Germany School Holidays 2026-2027
Term dates, half-terms, and public holidays for Germany schools across the 2026-2027 academic year — plus free tools to build, print, and share your school calendar. No sign-up required.
View all tools for Europe schoolsSchool System in Germany
Germany's education system is governed at the state level (Bundesländer), with each of the 16 states having its own Ministry of Education, curriculum, school structure, and examination system. The system includes Grundschule (primary, grades 1-4), and secondary tracks including Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium, and Gesamtschule, with the Gymnasium leading to the Abitur qualification. There are approximately 32,000 schools in Germany serving over 10 million students. The federal structure means that a school in Bavaria operates under different regulations than one in North Rhine-Westphalia, creating significant administrative complexity for any tool or resource intended for use across Germany. Federal statisticians counted around 11.5 million students at general, vocational and health-sector schools in 2025/26 — 84,300 more than the previous year, the fourth annual rise in a row — while first-grade enrolment was 827,500 in 2024/25, marginally below the post-2003 record, and about 395,000 people earned the Hochschul- or Fachhochschulreife in 2021. The length of the Gymnasium track itself differs by state: the eight-year G8 route reaches Abitur after grades 5-9 plus a two-year Oberstufe, while the nine-year G9 route extends to grade 13, and North Rhine-Westphalia's public Gymnasien switched to G9 from the 2019/20 school year. The Kultusministerkonferenz coordinates policy across the 16 ministries and guarantees the comparability of qualifications, with its Statistik-KMK database serving as the shared statistical reference.
Academic Year Structure
The German school year varies by Bundesland, with most states starting in August or September and ending in June or July. The year is typically divided into two semesters (Halbjahre) with a winter break (Weihnachtsferien), and additional breaks that vary by state including Herbstferien (autumn), Osterferien (Easter), Pfingstferien (Pentecost), and Sommerferien (summer). The summer holiday dates are coordinated across states in a staggered system to manage travel demand. Exact holiday dates are published by the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) years in advance.
Country information last reviewed: September 2026
Key Holidays and Breaks 2026-2027
Sommerferien (Summer Break)
Six weeks, staggered across Bundesländer from June to September
Herbstferien (Autumn Break)
One to two weeks in October, varies by state
Weihnachtsferien (Christmas Break)
Two weeks over Christmas and New Year
Winterferien (Winter Break)
One week in January or February (some states only)
Osterferien (Easter Break)
Two to three weeks around Easter, varies by state
Pfingstferien (Pentecost Break)
One to two weeks around Pentecost, varies by state
Tag der Deutschen Einheit
October 3, German Unity Day, national holiday
Germany School Holidays 2026-2027 and Term Dates
Exact term, holiday and break dates for schools in Germany, taken from the official calendar linked under each table. Where the published calendar covers only part of the system (by region, station or school network), the scope is stated in the table heading.
Bavaria (Bayern)
Germany's 16 federal states set school holidays. Bavaria's 2026/27 holiday dates are fixed by the Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Unterricht und Kultus (valid per Bayerisches Ministerialblatt 2022 Nr. 747 through 2029/30). German schools do not use UK-style terms/short half-terms - the fixed Ferien blocks below are the only centrally set breaks.
| Period | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn term start / Schuljahr 2026/27 begins | Tue 15 Sep 2026 | First day of instruction after Sommerferien (last holiday day Mon 14 Sep 2026 per km.bayern.de). Confirmed for Grund-, Mittel- und Förderschulen by Regierung von Oberfranken press release PM 065/26 (https://regierung.oberfranken.bayern.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2026/pm065/index.html). |
| Sommerferien 2026 | Mon 3 Aug 2026 - Mon 14 Sep 2026 | km.bayern.de Schulferien 2026/2027. |
| Autumn break 2026 (unterrichtsfreie Tage um Allerheiligen) | Mon 2 Nov 2026 - Fri 6 Nov 2026 | km.bayern.de: unterrichtsfreie Tage um Allerheiligen 2026 (2-6 November 2026). |
| Christmas holiday 2026/27 (Weihnachtsferien) | Thu 24 Dec 2026 - Fri 8 Jan 2027 | km.bayern.de Weihnachtsferien 2026/2027. |
| Spring break 2027 (Frühjahrsferien) | Mon 8 Feb 2027 - Fri 12 Feb 2027 | km.bayern.de one-week Frühjahrsferien 2027. |
| Easter holiday 2027 (Osterferien) | Mon 22 Mar 2027 - Fri 2 Apr 2027 | km.bayern.de two-week Osterferien 2027 (Easter weekend in the middle). |
| Spring term 2027 (start) | Not applicable - German schools do not use UK-style terms; instruction runs continuously (Schuljahr 2026/27: Tue 15 Sep 2026 until Sommerferien 2027) | FLAG: no separate spring term is defined; see Schuljahr row and the fixed Ferien blocks. |
| Summer term 2027 | Not applicable - German schools do not use UK-style terms; see Schuljahr and Pfingstferien/Sommerferien 2027 | FLAG: no UK-style summer term; instruction continues until Sommerferien 2027 begins. |
| May bank holidays (schools closed) | Tue 18 May 2027 - Fri 28 May 2027 (Pfingstferien) | km.bayern.de: the mid-May closure is the two-week Pfingstferien 2027 (18-28 May 2027); no separate early-May Ferien block is listed on the ministry page. |
| Summer holiday 2026 (start) | Mon 3 Aug 2026 | Sommerferien 2026 run Mon 3 Aug 2026 - Mon 14 Sep 2026 (km.bayern.de). |
| Summer holiday 2027 / end of Schuljahr 2026/27 | Mon 2 Aug 2027 - Mon 13 Sep 2027 | Sommerferien 2027 (km.bayern.de). The exact last instruction day of Schuljahr 2026/27 is set by individual schools (INSET days); summer holidays begin Mon 2 Aug 2027. |
Source: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Unterricht und Kultus - Ferien und Feiertage
North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)
NRW holiday dates are set by the Ministerium für Schule und Bildung NRW (Ferienordnung through 2029/30). In 2026/27 schools may also take three movable ferientage (bewegliche Ferientage) fixed locally by each school's Schulkonferenz. German schools do not use UK-style terms/short half-terms.
| Period | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn term start / Schuljahr 2026/27 begins | Wed 2 Sep 2026 | Ministry press release (13 Jul 2026): school year 2025/26 ended with report cards on Fri 17 Jul 2026; the new school year starts Wed 2 Sep 2026 (https://www.schulministerium.nrw/presse/pressemitteilungen/ministerin-feller-wuenscht-erholsame-schulferien-13-07-2026). |
| Sommerferien 2026 | Mon 20 Jul 2026 - Tue 1 Sep 2026 | Ferienordnung 2026/27: first ferientag Mon 20 Jul 2026, last ferientag Tue 1 Sep 2026 (instruction resumes Wed 2 Sep 2026). |
| Autumn break 2026 (Herbstferien) | Sat 17 Oct 2026 - Sat 31 Oct 2026 | Ferienordnung 2026/27 official first/last ferientag (weekend boundary); pupils are off school days Mon 19 Oct - Fri 30 Oct 2026. |
| Christmas holiday 2026/27 (Weihnachten) | Wed 23 Dec 2026 - Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Ferienordnung 2026/27: first ferientag Wed 23 Dec 2026, last ferientag Wed 6 Jan 2027 (schools resume Thu 7 Jan 2027). |
| Spring break 2027 / Easter holiday (Ostern) | Mon 22 Mar 2027 - Sat 3 Apr 2027 | Ferienordnung 2026/27 official first/last ferientag (weekend boundary); school days off Mon 22 Mar - Fri 2 Apr 2027 (instruction resumes Mon 5 Apr 2027). |
| Spring term 2027 (start) | Not applicable - German schools do not use UK-style terms; instruction runs continuously (Schuljahr 2026/27: Wed 2 Sep 2026 until Sommerferien 2027) | FLAG: no separate spring term is defined; see Schuljahr row and the fixed Ferien blocks. |
| Summer term 2027 | Not applicable - German schools do not use UK-style terms; see Schuljahr and Sommerferien 2027 | FLAG: no UK-style summer term; instruction continues until Sommerferien 2027 begins. |
| May bank holidays (schools closed) 2027 | Tue 18 May 2027 (Pfingsten) | Ferienordnung 2026/27 lists a single Pfingsten ferientag Tue 18 May 2027; the other three centrally available closures in 2026/27 are the school-set bewegliche Ferientage (fixed by each school, deadline eight weeks before summer holidays). |
| Summer holiday 2026 (start) | Mon 20 Jul 2026 | Sommerferien 2026: first ferientag Mon 20 Jul 2026 (school year 2025/26 ended Fri 17 Jul 2026 per ministry press release), last ferientag Tue 1 Sep 2026. |
| Summer holiday 2027 / end of Schuljahr 2026/27 | Mon 19 Jul 2027 - Tue 31 Aug 2027 | Ferienordnung 2027/28: first ferientag Mon 19 Jul 2027, last ferientag Tue 31 Aug 2027. The exact last instruction day of Schuljahr 2026/27 is set by individual schools (INSET days). |
Source: Ministerium für Schule und Bildung NRW - Ferienordnung für Nordrhein-Westfalen
Germany Education Insights
Planning Tip
German schools should plan their academic year around Abitur examination schedules and include state-specific holidays.
Regional Context
Germany's decentralisation goes down to the examination track itself: the same Gymnasium qualification is reached via the eight-year G8 or nine-year G9 route depending on the state, with North Rhine-Westphalia's public schools moving to G9 from 2019/20.
Common School Administration Challenges in Germany
School administrators in Germany face a unique set of challenges shaped by the country's education system, regulatory environment, and cultural expectations. Here are the most pressing pain points we hear from German educators:
Bundesland-specific education regulations mean that administrative tools and processes must accommodate 16 different sets of requirements. A school in Saxony operates under different holiday calendars, curriculum requirements, and reporting standards than a school in Hesse.
The three-tier secondary school system (Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium) plus Gesamtschule creates complex scheduling needs. Subject offerings, examination requirements, and transition pathways vary significantly across tracks, and many schools house multiple tracks under one roof.
Parent-teacher communication in Germany follows culturally specific norms, with formal Elternabend (parent evenings), Elternsprechtag (parent consultation days), and written reports (Zeugnisse) at specific points in the year. Coordinating these across multiple tracks and year levels is a substantial administrative task.
Digital infrastructure in German schools has historically lagged behind other OECD countries, though the DigitalPakt initiative is driving rapid improvement. Many schools still rely on paper-based processes alongside emerging digital tools, creating hybrid workflow challenges.
Inclusion and integration of children with special educational needs (Inklusion) and children from migrant backgrounds (including recently arrived refugee children) requires extensive individualised planning, documentation, and coordination between schools, support services, and external agencies.
The G8/G9 split makes cross-state planning genuinely difficult: a school network, publisher, or university outreach team cannot assume a common Abitur year, because each state sets both the track length and the examination dates — and states have switched tracks more than once since 2015. Planning a national programme means tracking sixteen sets of Oberstufe terminologies (EF, Q1, Q2 exist only on the G9 route) and sixteen sets of examination calendars.
Have a challenge we haven't listed? We are actively building new tools based on what educators tell us. If your school faces a specific administrative problem, email us at [email protected] — your input directly shapes what we build next.
How SchoolKit Helps German Schools
Every SchoolKit tool is free, private, and works entirely in your browser — no downloads, no sign-ups, no data leaving your school.
Academic Calendar Builder
Most relevant tool for Germany schools
The German academic calendar landscape is the most complex in Europe, with 16 Bundesländer each setting their own holiday dates and term structures. Our Academic Calendar Builder includes the most comprehensive free holiday preset library for Germany, covering all 16 states. Whether your school is in Bavaria (with its unique holiday schedule and additional religious holidays), North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, or Saxony, the tool auto-populates the correct holiday dates from the official KMK calendar. The two-semester support handles the typical German Halbjahre structure, and the colour-coded event system makes it easy to distinguish between state holidays, religious observances (which vary significantly across states), and school-specific events. The PDF export produces professional calendars suitable for the formal German school environment, and the iCal export allows digital distribution to the platforms increasingly used in German schools.
School Communication Templates
Also highly relevant for Germany schools
Written communication in German schools follows formal conventions that are important for maintaining professional relationships with parents. Our template library includes professionally structured templates covering key German school communication needs — Elternbriefe (parent letters), Entschuldigungen (absence excuses), Einladungen zu Elternabenden (parent evening invitations), and Mitteilungen zu Zeugnissen (report card notifications). The templates use placeholder systems that can be adapted to German language content while maintaining the formal structure expected in German school-home communication. The PDF export produces documents suitable for both printed distribution (still common in German schools) and digital sharing through the emerging school communication platforms.
All Free Tools for German Schools
Attendance Register Generator
Attendance tracking (Anwesenheitskontrolle) in German schools follows specific documentation practices. Our register generator produces the structured records that schools need for their administrative files, with support for the half-day and full-day attendance patterns common in German schools' varying daily schedules.
Exam Timetable Builder
German schools coordinating Abitur examinations, Mittlere Reife tests, and other state-specific assessments can use our timetable builder to create conflict-free schedules. The tool handles the multi-subject, multi-track scheduling challenges that are standard in German secondary education.
Parent-Teacher Meeting Scheduler
Elternsprechtage (parent consultation days) require careful coordination, especially in schools with multiple tracks where parents may need to meet with different teachers for different subjects. Our scheduler simplifies this with online booking pages that replace traditional paper sign-up sheets.
Teacher Evaluation Rubric Builder
Teacher evaluation in Germany (Personalgespräche, Unterrichtsbesuche) follows state-specific frameworks. Our rubric builder allows school leaders to create evaluation criteria aligned to their Bundesland's teacher competency standards, with professional PDF reports for personnel files.
Parent Satisfaction Survey
German schools increasingly use parent surveys (Elternbefragungen) as part of their school improvement and quality assurance processes (Schulqualität, Schulprogramm). Our survey tool makes it easy to collect and present parent feedback for school conferences and quality reports.
School Bus Route Planner
School transport (Schülerbeförderung) in Germany is organised at the district (Landkreis) level, but many schools, particularly in rural areas of states like Lower Saxony and Bavaria, coordinate their own transport arrangements. Our route planner helps map stops, group routes, and print driver cards.
School Administration in Germany
School administration in Germany operates within a uniquely federal structure where each of the 16 Bundesländer sets its own education policies, holiday calendars, curriculum standards, and examination requirements. This decentralisation means that German school administrators must navigate a complex web of state-specific regulations while maintaining the high-quality education that Germany is known for. From coordinating Abitur examinations in Gymnasien to managing Ganztagsschule (all-day school) schedules, from drafting formal Elternbriefe to tracking attendance across multiple school tracks, the administrative demands on German schools are substantial. SchoolKit provides free, privacy-first tools that respect Germany's federal diversity and strong data protection traditions. Every tool runs entirely in your browser — your school data never leaves your premises unless you explicitly create a share link, which is particularly important given Germany's stringent Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) requirements.
Education Resources in Germany
Authoritative sources for Germany's education system, curriculum, and administration.
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Frequently Asked Questions — Germany
Does the Academic Calendar Builder support all 16 German Bundesländer?
Yes. The holiday preset library includes comprehensive holiday data for all 16 states: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia. The tool uses the official KMK (Kultusministerkonferenz) holiday calendar to ensure accuracy. Simply select your Bundesland when setting up your school information.
Can I use these tools in German (auf Deutsch)?
The interface is currently in English, but all your content — school name, event names, custom holidays, and communication text — can be entered in German. The PDF export renders German text with all special characters (Umlaute, ß) correctly. We are evaluating full German interface localisation based on interest from the German education community.
Are these tools compliant with German data protection law (DSGVO)?
All SchoolKit tools run entirely client-side in your browser. No student data, attendance information, or any other personal data is transmitted to any server unless you explicitly create a share link or send a confirmation email. This architecture is designed to align with the DSGVO principles of data minimization (Art. 5(1)(c)) and privacy by design (Art. 25). No data processing agreement (Auftragsverarbeitungsvertrag) is needed because we do not process your data.
How can SchoolKit help with Abitur coordination?
The Exam Timetable Builder can schedule Abitur examination sessions across subjects, rooms, and invigilators. The Academic Calendar Builder helps align your school calendar with the Abitur timetable set by your state's Ministry of Education. The Communication Templates can be adapted for Abitur result notifications and parent communications.
Is there a tool you need that we haven't built yet?
We are actively building new tools based on educator feedback. If your school or district needs a specific tool that doesn't exist yet, email us at [email protected]. We build what educators ask for.
Guides for German Schools
How to Plan an Academic Year
Step-by-step guide to planning an academic year. Learn to structure terms, set holiday dates, schedule exams, and build a calendar your whole school can follow.
School Holiday Planning
Learn how to plan school holidays that balance student wellbeing, staff needs, and community expectations. Includes a country-by-country holiday reference.
Semester vs Term: Which Structure Fits Your School?
Compare semester, term, and quarter calendar structures. Learn which model fits your school's curriculum, assessment needs, and community expectations.
Managing a Multi-Campus Academic Calendar
How to coordinate academic calendars across multiple campuses. Learn to align terms, share resources, and maintain consistency while respecting local needs.
Ready to Streamline Your German School?
All tools are free, private, and require no sign-up. Start using them in your browser right now. If you need a tool we haven't built yet, tell us — we build what educators ask for.