Cyprus School Holidays 2026–27: Christmas, Easter and Summer Dates

Cyprus public schools break up for Christmas on 24 December 2026 and go back on 7 January 2027, and close for Easter from 26 April to 9 May 2027, around Orthodox Easter on 2 May. Those are the dates the Ministry of Education published for public secondary schools on 18 August 2026. Private and international schools set their own calendars, with half-terms that public schools do not have.

Here are all the 2026–27 dates published by October 2026, for public schools and for a selection of private and British schools, so you can plan trips, childcare and visits home. Always check your own school's calendar too.

Public school holidays 2026–27

The Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth's circular on planning the 2026–27 school year lists these holidays for public gymnasiums, lyceums and technical schools:

In 2027, 30 January and 1 May both fall on a Saturday, so they do not add a day off, and the Easter break already covers Easter Monday. There is no half-term in Cyprus public schools.

Term dates for public secondary schools

• First day: pupils started on Monday 7 September 2026.
• First term ends: Friday 15 January 2027; second term starts Monday 18 January.
• Lyceums and technical schools: lessons end on Monday 10 May 2027, with exams from 11 to 24 May.
• Gymnasiums: lessons end on Friday 21 May 2027, with exams from 24 May to 2 June.
• Resits: 23 to 25 June 2027.

Lyceum pupils are effectively free from mid-May apart from exams, which is worth knowing if you plan a family trip.

Public primary schools and nurseries

Primary and nursery pupils started on Monday 14 September 2026, a week after secondary schools. There is no separate 2026–27 holiday circular for primary schools, but the Ministry's standing rules for primary education set the pattern:

• Christmas: 23 December to 6 January, so pupils go back on Thursday 7 January 2027.
• Easter: from Holy Monday to the Friday after Easter week. With Orthodox Easter on 2 May 2027, that works out as Monday 26 April to Friday 7 May 2027.
• Fixed holidays: 1 October, 28 October, 30 January, 25 March, 1 April, 1 May and 11 June, plus Green Monday, Ascension and Holy Spirit Monday.
• Local saint's day: each school also closes for the feast of its local community or parish saint, so ask your school which day that is.
• Summer: pupils' holidays start on the Thursday before the penultimate Friday of June. Under that rule, the last day for primary pupils would be Wednesday 16 June 2027. The Ministry has not published this as a separate date, so confirm with your school.

Ascension in 2027 falls on Thursday 10 June. It is on the primary list, but not on the secondary circular.

For enrolment and how public schools work, see our guide to enrolling your child in a public school.

Private and international schools

Private schools follow their own calendars, usually closer to the British pattern, with half-terms in late October or early November and in February, and a break for Western Easter as well as Orthodox Easter. These are the 2026–27 dates published on four schools' own websites:

Dates given as a range are the days the school is closed. St John's, which serves British Forces families, follows the UK school year, with a late-May half-term (1–4 June 2027) and a summer term running into July.

The English School in Nicosia has also published a 2026–27 calendar. For other schools, check the parents' area of the school website or ask the office. Our international schools guide links to each school.

Key 2027 dates for family planning

These public holiday dates come from the EU's 2027 list of member state holidays published in July 2026. Find out how Cyprus celebrates in our guides to Easter in Cyprus and Kataklysmos.

Planning tips for the holidays

• Mixed-school families: if one child is in a public school and another in a private school, half-terms will not line up. Christmas and Orthodox Easter overlap best.
• Book flights early for Christmas and Easter. Both breaks are short and fall at peak travel times. Our guide to half-term trips with direct flights has ideas.
• Childcare: working parents with public school children need cover for the two-week breaks and for the long summer from mid-June. See after-school activities and clubs and things to do with kids.
• Christmas plans: see our guide to Christmas markets in Cyprus for festive outings during the break.

What to do next

1. Add your school's holidays to your calendar now, including the local saint's day if your child is at a public primary school.
2. Check that private school dates are final, not provisional.
3. Book Christmas and Easter travel early, and arrange holiday childcare.

For working hours and public holidays across the year, see time, working hours and national holidays in Cyprus.