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.

As is the case elsewhere, the exact school holidays depend on where you live. The country is split into three geographical regions for school vacations, with each area following its own holiday calendar.

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 2024–2025?

Holiday	North	Central	South
Autumn break	26 October – 3 November 2024	26 October – 3 November 2024	19–27 October 2024
Christmas break	21 December 2024 – 5 January 2025	21 December 2024 – 5 January 2025	21 December 2024 – 5 January 2025
Spring break	15–23 February 2025	22 February – 2 March 2025	22 February – 2 March 2025
May break	26 April – 4 May 2025	26 April – 4 May 2025	26 April – 4 May 2025
Summer break	12 July – 24 August 2025	19 July – 31 August 2025	5 July – 17 August 2025

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	27 April – 5 May 2026	27 April – 5 May 2026
Summer break	4 July – 16 August 2026	18 July – 30 August 2026	11 July – 23 August 2026

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.

Childcare during 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.