School holidays in Montenegro 2026/27: when the school year starts and ends, the month-long winter break and the exam dates

When are the school holidays in Montenegro in 2026/27? The school year runs from 1 September 2026 to 16 June 2027. Winter break lasts the whole of January 2027, from 1 to 31 January, and summer break runs from 17 June to 31 August 2027. Final-year pupils of primary and secondary school finish earlier, on 25 May 2027.

The dates come from the School Calendar for 2026/2027, adopted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and published in the Official Gazette of Montenegro 91/2026 on 29 June 2026. It applies to primary and secondary schools that teach the national curriculum, in a five-day week; international schools set their own calendars.

What are the key dates of 2026/27?

The winter break includes the New Year holidays on 1 and 2 January and Orthodox Christmas on 7 January.

How does 2026/27 differ from 2025/26?

The winter break is longer this year: 31 days instead of the 23 days of the 2025/26 break, which started before New Year and ended in mid-January. In exchange, the school year ends four days later in June.

When are the exams?

Because the exams are in April, final-year pupils finish teaching earlier than the rest, on 25 May.

What does this mean for families moving to Montenegro?

If you move during the year, a child can usually transfer, but the switch is easiest at the start of a semester, so on 1 September or on 1 February 2027. How enrolment works for foreign children, which documents a school asks for and which international schools there are is explained in our guide to schools in Montenegro for foreign children. For younger children, enrolment dates and fees are in our guide to kindergarten in Montenegro, and for older students our guide to studying in Montenegro.

Planning a move around the calendar matters on the coast, where the holiday season starts in June. The long January break is a quieter time for a family visit or for viewing flats. If your child needs help catching up in a subject or with the language, private lessons can be found through Glatko's tutoring and education services.

Frequently asked questions

When does school start in Montenegro in 2026? On Tuesday 1 September 2026.

When is the winter break in Montenegro in 2027? From Friday 1 January to Sunday 31 January 2027. Pupils return on Monday 1 February.

When does the school year end in 2027? On Wednesday 16 June 2027, and for final-year pupils of primary and secondary school on Tuesday 25 May 2027.

How long is the summer holiday? From Thursday 17 June to Tuesday 31 August 2027, about 11 weeks.

When was the winter break in 2025/26? From Saturday 27 December 2025 to Sunday 18 January 2026.

When is the matura exam in 2027? On 1, 6, 8 and 13 April 2027; the external assessment at the end of primary school is from 14 to 16 April.

Sources

The 2026/27 dates come from the School Calendar for 2026/2027 (Official Gazette of Montenegro 91/2026), whose text is available in the propisi.net legal database, and the 2025/26 dates from the School Calendar for 2025/2026 (Official Gazette of Montenegro 69/2025), both adopted under Article 62 of the General Law on Education. The ministry publishes its calendars on its school calendar page. The calendars were checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; schools can adjust their own timetables within these dates, so confirm details with your child's school.