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The Genevan cantonal calendar
Unlike countries that stagger holidays by region, the canton of Geneva sets a single school calendar through its Departement de l'instruction publique, published on the official ge.ch site. Geneva's public schools and most of its international schools work to this framework, though international schools set their own precise term start and end dates and add their own in-service days. For the wider picture of schools and stages, see our international schools in Geneva directory, and for a calendar-focused overview our Geneva school holidays 2026 guide.
The 2026 holiday dates that shape the year
The dates below are the cantonal school-holiday dates for Geneva across the 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 academic years, as published by the canton. They apply to the public system and serve as the reference framework that international schools build around.
| Break (canton of Geneva) | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|
| First day of school | Monday 18 August 2025 |
| Autumn holiday | 20 to 24 October 2025 |
| Christmas holiday | 22 December 2025 to 2 January 2026 |
| February holiday | 23 to 27 February 2026 |
| Easter holiday | 6 to 17 April 2026 |
| Ascension | 14 to 15 May 2026 |
| Summer holiday | 29 June to 14 August 2026 |
| Break (canton of Geneva) | 2026 to 2027 |
|---|---|
| First day of school | Monday 17 August 2026 |
| Autumn holiday | 19 to 23 October 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | 24 December 2026 to 8 January 2027 |
| February holiday | 15 to 19 February 2027 |
| Easter holiday | 26 March to 9 April 2027 |
| Ascension | 6 to 7 May 2027 |
| Summer holiday | from 5 July 2027 |
These are the cantonal dates published on ge.ch. Individual schools add their own teacher-training days through the year, so a school's actual closures will be a little wider than the table above. Always confirm against the school's own calendar.
How international school terms map onto the dates
International schools in Geneva align their main breaks with the cantonal framework but do not all run an identical year. The IB schools, led by the International School of Geneva, and the bilingual schools such as Institut Florimont and Institut International de Lancy, typically run a year from mid or late August to late June or early July, with breaks around the cantonal dates. The International School of Geneva publishes its own academic calendar, and its term boundaries do not always match the cantonal dates to the day, which is a useful reminder that the public calendar is the framework, not the final word. British curriculum schools such as the British School of Geneva use a three-term structure with autumn and spring half-terms that fall in the autumn and February windows above. The practical upshot is that the cantonal table tells you when most Genevan families will be travelling, while the exact first and last day of your child's year, and any extra in-service days, come from the individual school.
Choosing a school in Geneva?
The school finder filters Geneva schools by curriculum, district and stage so you can match the calendar and the programme at once.
Use the school finderPlanning the 2026 year
Three practical points for families planning the Geneva school year. First, the cantonal summer holiday begins on Monday 29 June 2026 and the new year starts on Monday 17 August 2026, so book summer travel and any relocation around those dates, remembering that international schools may differ by a week either side. Second, the February holiday from 23 to 27 February 2026 coincides with the Swiss ski season and is a busy and expensive travel week, so plan early. Third, international school fees are usually billed by term or semester, with the larger invoice falling near the August restart; our guide to international school fees in Geneva covers the tiers and timing. Families with younger children can also see stage-specific timing in our Geneva primary schools guide, and those planning admissions should read our Geneva admissions deadlines 2026 page.
Geneva school holidays 2026: FAQ
Geneva follows the cantonal school calendar set by the Departement de l'instruction publique and published on ge.ch. In 2026 the canton's public schools break for February holidays from 23 to 27 February, Easter from 6 to 17 April, Ascension on 14 and 15 May, and the summer holiday from 29 June to 14 August. International schools build their own term dates around this framework, so confirm exact dates with your school.
In the Genevan cantonal calendar the 2025 to 2026 school year ends and the summer holiday runs from Monday 29 June to Friday 14 August 2026, with the new year starting on Monday 17 August 2026. International schools may finish a little earlier and start a little later than the cantonal dates, and some run to their own calendar entirely, so check the precise end and start of the year with your school.
Not always. The canton sets the public-school calendar, and most international schools align their main breaks with it, but each sets its own term start and end and its own in-service days. The International School of Geneva, for example, publishes its own academic calendar that does not match the cantonal dates to the day. Always check the school's own published calendar for the exact figures.
In the cantonal calendar the February holiday runs from Monday 23 to Friday 27 February 2026, and the Easter or spring holiday runs from Monday 6 to Friday 17 April 2026. Ascension follows on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 May 2026. These are the public-school dates; international schools take breaks in similar windows but confirm the exact days with the school.
The authoritative source is the canton of Geneva education department at ge.ch, which publishes the approved cantonal calendars for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027. For international schools, each publishes its own calendar on its website. Use the cantonal dates as the framework and confirm your child's exact term dates with the chosen school.