Asilo nido: graduatoria and bonus nido

Enrolling in an Italian nursery: how graduatoria points work, what residenza and both parents working give you, vaccines via ASL and the INPS bonus nido.

Author: permesso.love editorial team- updated September 25, 2026- 9 min read- how we verify

In short

Nurseries (asilo nido) in Italy take children roughly from a few months to three years; from age three scuola dell'infanzia (the former materna) begins. The key feature of municipal nurseries is that there are almost always fewer places than applicants, so admission is not first-come-first-served but by points - through the graduatoria. Below we cover how those points are counted, whether you need a finished permesso to apply and what the INPS bonus asilo nido gives you. This is an overview based on official Comune rules and community experience, not legal, medical or financial advice.

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In brief: community data

Graduatoria is not a live queue: places in municipal nurseries go by points, not by application date, so what matters is the family's profile, not how fast you click the button.
What earns points: per the community, residenza in that Comune (usually the heaviest item), both parents working, a low ISEE and special situations; each Comune publishes its exact grid in its bando.
A finished permesso is often not needed in advance: to apply you usually only need the child's and parent's codice fiscale plus the ricevuta for the kit or a questura appointment, but residenza affects your points.
Vaccines are a condition for attending: records are registered at the ASL, not at the nursery; how to translate the card and get through the ASL is in the article on enrolling in nursery and school (check the list on salute.gov.it).
The INPS bonus nido reimburses part of the fee and applies to different nursery types (comunale, privato, convenzionato); the amount depends on ISEE, and you apply on inps.it or via a patronato with payment receipts.

This is a separate, deeper look specifically at nurseries, points and the bonus. The general picture of enrolling a child in nursery and school is in Enrolling a child in nursery and school - that covers scuola dell'infanzia, primary school and Comune portals.

What graduatoria is and why it is not a live queue

Many arrive expecting that submitting early secures a place. With municipal nurseries that is not how it works. The Comune collects all applications during the bando period, awards each family points by its own criteria and builds a ranking - the graduatoria. Places are handed out top to bottom until they run out; everyone else goes onto a waiting list (lista d'attesa) and moves up as others decline.

The practical takeaway: what matters is not application speed but your points profile. You must apply strictly within the bando window and without errors, but the top lines go to those with more points, not to those who clicked first.

We thought it was like a ticket - first come, first served. But it turned out they count points: residency, work, income. We applied on the first day yet ended up mid-list by points and missed the first intake.

community member, rephrasedpersonal opinion

What the points are made of

The exact grid differs by Comune and is published in its bando, but per the community the set of factors is almost everywhere similar. Points are usually given for:

Residenza in this Comune. Registration in the municipality itself is usually the heaviest item; sometimes how long the family has been registered also counts.
Both parents working. When both work (or a single working parent), there are more points: the system prioritizes families where the child otherwise has no one to stay with.
Low ISEE. The lower the family ISEE, the higher the priority and, separately, the lower the fee.
Special situations. Single parent, disability in the family, several minor children, a child under social services - all earn points too.

Read your Comune's bando

There is no universal points calculator: in one place both parents working weighs more than residenza, elsewhere the reverse. The only reliable source is the bando text on your Comune website. It also lists the supporting documents for each item (work certificates, family composition, ISEE).

Documents to apply and vaccines: briefly

Good news for families still legalizing: a finished plastic permesso is usually not required in advance. Per the community, to apply you normally only need the child's and parent's codice fiscale plus proof that legalization is underway (for example the postal ricevuta for the kit), while residenza affects your points - so close the codice fiscale -> residenza chain as early as possible (see Codice fiscale and residenza). The full document list for the iscrizione and the ASL vaccine registration routine (translating the card, comparison with the Italian schedule) are covered in Enrolling a child in nursery and school; check the mandatory vaccine list on salute.gov.it.

At the time we applied we only had the postal ricevuta, no final permesso yet. The nursery said that is enough for the graduatoria, the main thing is the child's codice fiscale and residency. We handed in the permesso later.

community member, rephrasedpersonal opinion

Nido comunale, privato and convenzionato: the difference

The type of nursery determines both the price and the way in. Below is a community reference; the exact rates and rules are always with the nursery and Comune themselves.

Type	How to get in	Price	Suits
Comunale (municipal)	Via bando and graduatoria by points	Tied to ISEE, usually lower	Those who qualify by points and want a reduced fee
Privato (private)	Direct enrollment, no points queue	At the nursery's rates, usually higher	Those needing a place urgently / outside graduatoria
Convenzionato (accredited)	Some places under municipal rules	Some places priced like comunale	A compromise: private availability plus a reduced fee

A common community scenario: apply to a comunale via the bando but keep a fallback in a privato or convenzionato in case you do not make the first intake by points. Bonus nido applies to different nursery types, which partly smooths the price gap.

Bonus asilo nido from INPS: the amount depends on ISEE

Bonus asilo nido is an INPS payment reimbursing part of the nursery fee. Per the community, its size depends on the family's ISEE: the lower the ISEE, the larger the annual sum (split monthly and paid against nursery payment receipts). The bonus covers accredited nurseries of different types as well as municipal ones.

How it works per the community:

you apply through your account on inps.it (SPID or CIE needed) or via a patronato;
you need the ISEE minorenni and the payment receipts for the relevant months;
the payment arrives monthly, so keep and upload receipts on time.

Bonus amounts are a moving target

The exact ISEE thresholds and annual sums for bonus nido change and depend on the budget. Do not rely on figures from other people's posts - always verify current rates and application rules on inps.it or via a patronato. This is not financial advice.

What ISEE is and how to obtain it is in ISEE and DSU; the child benefit itself, the assegno unico (paid alongside the bonus nido), is in Assegno unico, and the full map of family benefits and discounts is in Benefits and allowances. Getting the bonus and assembling the ISEE is helped for free at Patronato and CAF.

We arranged the bonus nido through a patronato, we were afraid of making a mistake in the account ourselves. The main thing is to upload the nursery payment receipts on time, otherwise nothing arrives for that month. Our amount depended on the ISEE.

community member, rephrasedpersonal opinion

Timing: when the bando opens

The main bando window for municipal nurseries, per the community, is usually winter-spring - for the school year starting in September. The Comune publishes the dates on its own website; they are easy to miss if you are not watching in advance. There is often a second intake wave for freed-up places, and the waiting list moves through the year.

If you missed the main period, a sensible community tactic is to join the lista d'attesa of the municipal nursery anyway and look at privato and convenzionato options in parallel so the child is not left without a place at all.

Common mistakes

Applying early but losing on points. An early application does not move you up the graduatoria - only points do. Gather documents for each item (work, ISEE, residenza).
Postponing vaccines. Translating the card and the ASL visit take time; without the records entered a child may not be admitted (the routine is in the article on enrolling in nursery and school).
Waiting for the final permesso to apply. The codice fiscale and a ricevuta are usually enough - check with your Comune, do not delay over the plastic card.
Forgetting the bonus nido. Even partial INPS reimbursement noticeably lowers the fee; upload receipts every month.
Having no fallback. If points may fall short, keep a privato or convenzionato option in parallel.

This is not legal, medical or financial advice. Bando rules, points grids, rates and bonus nido amounts vary by Comune and change over time - always verify specifics on your Comune website, on salute.gov.it and inps.it or via a patronato.

Enrolling a child in nursery and school - documents for the iscrizione, vaccines via the ASL, deadlines and Comune portals.
Assegno unico: the INPS child benefit - who qualifies and how the ISEE affects it.
ISEE and DSU - how to obtain the indicator that drives points and the fee.
Benefits and allowances - the full map of family benefits.
Patronato and CAF - where they help arrange the bonus nido and ISEE for free.
Codice fiscale and residenza - first steps after the move.

Official sources

inps.it - INPS: bonus asilo nido, conditions and how to apply.
salute.gov.it - the Ministry of Health: mandatory vaccines and the vaccination schedule.
spid.gov.it - digital identity login for inps.it.
mim.gov.it - the Ministry of Education: the 0-6 system and enrollment.
Your Comune website - bando texts, the points grid and the graduatoria are published only there.

Frequently asked questions

How is the nursery waiting list (graduatoria) built?

Per the community, places in a nido comunale are assigned not by application date but by points: the more points, the higher your line in the graduatoria. Points are usually given for residenza in that Comune, for both parents working, for a low ISEE, and for special situations (single parent, disability, several children). Each Comune publishes its exact points grid in its bando, and that is what you must read, because criteria differ from city to city. This is not legal advice.

Can I enroll a child in a nursery without a finished permesso di soggiorno?

Per the community, to apply you usually only need the child's and parent's codice fiscale plus proof that the paperwork is underway - for example the postal ricevuta for the kit or a questura appointment. The final plastic permesso is often not required in advance, while residenza affects your points and which Comune you belong to. Check the exact list for your specific bando on your Comune website - this is not legal advice.

Are vaccines required to attend a nursery?

Per the community, mandatory vaccines are a condition for attending childcare in Italy, and the records are registered at the ASL, not at the nursery. How to translate the vaccination card and get through the ASL is covered in the article on enrolling a child in nursery and school. Check the mandatory list on salute.gov.it - this is not medical advice.

What is bonus asilo nido and who is eligible?

Bonus asilo nido is an INPS payment that reimburses part of the nursery fee (municipal, accredited private, etc.). Per the community, the amount depends on the family's ISEE: the lower the ISEE, the larger the annual sum, split monthly. You apply through your account on inps.it or via a patronato, attaching the payment receipts. Check current amounts and conditions on inps.it - this is not financial advice.

How does nido comunale differ from privato and convenzionato?

Per the community, municipal (comunale) nurseries are cheaper and the fee is tied to ISEE, but places are scarce and allocated by graduatoria. Private (privato) ones admit without a queue but cost more at their own rates. Convenzionato is a private nursery with an agreement with the Comune: part of the places follow municipal rules and pricing. Bonus nido applies to different types, but confirm details with the nursery and on inps.it. This is not financial advice.

When does the nursery bando open?

Per the community, the main bando window for municipal nurseries is usually winter-spring, for the school year starting in September, but each Comune sets and publishes exact dates itself. There is often a second wave for freed-up places. If you miss the main period, it makes sense to join the waiting list and look at private and convenzionato nurseries in parallel. Check the dates on your Comune website - this is not legal advice.

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