Having recently arrived in Spain, many of my friends have been asking about university holidays. It’s true that holiday schedules here aren’t standardized like they might be back home; the Spanish university start dates can vary, and each autonomous community, and even each university, has its own timetable. I’ve done some research and put together this general guide to help everyone who’s planning trips or a visit home!
Main University Holidays in Spain
Generally, the Spanish academic year has three major holiday breaks: Christmas, Holy Week, and summer. These are a guaranteed part of the calendar for all universities, impacting everything from your travel plans to the official Spanish university graduation dates.
Christmas Holiday: This break typically starts around December 22nd or 23rd and lasts until after January 6th (Three Kings’ Day). This gives you a solid break of over two weeks to visit friends, family, and soak in Spain’s vibrant festive atmosphere.
Holy Week (Semana Santa) Break: The timing for this holiday changes each year as it’s based on the date of Easter. It usually falls in late March or April and lasts for about a week. Holy Week is a major cultural and religious event in Spain, famous for its grand processions. For anyone planning their academic journey, be sure to also keep track of important deadlines like the Spanish university admission dates.
Summer Break This is the big one
! Summer is the longest holiday of the year, but its start date depends on your exam schedule. Typically, second-semester classes end in late May, followed by the exam period. Most students finish all their exams by late June or early July, and then the break begins! The holiday lasts until the new term starts in mid-to-late September, giving you a fantastic two and a half to three months off.
How to Find Your University’s Academic Calendar?
As mentioned, calendars differ between universities. In addition to national public holidays, autonomous communities and cities have their own local festivals which are also days off (e.g., San Isidro in Madrid, La Mercè in Barcelona)
. Therefore, the most reliable method is to check your university’s official website.
On the homepage or in sections like “Estudiantes” (Students) or “Secretaría” (Registrar’s Office), you should find a PDF document named “Calendario Académico” or “Calendario Escolar”. This file details all key dates for the academic year: start dates, exams, holidays, resit exams, and more. We highly recommend you download and save it!
Reference for Academic Year Start and End Dates by Region
To give you a clearer idea, here’s a simple table with the approximate start and end dates for universities in major autonomous communities:
| Autonomous Community | Approx. 2024-2025 Start Date | Approx. 2024-2025 End Date |
|---|
| Community of Madrid | First or second week of September | Late May to early June |
| Catalonia | Around September 12th | Early June |
| Andalusia | Mid-September | Late May |
| Valencian Community | Second week of September | Late May to early June |
The holidays at Spanish universities are pretty generous! We hope this summary is helpful. Feel free to share your school’s calendar and interesting local holidays in the comments below to help other students!
