School holidays in Netherlands, 2026
Term breaks region by region, taken from the published education calendars. Schools add their own staff-training and free-choice days on top, so confirm the exact first and last day with your school.
School holiday dates 2026
The Netherlands splits into three holiday regions — Noord, Midden and Zuid — and staggers the summer break between them to spread holiday traffic. Christmas, May and summer dates are fixed by the ministry and binding on every school. Autumn and spring-half-term dates are advisory: schools may shift them, and southern schools often move the February week to line up with Carnival.
Noord (north, including Amsterdam and Groningen)
Christmas holidays
Starts: 20 Dec 2025
Ends: 4 Jan 2026
16 days
Spring half term
Advisory dates.
Starts: 21 Feb 2026
Ends: 1 Mar 2026
9 days
May holidays
Many schools extend to a fortnight from 18 April.
Starts: 25 Apr 2026
Ends: 3 May 2026
9 days
Summer holidays
Starts: 4 Jul 2026
Ends: 16 Aug 2026
44 days
Autumn holidays
Advisory dates.
Starts: 10 Oct 2026
Ends: 18 Oct 2026
9 days
Christmas holidays
Starts: 19 Dec 2026
Ends: 3 Jan 2027
16 days
Midden (central, including Utrecht and The Hague)
Christmas holidays
Starts: 20 Dec 2025
Ends: 4 Jan 2026
16 days
Spring half term
Advisory dates.
Starts: 14 Feb 2026
Ends: 22 Feb 2026
9 days
May holidays
Many schools extend to a fortnight from 18 April.
Starts: 25 Apr 2026
Ends: 3 May 2026
9 days
Summer holidays
Starts: 18 Jul 2026
Ends: 30 Aug 2026
44 days
Autumn holidays
Advisory dates.
Starts: 17 Oct 2026
Ends: 25 Oct 2026
9 days
Christmas holidays
Starts: 19 Dec 2026
Ends: 3 Jan 2027
16 days
Zuid (south, including Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Maastricht)
Christmas holidays
Starts: 20 Dec 2025
Ends: 4 Jan 2026
16 days
Spring half term
Carnival falls in this week in the south.
Starts: 14 Feb 2026
Ends: 22 Feb 2026
9 days
May holidays
Many schools extend to a fortnight from 18 April.
Starts: 25 Apr 2026
Ends: 3 May 2026
9 days
Summer holidays
Starts: 11 Jul 2026
Ends: 23 Aug 2026
44 days
Autumn holidays
Advisory dates.
Starts: 17 Oct 2026
Ends: 25 Oct 2026
9 days
Christmas holidays
Starts: 19 Dec 2026
Ends: 3 Jan 2027
16 days
Dates published by: the Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap. Official source
Other school-calendar days in the official feed
Public holidays that close schools anyway
Nieuwjaarsdag
New Year's Day · Nationwide
Eerste Paasdag
Easter Sunday · Nationwide
Tweede Paasdag
Easter Monday · Nationwide
Koningsdag
King's Day · Nationwide
Hemelvaartsdag
Ascension Day · Nationwide
Eerste Pinksterdag
Pentecost · Nationwide
Tweede Pinksterdag
Whit Monday · Nationwide
Eerste Kerstdag
Christmas Day · Nationwide
Tweede Kerstdag
St. Stephen's Day · Nationwide