Living in Portugal
Portugal school calendar, 2026 to 2027
The Portuguese school year is built around three periods and two immovable holidays, and the international schools ignore roughly half of it.
Every year the education ministry publishes a despacho fixing the calendar for public and state-funded schools. It sets a window for the start of term rather than a single date, so individual schools differ by a few days, and the final published document is the only thing worth planning flights around. What follows is the structure, which does not change.
The three periods
- First period. Starts in the second half of September and runs to shortly before Christmas, typically the third week of December. It is the longest stretch without a substantial break.
- Second period. Restarts in the first week of January and ends just before the Easter break. It contains the Carnival interruption.
- Third period. Begins after Easter and ends in June, earlier for the older years who move into exams and later for the youngest.
The breaks that matter
Christmas runs roughly from the third week of December to the first days of January, around two weeks. Carnival gives a short break, usually the Monday and Tuesday of Carnival week and often the preceding Friday, which lands in February or March depending on where Easter falls. The Easter break is around two weeks and moves with Easter itself, which in 2027 is late, so expect the second period to run long. Summer starts in June and returns in September, giving Portuguese children close to three months.
Why the finishing dates differ by year group
Younger classes finish latest. Years with national exams finish earliest, because the exam calendar takes over June. Secondary students sit provas de aferição and exames nacionais in June and July, with a second phase in July for retakes and improvements, and university applications through the concurso nacional de acesso follow immediately in July and August. If you have a child in the final years, June and July are not holiday months.
International schools run their own calendar
| Feature | Portuguese public system | Typical international school |
|---|---|---|
| Year start | Second half of September | Late August or the first week of September |
| Structure | Three periods | Three terms, often with a half-term break in each |
| October and February | No half-term break | Usually a week off |
| Year end | June, varying by year group | Mid to late June, uniform |
| Exams | National exams in June and July | IGCSE, A level or IB sessions in May and June |
The practical consequence for families with children in both systems is that the half-term weeks do not align, and neither does the start of the year. Check both calendars before booking anything.
Public holidays that close schools anyway
National holidays fall on 5 October, 1 November, 1 and 8 December, 25 April, 1 May, 10 June, Corpus Christi, plus Good Friday. Add the municipal holiday, which is 13 June in Lisbon and 24 June in Porto and differs in every council. When one lands on a Tuesday or Thursday, many schools and most of the country take the bridging day too.
How to actually plan
Confirm your specific school's dates in writing at the start of the year, because the ministry sets windows and schools choose within them. Then book the Christmas and Easter travel early, since the whole country moves in the same week.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Portuguese school year 2026 2027 start and end?
The first period opens in the second half of September 2026 and the third period closes in June 2027, with exact dates set by ministerial despacho and chosen by each school inside that window. Exam years finish earliest, the youngest classes latest.
What holidays are in the Portuguese school calendar?
Around two weeks at Christmas from late December into early January, a short Carnival break of two or three days in February or March, roughly two weeks at Easter that move with the date of Easter, and a summer break of close to three months from June to September.
Do international schools in Portugal follow the same calendar?
No. They usually start in late August or early September, run three terms with a half-term week in October and February that the public system does not have, and finish in mid to late June. Families with children in both systems should expect the breaks not to line up.
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