Nursery can easily become one of the biggest monthly expenses for a family with a young child.
But in Italy, parents may be able to recover a substantial part of that cost.
The Bonus asilo nido can reimburse eligible nursery fees for children under three, with the maximum contribution reaching €3,600 per year.
And in 2026, the system has become considerably easier to use.
Applications now remain valid across multiple years, INPS and local authorities are exchanging information directly to speed up checks, and a new national database is being created to make it easier for parents to identify eligible childcare facilities.
For families already paying nursery fees — or deciding whether they can afford to send a child to nursery — understanding the rules could mean saving hundreds of euros every month.
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How Much Can You Get Back?
The maximum amount depends mainly on the child’s date of birth and the family’s ISEE.
For children born from January 1, 2024 onwards, families with an eligible ISEE of up to €40,000 can receive as much as €3,600 per year.
The payment is divided across a maximum of 11 monthly instalments, equivalent to roughly €327 per month.
If the ISEE is above €40,000, missing or cannot be used correctly, the maximum contribution falls to €1,500 per year.
For children born before January 1, 2024, the system uses three levels:
- ISEE up to €25,000.99: maximum €3,000 per year;
- ISEE between €25,001 and €40,000: maximum €2,500 per year;
- ISEE above €40,000 or unavailable: maximum €1,500 per year.
There is one crucial limitation: INPS will never reimburse more than the nursery fee actually paid.
If your monthly fee is €250, for example, you cannot receive €327 for that month simply because your annual maximum is €3,600.
The €3,600 Bonus Is More Accessible Than Many Parents Think
The €3,600 figure sounds like a benefit reserved for very low-income households, but that is not the case.
For children born from 2024 onwards, the maximum amount is available with an eligible ISEE of up to €40,000.
That brings many middle-income families into the highest benefit band.
And even households above the threshold can still qualify for up to €1,500 per year.
This makes it worth checking eligibility even if you assume your income is too high to receive a family benefit.
Which Nurseries Are Eligible?
Not every childcare arrangement qualifies.
The bonus covers authorised educational services for children aged zero to three, including:
- public and private nurseries and micro-nurseries;
- sezioni primavera;
- authorised play spaces;
- certain educational services provided in a home setting.
The important word is authorised.
INPS verifies that the facility has the correct authorisation under regional rules before approving reimbursement.
Parents should therefore ask the nursery for the exact details of its authorisation and enter them correctly in the application. Doing so can also reduce the time needed for INPS to complete its checks.
A New Map Will Make Finding Eligible Nurseries Easier
This is one of the biggest practical changes introduced in September 2026.
INPS has launched a national database of authorised childcare facilities, which local authorities are required to help populate and update.
The information will be used to create a geolocated map inside Italy’s Family and Parenting Portal.
Parents will therefore be able to search for participating and recognised childcare services in their area rather than trying to establish eligibility independently.
For the 2026-27 school year, the system is still in a transitional phase, so families should continue checking municipal lists if the new database does not yet contain the information they need.
You No Longer Have to Start From Scratch Every Year
Another major simplification arrived in 2026.
Previously, parents had to repeat more of the application process each year.
Now, once submitted, the nursery bonus application remains valid until August of the year in which the child turns three, provided the eligibility requirements continue to be met.
Parents still need to update the application each calendar year by selecting the months for which they want to receive the contribution.
But they no longer need to submit a completely new application from the beginning every year.
INPS and local authorities are also exchanging nursery authorisation data directly, which is intended to automate checks and speed up payments.
Who Can Apply for the Nursery Bonus?
The application must be submitted by the parent who actually pays the nursery fee.
The parent must be resident in Italy and meet the citizenship or residence-permit requirements established by INPS.
Italian and EU citizens can apply, while many non-EU residents are also eligible if they hold one of the recognised residence permits.
These include several permits for employment, self-employment, family reasons, international protection and other protected categories. In 2026, INPS also confirmed access for eligible holders of a permit while awaiting employment.
This makes the benefit relevant to many expat families living and working in Italy, not only Italian citizens.
How Do You Apply?
The procedure is entirely online.
Parents can apply through the INPS website using SPID, CIE or CNS, or ask a patronato to submit the application on their behalf.
If a family has more than one eligible child, a separate application must be submitted for each child.
During the application, parents select the months for which they want reimbursement and provide the information identifying the nursery and its authorisation.
The parent requesting the benefit must also be the person who paid the fee.
What Documents Do You Need to Get Paid?
Receiving approval is only part of the process.
Parents must provide documents proving that the nursery fee was actually paid, such as invoices, receipts or other payment documentation accepted by INPS.
From 2026, the supporting documents for each year’s requested months can be uploaded until April 30 of the following year.
This is important because the reimbursement cannot exceed the amount actually paid.
If the nursery charges less than your monthly maximum, INPS reimburses only the real cost of the fee.
What Does the €3,600 Bonus Mean in Real Life?
Imagine a child born after January 1, 2024 whose family has an eligible ISEE below €40,000.
If the nursery costs €500 per month for 11 months, the total annual cost is €5,500.
The maximum INPS contribution can reach €3,600, leaving the family with approximately €1,900 to pay themselves.
Instead of an effective childcare cost of €500 per month, the family’s average cost across those 11 months falls to roughly €173 per month.
That is why checking the bonus before deciding that nursery is unaffordable can make such a substantial difference.
There Is Also Support for Children Who Cannot Attend Nursery
The scheme is not limited to children physically attending a childcare facility.
Families with a child under three who cannot attend nursery because of a serious chronic medical condition may request a contribution for support provided at home.
In this case, the parent applying must live with the child and provide medical certification confirming that the condition prevents nursery attendance.
The home-support contribution is paid in a single payment rather than monthly, and the medical documentation must be updated when required for subsequent years.
One Important Detail: You Cannot Claim Everything Twice
The nursery bonus cannot be used to obtain a reimbursement greater than the fee actually paid.
It is also not compatible with the Italian tax deduction for nursery attendance on the same expenses.
Families should therefore calculate which benefits apply to their situation rather than assuming the same nursery payment can generate multiple reimbursements.
Why the 2026 Changes Matter
The biggest improvement is not simply the amount of money available.
The system is becoming easier to use.
Applications can remain active until the year the child turns three, local authorities are sending nursery authorisation information directly to INPS and families have more time to upload their payment documents.
If you are raising children in Italy, you may also find our guide to education and healthcare support for children with special needs and disabilities useful.
For applications, updated eligibility rules and official payment limits, always check the official INPS Nursery Bonus page.
For thousands of families, the difference can be substantial: a nursery bill that initially looks like €5,000 or more a year can potentially be reduced by several thousand euros simply by applying for a benefit they already qualify for.
