Dutch school vacations and holiday dates (2024)

FAQs

How many vacation days are in the Netherlands school? ›

The Ministry sets compulsory school holiday periods like Christmas (2 weeks), May holiday (1 week) and the summer holidays (6 weeks) which must be adhered to by primary, secondary and special education schools. The Ministry gives only advisory dates for the spring (1 week) and autumn (1 week) holiday.

Spring (Voorjaarsvakantie – one week) May holiday (Meivakantie – one week, usually spread across April/May) Summer (Zomervakantie – six weeks)

There are a total of 10 (11 every 5 years) public holidays in the Netherlands: New Year's Day – 1st January. Good Friday – Varied date but always a Friday. Easter – Varied date but always a Sunday.

Primary school has eight grades, group 1 through group 8 (age 12). Afterwards, students transfer to a secondary school. They are obliged to go to school until the end of the school year in which they have turned 16; provided they have obtained a diploma (startkwalificatie).

In most countries, the longest break in the school year is during summer, lasting between 5 and 14 weeks. In Ireland, Italy, Lithuania and Russia, summer holidays are normally three months, compared to six to eight weeks in Britain, The Netherlands and Germany.

While students in Israel must go to school six days a week, their teachers get a weekly day off, working only five days a week. While students are in school more days than their cohorts in developed nations, Israeli teachers teach an annual average of 182 days in elementary schools, compared to 183 days in the OECD.

The summer holiday falls in the July/August months, though the precise weeks vary by region. In fact, many school holidays are staggered strategically so that all the kids in the country aren't taking vacation at the same time. This reduces congestion for transportation and lodging, by spreading out holiday trips.

The Dutch love a good party, which is why King's Day may very well be the best party in the Netherlands. It's a national holiday and celebrates King Willem-Alexander's birthday with lots of music, dancing, flea markets and fun fairs. We traditionally celebrate this holiday while dressed in orange.

Their school day will be different every day of the week, with anywhere from 4 to 7 classes per day. Thus, each student has short days and long days at school. Students start and end school at different times, creating an efficient but erratic and personalized schedule.

Dutch law requires that employers provide full-time employees with a minimum of 20 days of fully paid vacation (annual leave) per year.

Where do most Dutch go on holiday? ›

France and Spain are very popular destinations, but Italy, Portugal, Greece and Turkey are popular as well. Judging by the number of cars with Dutch license plates that can be seen on the roads, both Switzerland and Denmark are popular destinations, in winter and summer respectively.

The statutory minimum holiday entitlement of 20 days is four times the agreed working time per week for each year of employment. These statutory days are in addition to public holidays of which there are normally seven each year.

As a Dutch child psychologist who works with families in the Netherlands, I've observed a number of different parenting styles across many cultures. While each approach has its benefits, Dutch kids are consistently ranked as the happiest in the world.

English-language education in the Netherlands

English is compulsory at all levels of the Dutch secondary education system: Many elementary schools teach English in the upper grades.

The statutory minimum holiday entitlement of 20 days is four times the agreed working time per week for each year of employment. These statutory days are in addition to public holidays of which there are normally seven each year.

Overview of statutory paid holidays

Full-time employees are entitled by Dutch law to a minimum of 20 days (four weeks) of paid leave per year. This is based on a calculation: four times the number of hours worked per week. Part-time employees are also entitled to four times the number of hours worked per week.

In the Netherlands, school attendance is compulsory for children aged 5-16. If a student is truant for more than three consecutive days, the school is required to notify the school attendance officer (leerplichtambtenaar) who is employed by the municipality.

If you want to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days, you may need a residence permit. In many cases you will also have to apply for a long-stay visa before you travel to the Netherlands. This visa is also called an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV).