School holidays in the Netherlands (2024)

FAQs

What are the holidays for students in the Netherlands? ›

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.

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.

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. In practice, most employees are entitled to 25 days.

One of the most celebrated days in the Netherlands is King's day. During King's day, the whole population takes on to celebrate the birthday of the King; Willem Alexander. On the day of the celebration, the whole Netherlands is “painted” orange.

Fixed school holidays in the Netherlands

Some school holidays (schoolvakanties) such as the summer, Christmas and May vacations, are fixed. The May holiday cannot be moved, but schools can extend it by one week. It is therefore important to always check the precise dates with your school.

Q: Which country has the most school holidays? 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.

Pupils attend school Monday through Friday. School hours in primary school are from 8:30 to 15:00 with an hour-long lunch at 12:00. Wednesdays are half-days and children go home at 12:00. School hours for secondary school students start at 8:30 until about 16:00–17:00, depending on the day's schedule.

Israel is the only country in the developed world where children go to school six days a week.

In the Netherlands, schooling is compulsory from age five to 16. School absenteeism can be fined at €100 euros per day up to a maximum of €600 euros per family for one week and €900 for two weeks.

What age can you leave school in the Netherlands? ›

In the Netherlands, school attendance is compulsory for all children aged from 5 to 16. Young people aged from 16 to 18 have to get a basic qualification before leaving school.

How does education work in the Netherlands? In the Netherlands, education is compulsory. Home-schooling is not accepted by the Dutch government. Most schools accept children from the age of four, though officially, compulsory education starts at the age of five.

13th month's salary

The number 13 is a lucky number when it comes to employee benefits in the Netherlands. It's basically an end-of-year bonus set at a month's gross wage and paid at the end of the year. The 13th month's salary shouldn't be confused with the holiday allowance, which is mandatory according to Dutch Law.

In the Netherlands, employees are entitled to paid sick leave from the first day of illness for up to two years if the illness prevents them from working. During this period, employers are responsible for covering the employee's salary.

While the average income per working person was 46.9 thousand euros in 2021, the median income was substantially lower, at 39.1 thousand euros.

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

Pupils attend school Monday through Friday. School hours in primary school are from 8:30 to 15:00 with an hour-long lunch at 12:00. Wednesdays are half-days and children go home at 12:00. School hours for secondary school students start at 8:30 until about 16:00–17:00, depending on the day's schedule.

In the Netherlands, Christmas traditions include Sinterklaas Avond on December 5th, midwinter hoornblaazen, and special celebrations on both Christmas Day and Second Christmas Day. These occasions involve gift-giving, spending time with family, playing games, watching movies and eating traditional food.

Financial aid in the Netherlands is known as studiefinanciering or student finance. Student finance is a scheme set up by the Dutch government to fund tuition fees and other living costs of eligible students. Then, there are scholarships, which function in a similar way, but are based on an awards system.