School Holidays Netherlands 2026-2027: Dates by Region and What Parents Should Know

THE HAGUE – October 21, 2026 | The Dutch Daily

The school holidays Netherlands 2026-2027 follow a fixed pattern: the country is split into three regions (Noord, Midden and Zuid) and the summer holiday starts in a different week in each of them. This guide lists every holiday of the 2026-2027 school year by region, explains which region your town belongs to, and shows where schools may deviate. As of 21 October 2026, the autumn holiday is running in Regio Midden and Regio Zuid until Sunday 25 October. All dates come from the Rijksoverheid and were checked on 21 October 2026.

1. School holidays Netherlands 2026-2027: all dates

This is the Rijksoverheid’s overview for the 2026-2027 school year:

Source: Rijksoverheid, overview of school holidays 2026-2027, checked on 21 October 2026. Dates can change; always confirm in your school guide.

2. How school holidays Netherlands 2026-2027 differ by region

Looking at the table, only three of the five holidays are staggered between regions, and two are the same everywhere (our reading of the Rijksoverheid’s dates):

• Same in all regions: the Christmas holiday (19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) and the May holiday (24 April to 2 May 2027).
• Autumn holiday: Regio Noord starts a week earlier (10-18 October 2026) than Midden and Zuid (17-25 October 2026).
• Spring holiday: here Regio Zuid goes first (13-21 February 2027), a week before Noord and Midden (20-28 February 2027).
• Summer holiday: every region starts one week after the previous one: Noord on 10 July, Midden on 17 July and Zuid on 24 July 2027.

Counting the days from those dates (our calculation, both dates included): the autumn holiday lasts 9 days, the Christmas holiday 16 days, the spring holiday 9 days and the May holiday 9 days. The summer holiday lasts 44 days in every region, as section 5 shows.

Which holiday is coming next depends on today’s date. On 21 October 2026, Regio Noord’s autumn holiday has already ended on 18 October, while Midden and Zuid are in their autumn holiday until Sunday 25 October. After that, the next school holiday in every region is the Christmas holiday starting on 19 December 2026.

3. Which region are you in for school holidays Netherlands 2026-2027?

To spread the holidays, the Netherlands has three regions. The Rijksoverheid lists them per province and municipality:

• Regio Noord: all municipalities in Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen, Noord-Holland and Overijssel; all of Flevoland except Zeewolde; Hattem in Gelderland; and Eemnes and the former municipality of Abcoude in Utrecht.
• Regio Midden: Zeewolde; all municipalities in Zuid-Holland; all of Utrecht except Eemnes and the former Abcoude; a list of Gelderland municipalities (including Apeldoorn, Ede, Wageningen, Zutphen and Tiel); and most of the municipality of Altena in Noord-Brabant.
• Regio Zuid: all municipalities in Limburg and Zeeland; Noord-Brabant except Woudrichem and parts of Altena; and a list of Gelderland municipalities (including Arnhem, Nijmegen, Wijchen and Zevenaar).

From those lists, a few examples (our reading of the lists): Amsterdam, Groningen, Zwolle and Almere are in Regio Noord; The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht are in Regio Midden; Eindhoven, Maastricht, Arnhem and Nijmegen are in Regio Zuid. Gelderland is split, so check the municipality on the Rijksoverheid page, which also lists the exceptions in full.

4. Advisory dates and schools that deviate

The Ministry of Education (OCW) gives advisory dates for the spring and autumn holidays. According to the Rijksoverheid, schools may deviate from them without asking OCW for permission. If a school deviates, the works council must agree and the school must record the change in its school plan before the summer of that school year. The Rijksoverheid’s example is carnival: in 2026-2027 the advisory spring dates in Regio Zuid do not coincide with carnival, so a school there may choose different dates.

Schools can also extend the May holiday by one week. OCW’s advisory dates for that extension are 1-9 May 2027. In the Caribbean Netherlands the summer holiday matches the region where the summer holiday starts and ends first, and the other holidays are set locally.

The practical advice from the Rijksoverheid is the same every year: the school guide (schoolgids) states the school’s actual holiday dates.

5. School holidays Netherlands 2026-2027: the summer holiday 2027 in detail

The summer holiday is the longest. The Rijksoverheid says the three regions exist to spread the holidays, and the summer shows it most clearly. Our calculation from the dates above:

In other words, each region gets the same length of summer holiday, one week later than the region before it.

6. Looking ahead: the school holidays 2027-2028

Planning a year ahead? The Rijksoverheid has already published the following school year. The first holidays of 2027-2028 are:

Two things stand out when you compare the two school years (our observation from the Rijksoverheid’s tables). First, the region that starts the summer holiday first changes: Regio Noord goes first in 2027 (10 July), while Regio Midden goes first in 2028 (8 July). Second, the autumn and spring advisory dates move around: in 2027 Regio Zuid has its autumn holiday a week after the other two, and in spring 2028 Regio Noord is the one that goes a week before Midden and Zuid. The same advisory rule applies: OCW gives advisory dates for the autumn and spring holidays, schools may deviate, and each school’s guide shows its own dates. For 2028, schools may extend the May holiday by one week, for which OCW’s advisory dates are 22-30 April 2028.

Dates for 2027-2028 from the Rijksoverheid, checked on 21 October 2026.

7. Planning tips for the school holidays Netherlands 2026-2027

Our tips (not from the sources):

• If you have children in different regions (for example because the parents live in different provinces), compare the table before you book travel.
• Check your school guide in August or September for the actual autumn and spring dates, because those are the advisory ones.
• If you work in a region different from your children’s school, ask your employer early about leave in the weeks when your child is on holiday.
• New to Dutch schooling? Our guide to the Dutch school system and the public holidays in 2027 help with planning.

8. FAQ

When is the Christmas holiday in the school holidays Netherlands 2026-2027?

From 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 in all three regions.

When does the summer holiday start in the school holidays Netherlands 2026-2027?

On 10 July in Regio Noord, 17 July in Regio Midden and 24 July in Regio Zuid.

Which region is Amsterdam in for the school holidays Netherlands 2026-2027?

Regio Noord, because all municipalities in Noord-Holland belong to that region.

Can a school change the school holidays Netherlands 2026-2027?

For the spring and autumn holidays, yes: the dates are advisory and a school may deviate without OCW permission, provided the works council agrees.

Is the May holiday one or two weeks?

The Rijksoverheid’s date is 24 April to 2 May 2027. Schools may extend it by one week, for which OCW’s advisory dates are 1-9 May 2027.

🇳🇱 Dutch Corner

Sources

• Rijksoverheid: Overzicht schoolvakanties 2026-2027 (dates per region, advisory dates, deviating schools, May extension)
• Rijksoverheid: Overzicht schoolvakanties 2027-2028 (dates for the next school year)
• Rijksoverheid: Regio’s schoolvakantie (provinces and municipalities per region)

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