Dutch school holidays & doorstroomtoets 2026: expat parent guide
School holiday regions, 2026 dates, the group-8 transition test and how VMBO/HAVO/VWO placement works
What this guide covers: Dutch school holidays are nationally regulated but regionally staggered across three zones (North, Central, South). The old Cito Eindtoets has been replaced by the doorstroomtoets (since 2023-2024), and multiple providers now offer approved tests. This guide explains the full holiday calendar, the group-8 test timeline, and how secondary-school placement works, so expat parents know exactly what to expect.
For childcare costs during school holidays see our childcare costs guide. For public holidays that affect school schedules see Dutch public holidays. For the full picture of raising children in the Netherlands see our family guide.
Table of contents
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Plan school holiday travel on NS trains
NS trains run to virtually every Dutch city and are busier during school holiday weeks. Book tickets in advance for summer and spring breaks, especially if travelling as a family. The NS Dagkaart is ideal for day trips with children.
- Children under 4 travel free on NS
- NS Dagkaart: unlimited travel per day
- Off-peak discounts outside rush hours
- Day trips to Keukenhof, Efteling, Madurodam
- Group tickets for school holiday outings
- Ticket on phone - no printing needed
Affiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
Part 1: How Dutch school holidays are organised
Dutch school holidays are set by the national government, which publishes recommended dates each year for both primary and secondary schools. To avoid everyone travelling at the same time, the country is divided into three regions: North, Central and South. For certain holidays, especially the summer break, each region has different weeks off.
North region
- Groningen
- Friesland
- Drenthe
- Overijssel
- Flevoland
- Gelderland
- Utrecht (shared)
Central region
- North Holland (Amsterdam)
- South Holland (Rotterdam, The Hague)
- Zeeland
- Utrecht (shared)
South region
- North Brabant (Eindhoven)
- Limburg
Which region is your city in?
Amsterdam and Rotterdam are in the Central region. Groningen is in the North. Eindhoven and Maastricht are in the South. Utrecht appears in both North and Central depending on the holiday. Always check your school's own calendar as final confirmation.
Main holiday periods
| Holiday | Dutch name | Regional? | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas holiday | Kerstvakantie | All regions same | 2 weeks |
| Spring break | Voorjaarsvakantie | Staggered | 1 week |
| May holiday | Meivakantie | All regions (small variation) | 1-2 weeks |
| Summer holiday | Zomervakantie | Staggered (key) | 6 weeks |
| Autumn break | Herfstvakantie | Staggered | 1 week |
The government's recommended dates are mandatory for public schools and strongly followed by most private and religious schools. Some schools add extra days for study days (studiedagen) or local events.
Part 2: 2025-2026 holiday dates by region
| Holiday | North | Central | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas 2025-2026 | 20 Dec 2025 - 4 Jan 2026 (all regions) | ||
| Spring break 2026 | 21 Feb - 1 Mar | 14 - 22 Feb | 14 - 22 Feb |
| May holiday 2026 | 25 Apr - 3 May 2026 (all regions) | ||
| Summer 2026 | 4 Jul - 16 Aug | 18 Jul - 30 Aug | 11 Jul - 23 Aug |
Autumn break 2025
The autumn break (herfstvakantie) for the 2025 portion of the school year varies by region and is typically in mid-October for one week. Always confirm the exact dates via your school's own year planner, as schools may add adjacent study days.
Part 3: What this means for expat families
Planning childcare and travel
Because dates differ by region, siblings at different schools in the same city usually still have holidays together. But friends or cousins in another region may not be free at the same time. Booking summer flights requires watching your region's dates carefully as peak prices align closely with school-holiday weeks.
For working parents, holiday blocks drive childcare needs. Many BSO (after-school care) providers offer full-day holiday programmes during breaks. See our childcare costs guide for subsidy rates and BSO costs.
Study days and bridge days
Schools regularly schedule study days (studiedagen) when pupils stay home but teachers have professional development. They also add bridge days (brugdagen) around national public holidays to create long weekends, for example around Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag) or Whit Monday (Tweede Pinksterdag).
Study days do not appear on official holiday lists
These are school-specific and communicated via the school's own yearly planner (jaarrooster), which is typically sent home at the start of each school year. Always save this document. See our Dutch public holidays guide for the full list of national days off.
Part 4: Doorstroomtoets vs old Cito Eindtoets
Many expat parents have heard of the Cito Eindtoets, the standardised test taken by group-8 pupils at the end of primary school. Since school year 2023-2024, the official term is doorstroomtoets ("transition test"), and there are now multiple approved providers rather than just Cito.
Why the name change?
The renaming reflects a policy shift: the test is now mandatory for all pupils (not just a recommendation), multiple providers are approved by the Ministry, and the test is explicitly positioned as an objective second data point alongside the teacher's advice, rather than as the primary decider.
Approved test providers
Leerling in beeld (Cito)
Paper or digital. Tests reading comprehension, language (spelling, grammar, vocabulary) and arithmetic. Most widely used and what most parents call "the Cito-toets".
IEP doorstroomtoets
Digital or paper. Tests Dutch language and arithmetic. One of the most widely used alternatives to Cito in primary schools.
Route 8
Digital adaptive test. Adjusts difficulty to the pupil. Tests language, mathematics and optional social-emotional functioning components.
DOE, DIA and others
Further ministry-approved digital tests, each focusing on the same core skills. Each school chooses one provider for all its group-8 pupils. The school's participation council (medezeggenschapsraad) has a formal say in the choice.
What it tests
- • Reading comprehension (begrijpend lezen)
- • Language: spelling, grammar, vocabulary
- • Arithmetic (rekenen)
- • Mostly multiple-choice, some open questions
What it does NOT test
- • World orientation (aardrijkskunde, geschiedenis)
- • Arts, sport or practical skills
- • Social-emotional development (separately assessed)
- • English or other foreign languages
Part 5: Group-8 advice and test timeline
The Ministry and school inspectorate describe a standard sequence from January of group 8 through to secondary-school registration. Understanding this timeline helps expat parents know when to engage with the school and what to expect.
January (group 8): Preliminary school advice
The school gives parents a voorlopig schooladvies (preliminary recommendation) for the secondary-school level their child is suited for. This can be a single level (havo) or a double advice (vmbo-gt/havo). This is a formal meeting, not informal conversation.
Late January - mid-February: Doorstroomtoets
All group-8 pupils take the doorstroomtoets. For 2025-2026, the window runs from 26 January to 15 February 2026. Paper-based test versions are offered on set days (e.g. 3-4 February 2026). Digital adaptive tests can be taken on any day in the window. Pupils cannot fail the test.
Mid-March: Test results and possible adjustment
Results arrive by mid-March and provide an objective second data point alongside the school's preliminary advice.
Key rule on adjustments:
- • If the test result is higher than the preliminary advice, the school must consider raising the advice and in most cases does so.
- • If the test result is lower, the school does not have to lower its advice.
Before 1 April: Definitive school advice
The school issues the definitive advice (definitief schooladvies), potentially adjusted upward in light of the test result. This advice is used for secondary-school registration.
March - April: Secondary-school registration
Parents use the definitive advice to apply for secondary schools. The advice determines which tracks or programmes (vmbo, havo, vwo) a child is eligible for. Most secondary schools have open days in November and January to help families choose.
VMBO, HAVO and VWO explained
VMBO (4 years)
Ages: 12-16
Focus: Vocational preparation
Leads to MBO (vocational college). Has four tracks from theoretical (vmbo-t / vmbo-gt) to more practical (vmbo-b, vmbo-k).
HAVO (5 years)
Ages: 12-17
Focus: Applied sciences
Leads to HBO (university of applied sciences). A strong middle track for practically oriented academic students.
VWO (6 years)
Ages: 12-18
Focus: University preparation
Leads to WO (research university). Includes gymnasium (with Latin/Greek) and atheneum tracks.
Double advice (e.g. vmbo-gt/havo or havo/vwo) is increasingly common. It allows children to start in a broad bridge class and settle into a level based on actual performance over the first one or two years. This is often the most sensible approach for expat children still developing Dutch-language fluency.
Part 6: What the test day looks like
The doorstroomtoets is not an exam in the traditional sense. Pupils cannot fail it. Its outcome influences the secondary-school advice but does not determine it alone. Schools prepare pupils carefully throughout group 8.
Cito (Leerling in beeld)
- Two blocks of approximately two hours each, usually on two consecutive mornings
- Tests: reading comprehension, language (spelling, grammar, vocabulary), arithmetic
- Mix of multiple-choice and open questions
- Available on paper or digital
Adaptive tests (Route 8, DIA)
- Difficulty adjusts to each pupil's level in real time
- Total duration approximately 2-3 hours
- Taken on any day in the January-February window
- Same core content: language and arithmetic
Practical tips for expat parents
- • Make sure your child has a good night's sleep before test days
- • The school will communicate exact dates well in advance via its year planner
- • Ask the teacher beforehand which provider your school uses
- • Do not schedule appointments or travel during the test window (late January to mid-February)
- • Results are communicated to parents by mid-March in a formal meeting
Dutch tutoring for your child
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Part 7: Expat children and late arrivals
Joining Dutch school in group 7 or 8
Children who arrive in the Netherlands in group 7 or 8 may still be required to take the doorstroomtoets in group 8. However, exemptions exist for pupils who have been in the Netherlands less than four years and do not yet sufficiently master Dutch.
For recent arrivals, schools typically combine test results, classroom work, teacher judgement and language trajectory to form a realistic school advice. The school's internal language assessment data (often tracked via Cito LOVS or similar monitoring systems throughout the school year) carries significant weight.
What helps your child
- • Strong Dutch language progression (NT2 programme if available)
- • One-to-one Dutch tutoring in the year before group 8
- • Active communication with the teacher throughout the year
- • Requesting a double advice where appropriate
- • Bridging class (brugklas) at secondary school provides flexibility
Questions to ask the school
- • Which doorstroomtoets provider does your school use?
- • Is my child eligible for an exemption or extra support?
- • What are the internal tracking scores (LOVS) showing?
- • Can we request a combined/double advice?
- • Which secondary schools run broad bridge classes (brede brugklas)?
International schools vs Dutch schools
Families considering whether to enrol children in the Dutch system or an international school face a fundamental trade-off. Dutch schools offer full integration and access to the local secondary-school system. International schools (IB curriculum) avoid the Dutch language barrier but carry higher costs (€10,000-€25,000/year) and may make re-integration into the local system harder later.
For the full comparison including costs, admission processes and city-by-city availability, see our complete family guide for Netherlands expats.
School holiday activities for expat families
Make the most of Dutch school holiday blocks. GetYourGuide has family-friendly activities across the Netherlands: windmill tours, tulip farms, cheese markets, canal cruises and more. Book in advance during holiday periods as popular activities sell out.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the doorstroomtoets and how is it different from the old Cito Eindtoets?
Since 2023-2024, the official term for the group-8 standardised test is doorstroomtoets. There are now multiple approved providers (Cito, IEP, Route 8, DIA and others) rather than one. Cito still offers a version called Leerling in beeld-doorstroomtoets, which is why many parents and teachers still call it the Cito-toets informally. All providers test reading, language and arithmetic.
Can the doorstroomtoets lower my child's school advice?
No. If the test result is lower than the preliminary school advice, the school does not have to lower the advice. If the result is higher, the school is expected to raise the advice unless it can clearly explain why that would not be in the child's best interest.
What are the Dutch school holiday regions and which region is my city in?
The Netherlands is divided into three school holiday regions: North, Central and South. Amsterdam, Groningen and Friesland are in the North region. Utrecht, South Holland (Rotterdam, The Hague) and Gelderland are in the Central region. North Brabant (Eindhoven) and Limburg are in the South region. Summer and spring holidays are staggered between regions to spread traffic.
When is the doorstroomtoets taken in the 2025-2026 school year?
The doorstroomtoets is taken between late January and mid-February. For 2025-2026, the test window runs from 26 January to 15 February 2026, with paper-based tests on set days such as 3-4 February 2026. Results are published by mid-March, after which schools issue definitive school advice.
What is a double school advice (dubbel advies) in the Netherlands?
A double or combined advice (e.g. vmbo-gt/havo or havo/vwo) allows a child to start in a broad bridge class and move up or down after one or two years based on actual performance. This is increasingly common in the Dutch system, giving children flexibility rather than locking them into a single track at age 12.
My child just arrived in the Netherlands in group 7 or 8. Do they have to take the doorstroomtoets?
Exemptions exist for pupils who have been in the Netherlands less than four years and do not yet sufficiently master Dutch. For recent arrivals, schools usually combine test results, classroom work, teacher judgement and language trajectory to form a realistic school advice rather than relying solely on the test.
Are Dutch public school holidays the same as the school holidays calendar?
National public holidays (Christmas, Easter, King's Day, etc.) are different from school vacation periods. Schools also observe national public holidays, but the school vacation blocks (summer, spring, autumn, Christmas) are the main planning periods for childcare. Schools may additionally schedule study days around public holidays, creating extra days off not shown on official holiday lists.