requirement for routine laboratory blood, urine, intestinal parasite, or pathogenic bacteria tests at the start of the school year. Such tests are ordered by a doctor only in cases of specific health indications or during the course of preventive monitoring. Parents should not arrange such tests preventively unless there is an explicit medical prescription.