Winter break 2027 in Poland: dates by region and the Christmas break of 23–31 December

The short answer

In the 2026/2027 school year, the winter break, called ferie zimowe in Polish, is split into three two-week waves. The first voivodeships (województwa, Poland's 16 regions) start on 18 January 2027 and the last ones finish on 28 February. The Ministry of National Education (MEN) announced the dates in May 2025, after consulting the regional governors and the kuratoria (regional education authorities), and confirmed them in the school-year calendar published on 15 May 2026.

Before the winter break there is the winter Christmas break (zimowa przerwa świąteczna), from Wednesday 23 to Thursday 31 December 2026. It is the same for the whole country.

Winter break dates by voivodeship

Each wave runs from a Monday to the Sunday two weeks later. The last school day is the Friday before the wave, and pupils return on the Monday after it.

• 18–31 January 2027: Dolnośląskie (Lower Silesia), Łódzkie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Śląskie (Silesia). Lessons until 15 January, back on 1 February.
• 1–14 February 2027: Lubelskie, Mazowieckie (Masovia, including Warsaw), Pomorskie (Pomerania, including Gdańsk), Świętokrzyskie. Lessons until 29 January, back on 15 February.
• 15–28 February 2027: Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lubuskie, Małopolskie (Lesser Poland, including Kraków), Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland, including Poznań), Zachodniopomorskie. Lessons until 12 February, back on 1 March.

The Christmas break and early January

The Christmas break lasts from 23 to 31 December 2026, so the last school day of the calendar year is Tuesday 22 December. 1 January 2027 is a Friday and a public holiday, followed by the weekend, so pupils go back to school on Monday 4 January.

Two days later, on Wednesday 6 January, comes Epiphany (Trzech Króli), also a public holiday. Many schools add extra days without lessons around these dates. These are called dni dyrektorskie (head teacher's days). Each head teacher sets them for their own school after consulting the school council, or the teachers' council, the parents' council and the pupils' council. On these days the school must offer supervised care for children who need it. You will find the list in the electronic gradebook (dziennik elektroniczny) or on the school website.

Other breaks in 2026/2027

The MEN calendar also gives later dates worth saving now.

• Spring (Easter) break: 25–30 March 2027 (Easter Sunday is 28 March); school resumes on Wednesday 31 March.
• Last lessons for final-year pupils in licea (general secondary schools), technika (technical schools) and second-level vocational schools: 30 April 2027.
• End of the school year: Friday 25 June 2027; summer holidays from 26 June to 31 August 2027.
• The dates of the eighth-grade exam (egzamin ósmoklasisty) and the matura (school-leaving exam) are set by the director of CKE, the Central Examination Board; we cover them in separate guides.

Adult schools and the February semester

The winter break also applies to adults studying in licea dla dorosłych (general secondary schools for adults) and szkoły policealne (post-secondary vocational schools), but their calendar has extra dates. In adult licea where the year starts in February, the final semester ends on 8 January 2027. In some first- and second-level vocational schools, post-secondary schools and adult schools with a February intake, lessons end on 29 January 2027 and the new cycle starts on 1 February. If you study at such a school, check its timetable, because the semester can overlap with the winter-break wave of your region.

Planning the break: a November checklist

The hardest part for many families is childcare for younger children and leave from work. Some things are easier to sort out now than in January.

• Check your wave by the voivodeship where the school is, not where you live; this matters if your child commutes to another region.
• If your children go to schools in two voivodeships, check both waves — they may not overlap.
• Ask for leave early; many employers draw up the leave plan at the start of the year.
• Check the electronic gradebook for head teacher's days next to the Christmas break or before the winter break.
• Ask your gmina (municipality), local culture centre or school about day camps (półkolonie) and activities during the break; sign-ups often open in December.
• If you plan a trip to the mountains, remember that Małopolskie and the other third-wave regions are off in the second half of February — the busiest time on the slopes.