Can You Travel During the German School Term?"

Travel during a School Term

The school rules in Germany are very strict and every student is obliged to attend classes and other school events. You therefore cannot take your child out of school before the term ends. They must attend school for the whole term, with only certain exemptions like ill-health, participation in sports competitions, or an important personal reason like the marriage of siblings, death in the family or serious illness in the family, see the next section on Beurlaubung.

Beurlaubung

In some cases, you can apply for special leave (Beurlaubung) to travel, such as returning to your home country for a significant event. While compulsory schooling applies across Germany, the rules for leave of absence vary by Federal State (Bundesland). Be sure to check the specific regulations in your region.

Example of an Important personal reason in Baden-Württemberg

“An important personal reason is, in particular, the marriage of siblings, wedding anniversaries of the legal guardians, death in the family, change of residence, serious illness of family members belonging to the household, provided that the doctor certifies that the presence of the student is necessary to temporarily secure care.”

Additionally, significant family celebrations, such as a grandparent’s 80th birthday (Familienfest), may also qualify as valid reasons for leave.

Ensure your child can catch up on any missed schoolwork. Coordinate with teachers or classmates to receive assignments in advance.

Important!

If you take your child out of school without written permission from the school you can get a hefty fine. In Stuttgart, it can be €150 per day.
You have to submit a written application to the school, stating the dates and the reasons.
Applications must be submitted in a timely manner. Submit it a couple of months before your planned travel date, if possible.
Applications can only be submitted by the child’s legal guardians
Some Federal states specify a maximum period of time, others leave it open.
What is seen as valid reasons are decided by the Federal states
The final decision lies with the school, and there is no entitlement.

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