Berlin school holidays 2026: term dates calendar

German public holidays 2026 in Berlin

Berlin schools close on national and Berlin state public holidays. Unlike the school Ferien, these are fixed calendar dates, with the spring dates moving only because Easter shifts each year.

Several of these public holidays fall inside the school Ferien, so the practical effect on the school calendar is small. Ascension Day on a Thursday often comes with a bridging day, when many families take the Friday off too.

Berlin state school holiday dates 2026

The Berlin Senate sets a single Ferien calendar for all state schools across the twelve districts, from Mitte and Pankow to Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Steglitz-Zehlendorf. The confirmed 2026 dates are below.

Schools may add individual study days (variable Ferientage) and the start of the next school year falls on Monday 24 August 2026. These dates are set by the Senate and are unusually stable, so they are safe to plan travel around.

International school term dates

Berlin's international schools serve diplomatic, tech and academic families and run a northern-hemisphere year that broadly tracks the Senate dates but differs in detail:

• British and IB schools open in late August or early September and finish in mid to late June, with terms broken by the October, February and Easter Ferien.
• The winter break around Christmas usually runs the full two weeks, matching the Senate calendar.
• American schools run two semesters with a Thanksgiving break in late November that the German state calendar does not include.

Because most international schools align their breaks to the Berlin Ferien, families with children in both systems usually find the calendars overlap well, with the main divergence at the start and end of the year. To understand the programmes see our curriculum guides, and for national context our Germany country hub.

Planning the year

Three practical notes for Berlin families. First, Germany staggers the summer break across its federal states, so Berlin's early-July start means cheaper flights than the peak August window used by southern states; book by spring. Second, the February winter break lines up with the wider central European ski season, so Alpine resorts fill quickly. Third, international school fee instalments usually fall at the start of each term in late August, January and after Easter, so plan payment around those points. Our Berlin international school fees guide sets out the tiers and timing. For families moving on from the UK, our London school holidays 2026 piece shows where the two calendars meet.

Common questions

When do schools break up in Berlin for summer 2026? Berlin state schools break up on 9 July 2026 and return on 22 August, with the new year starting 24 August.

How long is the summer holiday in Berlin? About six weeks, from 9 July to 22 August 2026.

When does the 2026 school year start in Berlin? The school year resumes on Monday 24 August 2026.

What are the Berlin half-term breaks in 2026? Winter 2 to 7 February, Easter 30 March to 10 April, autumn 19 to 31 October, and Christmas 23 December to 2 January 2027.

Do international schools follow the Senate Ferien? Largely yes, with their own term structure layered on top and an American-school Thanksgiving break that the state calendar does not have.

Related guides

• Berlin international school fees
• Berlin city guide
• Germany country guide