School holidays

Children's Education

School holidays in Belgium in 2024–2025

Want to take your children on a vacation? Here are Belgium’s school holidays for 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, as well as tips for expat parents.

Belgium school holiday
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Updated 10-2-2025

If you have children in school, you’ll need to note down those school holiday dates as soon as possible so that you can plan activities and childcare arrangements ahead. In Belgium, school holidays typically cross over with public holidays (e.g., Christmas and Easter). There are also seasonal breaks, including several weeks off in the summer.

Continue reading to learn more about:

The International School of Brussels

Looking for a leading international education in the Belgian capital? The International School of Brussels (ISB) provides an encouraging learning community for students from preschool to grade 12. The school offers a number of learning opportunities, including the IB Diploma program and US High School Diploma. See how the ISB could give your child the best start in life.

An overview of school holidays in Belgium

Belgium is split into three different language-speaking communities:

  • Dutch-speaking Flanders
  • French-speaking Wallonia
  • German-speaking eastern Wallonia

The Dutch-speaking and German-speaking communities share the same school holidays, however, the French-speaking community has different dates.

A girl and a boy run on the shore of Bredene aan Zee beach
Photo: Stefan Cristian Cioata/Getty Images

Belgian schools typically have five holidays across the year, including during Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. There are also a few individual days off, such as Whit Monday and Armistice Day.

International schools in Belgium generally follow the same school holiday dates as other schools, although summer holidays in some international schools start and end one to two weeks earlier than the general holiday dates.

When are Belgium’s school holidays in 2024–2025?

All dates are subject to change.

HolidayFlanders datesWallonia datesEastern Wallonia dates
First day of school2 September 202426 August 20242 September 2024
Autumn holidays28 October – 1 November 202421 October – 1 November 202428 October – 2 November 2024
Christmas holidays23 December 2024 – 3 January 202523 December 2024 – 3 January 202523 December 2024 – 3 January 2025
Dutch: Krokusvakantie
French: Relaxation leave
3–7 March 202524 February – 7 March 20253–7 March 2025
Easter holidays7–21 April 202528 April – 9 May 20257–21 April 2025
Summer holidays1 July – 31 August 20255 July – 22 August 20251 July – 31 August 2025

Other important dates in 2024–2025

The additional holiday dates for the 2024–2025 school year are:

HolidayFlanders datesWallonia datesGerman-speaking Belgium dates
Day of the French-speaking communityn/a27 Septembern/a
Armistice Day11 November 202411 November 202411 November 2024
German-speaking Community Dayn/an/a15 November 2024
Easter Monday21 April 202521 April 202521 April 2025
Labor Day1 May 20251 May 20251 May 2025
Ascension Day14–15 May 202514 May 202514 May 2025
Whit Monday25 May 202525 May 202525 May 2025

When are Belgium’s school holidays in 2025–2026?

All dates are subject to change.

HolidayFlanders datesWallonia datesGerman-speaking Belgium dates
First day of school1 September 202525 August 20251 September 2025
Autumn holidays27 October – 2 November 202520 October – 2 November 202527 October – 1 November 2025
Winter holidays22 December 2025 – 4 January 202622 December 2025 – 4 January 202622 December 2025 – 3 January 2026
Dutch: Krokusvakantie
French: Relaxation leave

German: Carnival holidays
16–22 February 202616 February – 1 March 202616–21 February 2026
Easter/Spring holidays6–19 April 202627 April – 10 May 20266–18 April 2026
Summer holidays1 July – 31 August 20264 July – 23 August 20261 July – 31 August 2026

Other important dates in 2025–2026

Depending on your area, some schools may be closed for local celebrations. For example, some schools will give children the day off for being part of a language community.

The additional holiday dates for the 2025–2026 school year are:

HolidayFlanders datesWallonia datesGerman-speaking Belgium dates
Armistice Day11 November 202611 November 202611 November 2026
Easter Monday6 April 20256 April 20256 April 2025
Labor Day1 May 20251 May 20251 May 2025
Ascension Day14–15 May 202514 May 202514 May 2025
Whit Monday25 May 202525 May 202525 May 2025

When are the public holidays in Belgium?

Some important public holidays and celebrations usually fall on school holidays, such as Labor Day in May and National Day in July.

You can learn more about these holidays (and dates) by reading our article on public holidays in Belgium.

Tips for expat parents in Belgium

Childcare during school holidays

If you are working during school holidays, you may need to make childcare arrangements. You have several options:

  • Flanders – daycare for school children: You can choose between family daycare (gezinsopvang in Dutch), which is usually a maximum of eight children looked after at the home of a certified childminder; or group reception (groepsopvang in Dutch), which is a larger building with several childcare providers. Information can be found on the Kind & Gezin website.
  • Wallonia – Holiday centers (Centres de Vacances): You can search for suitable activities and centers on the website for ONE. Another useful resource is La Ligue des Familles, a membership organization that offers a range of holiday activities and opportunities for children aged 3 and above.

Prices and availability for activities vary, so it’s advisable to make inquiries at the earliest opportunity and find out if any discounts are available. Ask your child’s school to see if any school-related provisions exist.

Three girls entering skating on ice and smiling in Belgium
Photo: M_a_y_a/Getty Images

Fun vacation camps in Belgium

There are a number of such camps in Belgium, including language schools, sports camps and adventure camps that are popular with expat children.

Author

Gary Buswell

About the author

Based in London, Gary has been freelancing for Expatica since 2016. An expert writer with experience in social research and community development, he focuses on topics such as politics and current affairs, healthcare, recruitment, human rights and migration.