School holidays in the Netherlands

Wondering when the next school holiday is or how the Dutch school holiday system works? This page explains everything you need to know about school holidays in the Netherlands.

The Dutch school holiday schedule

When it comes to determining holidays, Dutch schools and international schools in the Netherlands are divided into three regions: North, Central and South. To avoid a holiday rush, each region has its own vacation schedule.

The three Dutch holiday regions

The Dutch provinces are divided into three regions that determine when school holiday is:

The northern region (regio noord)

Province	Municipality
Drenthe	All municipalities
Flevoland	All municipalities, except Zeewolde
Friesland	All municipalities
Gelderland	Hattem
Groningen	All municipalities
Noord-Holland	All municipalities
Overijssel	All municipalities
Utrecht	Eemnes and Abcoude

The central region (regio midden)

Province	Municipality
Flevoland	Zeewolde
Gelderland	Aalten, Apeldoorn, Barneveld, Berkelland, Bronckhorst, Brummen, Buren, Culemborg, Doetinchem, Ede, Elburg, Epe, Ermelo, Harderwijk, Heerde, Lochem, Montferland (except Didam), Neder-Betuwe (except Dodewaard), Nijkerk, Nunspeet, Oldebroek, Oost-Gelre, Oude IJsselstreek, Putten, Scherpenzeel, Tiel, Voorst, Wageningen, Winterswijk, Zutphen
Noord-Brabant	Altena (except Hank and Dussen)
Utrecht	All municipalities except Eemnes and Abcoude
Zuid-Holland	All municipalities

The southern region (regio zuid)

Province	Municipality
Gelderland	Arnhem, Berg en Dal, Beuningen, Doesburg, Druten, Duiven, Heumen, Neder-Betuwe (only Dodewaard), Lingewaard, Maasdriel, Montferland (only Didam), Nijmegen, Overbetuwe, Renkum, Rheden, Rozendaal, Rijnwaarden, Westervoort, West Maas en Waal, Wijchen,Zaltbommel, Zevenaar.
Limburg	All municipalities
Noord-Brabant	All municipalities except Woudrichem and Sleeuwijk, Nieuwendijk and Werkendam in the municipality of Altena
Zeeland	All municipalities

Types of school holidays in the Netherlands

There are two types of school holidays in the Netherlands:

• Fixed school holidays
• Flexible school holidays

Fixed school holidays in the Netherlands

Some school holidays (schoolvakanties) such as the summer, Christmas and May vacations, are fixed. The May holiday cannot be moved, but schools can extend it by one week. It is therefore important to always check the precise dates with your school.

Flexible school holidays in the Netherlands

Schools are allowed to deviate from the advised holiday period for spring break and the autumn holiday. For example, schools in the south of the Netherlands often shift their spring break forward to correspond with carnival, instead of having it later like the rest of the country. Autumn vacation dates can also be flexible for school districts, but usually these remain the same as the advised dates.

Can I take my child on vacation outside of the school holiday periods?

The Dutch government does not permit parents to take their children on vacation outside of the school holiday periods. Parents who do this violate the Compulsory Education law (Leerplichtwet).

In exceptional circumstances, parents can submit a request (known as a beroep op vrijstelling) to the school board for leave outside holiday periods.

2025 school holidays in the Netherlands

These are the advised school holidays for primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands in 2025:

Spring break 2025 (voorjaarsvakantie, carnavalsvakantie or krokusvakantie)

• North: February 15 - February 23, 2025
• Central: February 22 - March 2, 2025
• South: February 22 - March 2, 2025

May vacation 2025 (meivakantie)

• North: April 26 - May 4, 2025
• Central: April 26 - May 4, 2025
• South: April 26 - May 4, 2025

Summer vacation 2025 (zomervakantie)

• North: July 12 - August 24, 2025
• Central: July 19 - August 31, 2025
• South: July 5 - August 17, 2025

Autumn vacation 2025 (herfstvakantie)

• North: October 18 - October 26, 2025
• Central: October 18 - October 26, 2025
• South: October 11 - October 19, 2025

Christmas vacation 2025- 2026 (kerstvakantie)

• North: December 20, 2025 - January 4, 2026
• Central: December 20, 2025 - January 4, 2026
• South: December 20, 2025 - January 4, 2026

Please note that schools can extend the May holiday by a week. Check the school's guide or website for the correct dates. 

2026 school holidays in the Netherlands

These are the advised school holidays for primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands in 2026:

Spring break 2026 (voorjaarsvakantie, carnavalsvakantie or krokusvakantie)

• North: February 21 - March 1, 2026
• Central: February 14 - February 22, 2026
• South: February 14 - February 22, 2026

May vacation 2026 (meivakantie)

• North: April 25 - May 3, 2026
• Central: April 25 - May 3, 2026
• South: April 25 - May 3, 2026

Summer vacation 2026 (zomervakantie)

• North: July 4 - August 16, 2026
• Central: July 18 - August 30, 2026
• South: July 11 - August 23, 2026

Autumn vacation 2026 (herfstvakantie)

• North: October 10 - October 18, 2026
• Central: October 17 - October 25, 2026
• South: October 17 - October 25, 2026

Christmas vacation 2026- 2027 (kerstvakantie)

• North: December 19, 2026 - January 3, 2027
• Central: December 19, 2026 - January 3, 2027
• South: December 19, 2026 - January 3, 2027

Other school holidays in 2026

Free days for students outside of the school holidays in 2026 are:

• Easter Monday (2e paasdag): April 6, 2026
• Ascension Day (Hemelvaart): May 14, 2026
• Whit Monday (2e pinksterdag): May 25, 2026

Check with the school if your child is free on the following holiday(s):

• Good Friday (Goede vrijdag): April 3, 2026
• Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag): May 5, 2026

Please note that Ascension Day falls on May 14 in 2026. Schools can extend the May holiday by a week. Check the school's guide or website for the correct dates. 

Holiday childcare in the Netherlands

If you need to work during school vacations then a holiday programme (vakantieopvang) might be a good option for your child. Some childcare centres (kinderopvang) with afterschool care for school-age children (buitenschoolse opvang) also offer holiday programmes which can include sports, excursions or camping trips.

Other education institutions and holidays

The school holiday schedule is not applicable to childcare centres or to Dutch higher education. Universities and vocational education institutions (MBO) can set their own holiday dates.

Other Dutch holidays

For national holidays, please check out our Dutch holidays and days off page.