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Egypt public holidays 2026
Every Cairo school, national or international, closes on Egypt's official public holidays. Several are religious dates that move with the lunar calendar and are confirmed close to the day. The headline 2026 dates are below.
| Holiday | Expected date 2026 |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Coptic Christmas | Wednesday 7 January |
| Revolution Day and Police Day | Sunday 25 January |
| Eid al-Fitr | Friday 20 March to Sunday 22 March (subject to moon sighting) |
| Sham El-Nessim | Monday 13 April |
| Sinai Liberation Day | Saturday 25 April |
| Labour Day | Friday 1 May |
| Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha | Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May (subject to moon sighting) |
| Islamic New Year | Wednesday 17 June (subject to moon sighting) |
| 30 June Revolution Day | Tuesday 30 June |
| 23 July Revolution Day | Thursday 23 July |
| Prophet Muhammad's Birthday | Late August (subject to moon sighting) |
| Armed Forces Day | Tuesday 6 October |
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha dates depend on the moon sighting and are confirmed by the Egyptian authorities one to two days ahead, so schools announce the practical closure dates close to the holiday. Sham El-Nessim, the spring festival that follows Coptic Easter, falls on Monday 13 April in 2026 and is a national day off regardless of faith.
Cairo term dates 2025-26 and 2026-27
Egyptian national schools, including public, language and many private schools, work to a two-term year set by the Ministry of Education. The 2025-26 framework is confirmed; the 2026-27 dates are indicative until the Ministry publishes them, typically in the summer.
| Term or break | Dates |
|---|---|
| First term 2025-26 | Sat 20 September 2025 to Thu 22 January 2026 |
| Mid-year break | Sat 24 January to Thu 5 February 2026 |
| Second term 2025-26 | Sat 7 February 2026 to Thu 11 June 2026 |
| Summer holidays | From mid-June 2026 to mid-September 2026 |
| First term 2026-27 (indicative) | Begins mid to late September 2026 |
The national year delivers 36 weeks of teaching across the two terms, with first-term examinations in January and second-term examinations from mid-May. There is no half-term break in the Egyptian system; the long mid-year break in late January and early February does the same job. Exact dates can shift by a few days, and schools layer the public holidays above onto this framework, so confirm against your own school's published calendar before booking travel.
Choosing a school in Cairo?
The calendar gap between national and international schools matters when siblings attend different systems. Our school finder filters Cairo schools by curriculum, stage and fee tier.
International school term dates in Cairo
Cairo has one of the larger international school markets in the region, concentrated in New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed and Maadi. These schools do not follow the Egyptian two-term year. American and IB schools run a two-semester August to June calendar with a winter break around Christmas and the New Year and a spring break in late March or April. British schools keep a three-term September to July year with October and February half terms and an Easter break. Both finish later into June than the national June 11 end and reopen in late August or early September rather than late September.
All international schools in Cairo still close for the main Egyptian public holidays and for Eid, so those dates are common across every system. The biggest practical divergence is the winter break: international schools holiday at Christmas while national schools teach through to the late-January mid-year break. To compare programmes read our curriculum guides, and for the cost of each pathway see international school fees in Cairo.
Planning the Cairo school year
Three planning notes for Cairo families. First, summer in Cairo is long and very hot, and many expat families travel for much of July and August, so book flights early and expect peak fares around the late-June international school break. Second, the spring window around Eid al-Fitr and Sham El-Nessim in March and April is a popular short-break season within Egypt, for the Red Sea coast and Upper Egypt, so domestic resorts fill quickly. Third, international school fees are usually billed by term or semester, so budget for the first invoice around the late-August start. For the wider relocation picture see our Cairo city guide and the Egypt country guide.
Common questions
When do schools break up in Cairo in 2026? Egyptian national schools finish on Thursday 11 June 2026. International schools usually break up in mid to late June for the summer.
How long is the summer holiday in Cairo? National schools have around three months, from mid-June to the late-September start. International schools take a shorter eight to ten week summer, from late June to late August.
When does the 2026 school year start in Cairo? National schools are expected to start in mid to late September 2026, mirroring the 20 September 2025 opening. International schools begin in late August or early September.
When is the mid-year break in Cairo 2026? For national schools it runs from 24 January to 5 February 2026. International schools instead take a winter break at Christmas.
Do international schools follow the Egyptian calendar? No. They keep a northern-hemisphere year, though all schools close for the main Egyptian public holidays and Eid.