Whether you’re looking to book your holiday accommodation, calculate costs for your school holiday activities, or simply planning ahead, here is all the information about the official school holiday and term dates for New Zealand in 2026 and 2027.
Next School Holidays
Term 2 holidays: Saturday 4 July – Sunday 19 July 2026
(School returns Monday 20 July 2026)
2026 School Terms and Holidays
State and state-integrated schools follow these dates. Term 1 start dates can vary by up to two weeks between schools — always confirm with your school directly.
| Period | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Late Jan – 2 April 2026 | Starts between 26 Jan–9 Feb (school sets the date) |
| Term 1 Holidays | 3–19 April 2026 | Includes Easter (Good Friday 3 Apr, Easter Monday 6 Apr) |
| Term 2 | 20 April – 3 July 2026 | Public holidays: Anzac Day (observed 27 Apr), King’s Birthday (1 Jun) |
| Term 2 Holidays | 4–19 July 2026 | Mid-year winter break |
| Term 3 | 20 July – 25 September 2026 | Public holiday: Matariki (10 Jul — falls in the school holidays) |
| Term 3 Holidays | 26 September – 11 October 2026 | Spring break |
| Term 4 | 12 October – by 18 December 2026 | Public holiday: Labour Day (26 Oct) |
| Summer Holidays | From ~19 December 2026 | Approx 6 weeks; school returns late Jan/early Feb 2027 |
Matariki 2026 (10 July) falls during the Term 2 school holidays — a nice one for families, as it lands in the middle of the winter break.
2027 School Terms and Holidays
| Period | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Late Jan – 9 April 2027 | Starts between 28 Jan–3 Feb (school sets the date) |
| Term 1 Holidays | 10–26 April 2027 | Includes Anzac Day (observed 26 Apr) |
| Term 2 | 27 April – 2 July 2027 | Public holidays: King’s Birthday (7 Jun), Matariki (25 Jun) |
| Term 2 Holidays | 3–18 July 2027 | Mid-year winter break |
| Term 3 | 19 July – 24 September 2027 | |
| Term 3 Holidays | 25 September – 10 October 2027 | Spring break |
| Term 4 | 11 October – by 17 December 2027 | Public holiday: Labour Day (25 Oct) |
| Summer Holidays | From ~18 December 2027 | Approx 5–6 weeks |
Auckland vs the Rest of NZ
Most New Zealand schools observe common holiday dates, as the Ministry of Education fixes common terms 2 and 3 nationwide, while most schools coordinate terms 1 and 4 with those dates.
The exception with regard to Auckland schools is the celebration of Auckland Anniversary Day on 26 January 2026, falling within the Term 1 start period. While this is not officially considered an education holiday (rather than a regional public holiday), Auckland schools consider it when choosing the start of Term 1.
In all other cases, Auckland schools keep the same term breaks as the whole of New Zealand.
State Schools vs Private Schools
The terms two and three in the state or state-integrated schools must observe the term dates provided by the Ministry of Education. The start date for term one and end date for term four can vary between a fixed range.
Private schools (or composite schools) fix their own term dates independently. There is a variation of either very close to or far from the state schools depending on each individual case. It is best if you contact your private school directly rather than the Ministry of Education term dates.
FAQs
When will schools start in 2026?
The start of Term 1 falls somewhere between 26 January and 9 February in 2026, depending on your school.
How long are NZ school holidays?
Each term break lasts around two weeks, whereas the long summer holiday break after the end of Term 4 extends to about six weeks, usually falling from mid-December until late January or early February.
Are all the school holidays in NZ identical?
Yes, for Terms 2 and 3 which have been standardized, but not necessarily Term 1 and 4, since dates may differ from one school to another.
Are the teacher-only days part of the school holidays?
Not really because these are separate events that the schools may schedule anytime throughout the year for three times only at their own discretion.
And what about kura kaupapa Māori?
Kura kaupapa Māori have some flexibility in terms of their term dates especially with Matariki. Contact the relevant kura to confirm their term dates.
Are the term dates in 2027 subject to change based on whether I commence earlier?
There is a Ministry specified date range in which Term 1 may start between 28 January and 3 February 2027 for most schools. The dates for Term 2 holidays do not change irrespective of when you started; Term 2 holidays always commence on Saturday 3 July 2027.
Need to know about public holidays too? See our NZ Public Holidays 2026–2027 page for the full list including regional anniversary days and Mondayisation rules.