Switzerland 2026/27 - school year

Beginning of the school year

End of the school year

School year - Autumn / Christmas / New Year / Winter holidays

Autumn holidays: Geneva 19–23 October 2026; City of Zurich 5–16 October 2026

Christmas / New Year: Geneva 24 December 2026 – 8 January 2027; City of Zurich 21 December 2026 – 1 January 2027

Winter holidays: Geneva 15–19 February 2027; City of Zurich (sports holidays) 15–26 February 2027. Dates differ between the cantons – see below.

School year - Spring / Easter holiday

School year - summer holidays

Regions of the country

Switzerland: school holidays and most public holidays are set by the cantons. At federal level only 1 August is a national holiday.

Geneva: school year starts 17 August 2026; public holidays 10 September 2026 (Jeûne genevois), 26 March 2027 (Good Friday), 29 March 2027 (Easter Monday), 6 May 2027 (Ascension, bridge day 7 May), 17 May 2027 (Whit Monday).

Zurich (city schools): 14 September 2026 (Knabenschiessen), 19 April 2027 (Sechseläuten), 17 May 2027 (Whit Monday) are school-free.

Other cantons: set their own dates, typically with summer holidays from early or mid July to mid-August.

Sources: Republic and Canton of Geneva – school holidays and public holidays 2026–2027; City of Zurich school department – school holiday plan 2026/27 (published on the city school pages); University of Geneva – academic calendar 2026–2027 (memento); ETH Zurich – academic calendar.