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When does the school year in Hungary start and end?

December 8, 2016 Family and Student Visa, Residence Permit

In Hungary, many people organize their life around school time and school breaks, which in turn affects everyone – even those who are not in school or don’t have children in school. Traffic and public transport timetables visibly change, while people with children will be more likely to take holidays during school breaks. Longest is the summer break, which includes July and August.

Primary and secondary schools

In Hungarian primary and secondary schools, the school year starts on the 1^st of September and ends around the 15^th of June. The two and a half months in between are the summer holidays when no regular teaching takes place, but many schools organize special summer courses or camps.

Universities

At universities, the exact start of the academic year can vary a little, but it is usually divided into two semesters. The Autumn/Fall semester starts in early on mid-September depending on the university, and classes run until early or mid-December. At the end of the semester, in December and January, the exam period takes place. Classes in the Spring semester start in early or mid-February and run until early or mid-May, with the exam period taking up May and June. University students also get roughly two months of summer holiday.

Short breaks

In addition to the long summer break, there are some shorter, usually week-long school holidays in Hungary. The fall break usually takes place around the 23^rd of October of the 1^st of November, both of which are bank holidays in Hungary. The spring break is scheduled to coincide with Easter (which does not have a fixed date, but usually falls at the end of March or the beginning of April) in most schools and universities.

Since the exact timing of the school breaks can vary depending on your school or university, always make sure to ask exactly when these are scheduled at your institution.

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