School holidays in the Netherlands in 2025–2026

Are you already considering your next vacation? Or maybe you want to take your kids to one of these beautiful spots in the Netherlands? Whatever you’re planning, it’s important to know when the Dutch school holidays are. The country is split into three geographical regions for school vacations, with each area following its own holiday calendar.

Planning ahead also means preparing financially for these holiday periods. Whether you’re organising a family trip abroad, arranging childcare, or enrolling your children in vacation camps, managing your finances efficiently is crucial. For expat families who frequently travel between countries or maintain ties to their home country, services like Wise can help manage multiple currencies and international payments.

Here’s what you need to know:

An overview of school holidays in the Netherlands

The school holidays in the Netherlands are set by the Ministry of Education Culture and Science. All Dutch schools have five holidays throughout the year. These are as:

• Autumn (Herfstvakantie – one week)
• Christmas (Kerstavakanie – two weeks)
• Spring (Voorjaarsvakantie – one week)
• May holiday (Meivakantie – one week, usually spread across April/May)
• Summer (Zomervakantie – six weeks)

The Christmas and May holidays are the same across the country, but the other holidays vary across three school regions: north, central, and south. This helps authorities better manage the holiday traffic.

The regions are divided as follows:

Region	Provinces in the school region
North (Noord)	– Drenthe – Flevoland (all municipalities except Zeewolde) – Friesland – Groningen – North Holland – Overijssel – Utrecht (only Eemnes and Abcoude)
Central (Midden)	– Flevoland (only Zeewolde) – Gelderland* – North Brabant (only Altena municipality except Hank en Dussen) – Utrecht (all municipalities except Eemnes and Abcoude) – South Holland
South (Zuid)	– Limburg – North Brabant (all municipalities except Woudrichem, and Altena’s districts of Sleeuwijk, Nieuwendijk, and Werkendam) – Zeeland

Strangely – and some may say, stupidly – the province of Gelderland is split across the three regions:

Region	Gelderland’s municipalities in the school region
North	Hattem
Central	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, West Betuwe, Winterswijk, and Zutphen
South	Arnhem, Berg en Dal, Beuningen, Doesburg, Druten, Duiven, Heumen, district Dodewaard in Neder-Betuwe, Lingewaard, Maasdriel, district Didam in Montferland, Nijmegen, Overbetuwe, Renkum, Rheden, Rozendaal, Rijnwaarden, Westervoort, West Maas en Waal, Wijchen, Zaltbommel, and Zevenaar

Privately-run international schools in the Netherlands may have slightly different holiday dates from state schools in their region. Be sure to check with your child’s school for a full list of holiday dates.

When are the school holidays in the Netherlands for 2025–2026?

Holiday	North	Central	South
Autumn break	18-26 October 2025	18-26 October 2025	11-19 October 2025
Christmas break	20 December 2025 – 4 January 2026	20 December 2025 – 4 January 2026	20 December 2025 – 4 January 2026
Spring break	21 February – 1 March 2026	14-22 February 2026	14-22 February 2026
May break	25 April – 3 May 2026	25 April – 3 May 2026	25 April – 3 May 2026
Summer break	4 July – 16 August 2026	18 July – 30 August 2026	11 July – 23 August 2026

When are the school holidays in the Netherlands for 2026–2027?

Holiday	North	Central	South
Autumn break	10-18 October 2026	17-25 October 2026	17-25 October 2026
Christmas break	19 December 2026 – 3 January 2027	19 December 2026 – 3 January 2027	19 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
Spring break	20-28 February 2027	20-28 February 2027	13-21 February 2027
May break	24 April – 2 May 2027	24 April – 2 May 2027	24 April – 2 May 2027
Summer break	10 July – 2 August 2027	17 July – 29 August 2027	24 July – 5 September 2027

When are the public holidays in the Netherlands?

In addition to the above school holidays, Dutch schools are typically closed on public holidays. The dates are listed in our article on public holidays in the Netherlands.

Some schools also allow pupils time off for religious purposes (e.g., for Jewish or Muslim pupils to observe important dates). Be sure to check with your child’s school for a full list of these dates.

Tips for expat parents in the Netherlands

It is illegal for parents to take their children out of school during the semester without a valid reason. Even then, you have to be careful with your plans (e.g., going on vacation is not a valid reason). This means school holidays are popular for families planning both vacations and other fun activities in the Netherlands.

Financial planning for school holidays

School holidays often mean additional expenses for families – from travel and accommodation to childcare and activities. For expat parents who may be traveling internationally or paying for services in different currencies, managing these expenses efficiently becomes even more important.

When planning trips abroad during school breaks:

• Create a holiday budget that accounts for currency fluctuations
• Consider the most cost-effective way to spend money abroad
• Plan ahead for international payments for activities or accommodations

Using the Wise account can help you manage your holiday finances. With Wise, you can hold and convert money in multiple currencies, as well as spend abroad with the Wise card.

Childcare during Dutch school holidays

If you are a working parent, you may need to make childcare arrangements during the school holidays. Fortunately, there are a few options to choose from as the Netherlands offers more comprehensive levels of childcare, including holiday daycare, than many other European countries.

There is outside school care (buitenschoolse opvang – BSO) available during holiday periods. This is provided at childcare centers and involves a range of fun activities and days out. Schools usually link up with BSO providers, so you can find out information through the school or your local municipality. You can also access BSO provision directly through childcare providers such as Partou or Zein Childcare.

Alongside these, there are also childminders (gastouders), au pairs, nannies, and babysitters that can look after children either in your home or at theirs. Another useful resource for parents in the Amsterdam area is Amsterdam Mamas where you can search for activities for children across the city.

The costs of childcare during holiday time will vary according to the type of provision, who is providing it, and other factors. You may be entitled to a childcare allowance to cover some of the costs, depending on your financial situation.

Fun summer camps in the Netherlands

During the longer summer break, there are also summer camps. These are more expensive than BSO services but they include fun activities suitable for children of all ages and can be a good place to meet children from different cultures and nationalities. Providers include Summer Camps Holland and Vinea.

Conclusion

Understanding the Dutch school holiday calendar is essential for expat families to plan effectively throughout the academic year. With differences between the language communities and a variety of holiday periods spread across the year, advance planning is key to balancing work commitments with childcare needs and family activities.

Whether you’re arranging local childcare, sending your children to vacation camps, or planning family trips abroad during these breaks, having the right financial tools in place can make the process smoother. For expat families in the Netherlands, Wise provides a solution for managing expenses across different currencies.