Lisbon school holidays 2026: term dates calendar

Portuguese public holidays 2026 in Lisbon

Lisbon schools close on Portuguese national public holidays and on the Lisbon municipal holiday of Saint Anthony in June. These are fixed dates, with the spring dates moving only because Easter shifts each year.

Other national holidays fall outside term time, including Assumption on 15 August and the December holidays inside the Christmas break. Saint Anthony is the highlight of Lisbon's June festivities, when the city's streets fill for the Santos Populares.

State school term dates 2025-26 and 2026-27

Portugal sets a single national calendar for state schools, which Lisbon schools follow across the city and the wider metropolitan area from Cascais and Oeiras to Almada. The headline 2025-26 dates are below.

The 2026-27 year follows the same national pattern, with classes resuming in mid September 2026. Schools may convert part of the Easter break into a separate interruption, and exact start days vary by level, so confirm with your school's published calendar before booking travel.

International school term dates

Lisbon's international schools have grown quickly with the inflow of remote-working and relocating families, and they run their own calendars rather than the Portuguese national one:

• British and IB schools open in late August or early September and finish in mid to late June, with terms broken by October, February and spring breaks.
• IB Diploma schools add a May exam window that shapes the final term for Grade 12.
• American schools run two semesters with a Thanksgiving break in late November that the Portuguese state calendar does not include.

Because the international school summer break starts a little earlier and is more uniform than the staggered Portuguese finish, families with children in both systems should expect the June dates in particular to diverge. To understand each programme see our curriculum guides, and for national context our Portugal country hub.

Planning the year

Three practical notes for Lisbon families. First, the Carnival break in February is short but popular for a long weekend away, so domestic travel within Portugal and to nearby Spain fills up. Second, the staggered June finish means older pupils break up almost four weeks before the youngest, which helps families with children in different year groups stage their summer. Third, international school fee instalments usually fall at the start of each term in late August or September, January and after Easter, so plan payment around those points. Our Lisbon international school fees guide sets out the tiers and timing.

Common questions

When do schools break up in Lisbon for summer 2026? Portuguese state schools finish on a staggered basis in June, from around 5 June for exam years to 30 June for the youngest pupils. International schools usually finish in mid to late June.

How long is the summer holiday in Lisbon? Long, running from June to mid September, so around 10 to 13 weeks depending on year group.

When does the 2026 school year start in Lisbon? State schools begin in mid September 2026; international schools start in late August or early September.

What are the Lisbon school breaks in 2026? Christmas 17 December to 2 January, Carnival 16 to 18 February, and Easter 30 March to 10 April.

Do international schools follow the Portuguese calendar? No. They run an August or September to June year with their own term structure, observing Portuguese public holidays.

Related guides

• Lisbon international school fees
• Lisbon city guide
• Portugal country guide