2025 Complete Guide: How to Open a Kindergarten in Kuala Lumpur

License · Fire & Health Approval · Startup Cost · KSPK Curriculum

Opening a kindergarten (tadika / preschool) in Kuala Lumpur (KL) is a popular goal for education entrepreneurs and principals. To operate legally and gain parents’ trust, you must comply with the Ministry of Education (MOE), DBKL, BOMBA (Fire & Rescue), and the Health Department. This guide explains the full kindergarten registration and setup process in KL.

1. Legal Framework & Licensing

• Kindergarten (4–6 years): Must be registered with MOE/KPM and obtain the Kindergarten Registration Certificate (Sijil Pendaftaran Tadika).
• Nursery / Taska (0–4 years): Must be registered with JKM (Social Welfare Department).
• To run a private kindergarten in KL, full MOE approval is required.

2. Premises & Location

• Commercial shoplots: Easiest for approval.
• Residential premises: Must apply for DBKL kebenaran ubah guna (change of use permit).
• Space requirement: Minimum 3.5 m² per child is recommended.
• Must apply for business license, premise license, and signboard license.

3. Fire & Health Requirements

• BOMBA: Install fire extinguishers, alarms, emergency exit lighting.
• Health Department: Toilets, ventilation, drinking water, and sanitation must comply with regulations.

4. Staff & Qualification

• Principal: Must hold a Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE).
• Teachers: Must have ECE diploma or SKM Level 3 certificate.
• Teacher–student ratio: Normally 1:15.

5. Curriculum & Hours

The MOE requires the KSPK National Preschool Curriculum with at least 1,000 teaching hours per year. You may integrate Montessori, Reggio Emilia, STEM, bilingual or trilingual programmes to boost competitiveness.

6. Registration Process

1. Register company with SSM (Enterprise / Sdn Bhd).
2. Prepare tenancy or property documents.
3. Submit Borang A to PPD KL.
4. Attach fire safety certificate, health approval, DBKL licenses, teacher qualifications, curriculum plan.
5. MOE inspection → obtain the Kindergarten Registration Certificate.

7. Startup Cost & Budget

• Rental & renovation: RM80,000 – RM150,000
• Fire & health setup: RM10,000 – RM20,000
• Teachers’ salaries: RM2,000 – RM3,500 / month
• Furniture & learning materials: RM20,000 – RM50,000
• Licenses, insurance, marketing: RM5,000 – RM10,000

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Why Join HiParents?

Even if you successfully open a kindergarten in KL, you will still face challenges:

• Can parents find you on Google when searching “kindergarten Kuala Lumpur / tadika KL”?
• How do you stand out in KL’s highly competitive preschool market?
• How can parents directly WhatsApp your kindergarten for inquiries?

HiParents solves these problems for principals:

• ✅ Appear in Google search results & parent recommendation lists
• ✅ Complete kindergarten profile (curriculum, facilities, contact info)
• ✅ One-click WhatsApp inquiry
• ✅ Over 80,000 parents visiting monthly