Santiago school holidays 2026

Chile public holidays 2026

Schools close on Chile's national public holidays, several of which cluster around Fiestas Patrias in September. Five of the year's holidays are legally irrenunciable, meaning most shops and businesses must also close. The headline 2026 dates are below.

Fiestas Patrias on 18 and 19 September is the high point of the Chilean year. Many schools add extra free days around it so the week becomes a de facto holiday, and families travel heavily, so flights and coastal accommodation sell out well in advance.

Santiago term dates 2026 and 2027

Chile structures the year into two semesters with a winter break between them, rather than three terms. The Ministry of Education sets the calendar by region; the dates below are for the Region Metropolitana, which includes Santiago. The 2027 dates follow once Mineduc publishes the next resolution and are shown here as indicative.

The exact end-of-year date depends on each school's daily timetable, with full-day schools generally finishing earlier in December than half-day ones. The winter break dates are fixed for the region, so they apply to public and most subsidised schools across Santiago. Confirm the precise December finish with your school before booking summer travel.

International school term dates

This is where Santiago needs care. Because Chile sits in the southern hemisphere, the dominant calendar is the local one, running from late February or early March to mid December. Most international schools in Santiago, including the long-established British, German and French institutions, follow that southern-hemisphere rhythm so their pupils sit alongside the national exam and university-entry cycle.

• Schools on the Chilean calendar take the long break over the southern summer in December to February, with a shorter winter break in June or July.
• A minority of schools that serve highly mobile diplomatic and corporate families run a northern-hemisphere year from August to June, which keeps transfers in step with Europe and North America.
• IB Diploma timing differs by calendar: southern-hemisphere schools usually sit the November exam session, northern-hemisphere ones the May session.

The upshot is that you cannot assume a Santiago school breaks up in July just because schools in the northern hemisphere do. Check the calendar and the curriculum together, because the two are linked, and never book non-refundable travel before the school confirms its dates.

Planning the year

Three practical notes for parents in Santiago. First, the southern summer break is the natural window for long-haul trips back to the northern hemisphere, but it overlaps with peak-season prices in Europe, so book early. Second, the winter break in late June and early July coincides with the Chilean ski season in the Andes resorts close to the city, which makes it ideal for a short domestic trip but pushes up local prices. Third, the Fiestas Patrias week in September is effectively a second holiday for many schools, so treat it as a planning point rather than a normal week. If you are still comparing options, the late spring and early summer of the northern hemisphere is when many expat families arrive, so start with our Santiago city guide for the full provider and admissions picture.

Common questions

When do schools break up in Santiago in 2026? The winter break across the Region Metropolitana runs from Monday 22 June to Friday 3 July 2026. The longer summer break begins in mid December.

How long is the summer holiday in Santiago? Because it is a southern-hemisphere summer, the break falls over December, January and February and runs roughly ten to eleven weeks, from mid December to early March.

When does the 2026 school year start in Santiago? Teachers returned on Monday 2 March and students started on Wednesday 4 March 2026. The year ends in mid December 2026.

Do international schools in Santiago follow the Chilean calendar? Most do, running March to December. A minority follow a northern-hemisphere August to June year. Always confirm with the specific school.

When are the winter holidays in Santiago in 2026? From Monday 22 June to Friday 3 July 2026, with classes resuming on Monday 6 July.

Related guides

• Santiago city guide
• Curriculum guides
• School finder quiz