Can I take my child on holiday abroad before school ends because the tickets are cheaper?
In short
No. School attendance is compulsory from age 5 to 18. A holiday outside the school holidays is an unauthorised absence. In Flanders, this can make you lose your school allowance. In serious cases, the file goes to the public prosecutor.
Video transcript
In mid-June, tickets are very cheap. There are two weeks of school left. Required: School attendance is compulsory from 5 to 18. A holiday outside school holidays is unjustified absence. The right way: Plan holidays around the school calendar. A cheap ticket is not an excuse. Outcome: Flanders, 30 half-days: Allowance reclaimed; School: CLB and school step in; Serious cases: Case goes to prosecutor.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- Compulsory education runs from age 5 to age 18. Enrolling your child in school and making sure they attend is the parents' responsibility.
- In Flanders, the school records every unauthorised half-day. From 5 half-days, it reports this to the CLB. The days do not have to be in a row.
- A cheap ticket or a family visit is not a valid reason. In Flanders, travelling outside the school holidays is explicitly not allowed. Plan your holiday dates around the school calendar.
- In Flanders, if your child has 30 or more unauthorised half-day absences in one school year, you must pay back that year's school allowance (schooltoeslag).
- In Wallonia and Brussels (French-speaking schools): at 9 half-days, the ministry sends a letter to the family. At 12 half-days at the latest, the head teacher invites you to a meeting. At 13 half-days, the school starts a support plan.
- If the problem continues, the police can write a report and the file goes to the public prosecutor. The prosecutor can invite you to a meeting, offer help or impose a sanction.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- French-speaking schools: the law sets 25–200 € per child; since 1 September 2026 this penalty counts as level 1 under the new Criminal Code and the amount is higher. In Flanders, the law sets the penalty for a first offence at 1–25 francs (not converted into euros); according to the circular of the Board of Prosecutors General (COL 02/2026), such offences are treated as repealed. For a repeat offence (up to 1 month in prison), the penalty may count as level 1.
Legal basis:Code de l'enseignement, art. 1.7.1-6Strafwetboek (W 29.2.2024) Boek I, art. 78 §1
- Court / prison
- The law mentions 1 day–1 month in prison for a repeat offence. But for acts after 1 September 2026 this counts as level 1, and level 1 has no prison. In practice a criminal conviction is very rare anyway.
Legal basis:Code de l'enseignement, art. 1.7.1-6Leerplichtwet 29.6.1983, art. 5 §1
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- In Flanders, the school brings in the CLB. In French-speaking schools, there is a meeting with the head teacher, a support plan and, if needed, youth support (SAJ).
Legal basis:Code de l'enseignement (décr. 16.5.2024), art. 1.7.1-38Code de l'enseignement (décr. 16.5.2024), art. 1.7.1-27 §2
- In Flanders, after 30 unauthorised half-days in one school year, you must pay back that year's school allowance. Since 2025, one single year is enough.
Legal basis:Groeipakketdecreet 27.4.2018, art. 30 §2
- Your child falls behind in the lessons they miss, and there is a risk they must repeat the year
- In French-speaking secondary schools (from the 2nd stage), a pupil with more than 30 half-days of absence may not be allowed to sit the end-of-year exams unless the class council allows it.
Legal basis:Code de l'enseignement (décr. 16.5.2024), art. 1.7.1-55 §1-§2
- The prosecutor can take the file to the youth court. The court can order measures for the parents.
Legal basis:vlaanderen.be – Leerplicht en spijbelen
Why does this rule exist?
Education is your child's right. Time missed at school cannot be made up. Compulsory education gives every child equal chances, whatever their family can afford.
Where can you go?
- Violence helplineFlanders 1712 (weekdays 09–18) · Wallonia and Brussels 0800 30 030 (partner violence), 103 (child abuse) · Emergency 112
- Child and family servicesFlanders: Kind en Gezin / Opgroeien · Wallonia and Brussels: ONE
- School guidance centreThe school's CLB / centre PMS
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 30 / 30 statements in an official source
- Checked: 02.11.2026
- Last checked
- 13.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 30 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Zorunlu eğitim 5–18 yaş
Vlaanderen.be – Leerplicht - Corrected according to the source
Flandre: 5 yarım günde CLB; Fransızca okullar: 9 yarım günde bakanlık mektubu, en geç 12'de müdür görüşmesi, sonra PMS
FWB, Décret 16-05-2024 (Code de l'enseignement art. 1.7.1-28, 1.7.1-29, 1.7.1-38; en vigueur 24-08-2026); Vlaanderen: https://www.vlaanderen.be/en/your-future-in-flanders/education - Found in an official source
Ucuz bilet / aile ziyareti geçerli mazeret değil
Vlaanderen.be – Afwezig op school in basis- en secundair onderwijs ('Mag je kind op reis buiten de schoolvakanties?') - Found in an official source
Ağır vakalarda savcılık ve aile yardımlarıyla ilgili sonuçlar
Vlaanderen.be – Controle van de leerplicht; Education (EN) - Corrected according to the source
Flandre'da CLB; Fransızca okullarda müdür görüşmesi ve centre PMS takibi
Code de l'enseignement (décr. 16.5.2024), art. 1.7.1-38 - Found in an official source
Flandre'da okul tatili dışında yolculuk yasaktır (luxeverzuim).
vlaanderen.be – Afwezig op school in basis- en secundair onderwijs - Found in an official source
Flandre'da 5 yarım gün sorunlu devamsızlıktan itibaren okul CLB'ye bildirir (ilkokul).
BVR 12.11.1997 controle op de inschrijvingen basisonderwijs, art. 10quinquies - Found in an official source
Ortaöğretimde de 5 yarım günden itibaren CLB'ye bildirim; 30 yarım günü aşınca AGODI'ye bildirim.
BVR 16.09.1997 controle op de inschrijvingen secundair onderwijs, art. 14quater - Found in an official source
Okul 5 B-kodunda CLB'ye bildirir.
vlaanderen.be – Controle op de leerplicht en registratie van afwezigheden - Found in an official source
9 yarım günde bakanlık servisleri ailelere mektup gönderir.
Décret 16.05.2024 (Code art. 1.7.1-28) - Found in an official source
En geç 12 yarım günde müdür öğrenciyi ve aileyi görüşmeye çağırır.
Décret 16.05.2024 (Code art. 1.7.1-29) - Found in an official source
13 yarım günde bireysel destek (axe 1) başlar.
Décret 16.05.2024 (Code art. 1.7.1-33) - Found in an official source
Flandre'da bir okul yılında 30 veya daha fazla mazeretsiz yarım günde o yılın okul ödeneği geri istenir.
vlaanderen.be – Controle op de leerplicht en registratie van afwezigheden - Found in an official source
Groeipakket kararnamesi: tek okul yılında 30 yarım gün = yeterince devam etmemiş sayılır (01.09.2025'ten beri; önce iki yıl gerekiyordu).
Groeipakketdecreet 27.4.2018, art. 30 §2 - Found in an official source
Tekrar eden devamsızlıkta polis tutanak tutar, dosya savcılığa gider; savcılık görüşme, yardım veya yaptırım yolunu seçer.
vlaanderen.be – Afwezig op school in basis- en secundair onderwijs - Found in an official source
Fransızca Topluluk: polis mahkemesi ebeveyne çocuk başına 25–200 euro para cezası verebilir.
Code de l'enseignement, art. 1.7.1-6 - Found in an official source
1 Eylül 2026'dan sonraki olaylarda özel kanundaki para cezası tutarı 10 ile çarpılır (250–2.000 euro).
Strafwetboek (W 29.2.2024) Boek I, art. 78 §1 - Found in an official source
Azami cezası 25 euronun üstündeki para cezası niveau 1 olarak okunur; suç kaldırılmaz.
Strafwetboek (W 29.2.2024) Boek I, art. 78 §1, 9° - Found in an official source
Flandre'da federal m. 5 hâlâ yürürlükte: çocuk başına 1–25 (frank olarak yazılı) para cezası.
Leerplichtwet 29.6.1983, art. 5 §1 - Found in an official source
Azami cezası 25 euro veya 7 gün olan suçlar kaldırılmış sayılır; Flandre için uygulanıp uygulanmadığı belirsiz. — COL 02/2026 ilkeyi doğruluyor (polis cezalı özel kanun suçları kaldırılmış sayılır); suçu adıyla saymıyor.
Omzendbrief COL 02/2026, punt 3.2.2.23 - Found in an official source
Fransızca Topluluk: tekrarında ceza iki katı veya 1 gün–1 ay hapis.
Code de l'enseignement, art. 1.7.1-6 - Found in an official source
Flandre'da federal m. 5: tekrarında 1 gün–1 ay hapis.
Leerplichtwet 29.6.1983, art. 5 §1 - Found in an official source
Uygulamada mahkeme cezası nadirdir.
RTBF – Obligation scolaire - Found in an official source
Fransızca okullarda müdür şüpheli devamsızlığı gençlik yardımı danışmanına bildirir.
Code de l'enseignement (décr. 16.5.2024), art. 1.7.1-27 §2 - Found in an official source
Fransızca ortaokulda 30 yarım günü aşan öğrenci, sınıf konseyi izni olmadan yıl sonu belgesine hak kazanamaz.
Code de l'enseignement (décr. 16.5.2024), art. 1.7.1-55 §1 - Found in an official source
Savcılık dosyayı gençlik mahkemesine götürebilir; mahkeme ebeveynlere tedbir uygulayabilir.
vlaanderen.be – Leerplicht en spijbelen - Found in an official source
2026 düzeltme kanunu m. 78'de sadece çarpanı 8'den 10'a çıkardı; ≤25 euro fıkrasına dokunmadı.
Strafwetboek (W 29.2.2024) Boek I, art. 78 + W 16.3.2026, art. 24 - Found in an official source
FWB: 2. dereceden itibaren 30 yarım günü aşan öğrenci, sınıf konseyi izin vermezse sınav/diploma hakkını kaybeder
Code de l'enseignement (décr. 16.5.2024), art. 1.7.1-55 §1-§2 - Found in an official source
Parket dosyayı jeugdrechter'e götürebilir; ebeveynlere ek tedbir alınabilir
vlaanderen.be – Leerplicht en spijbelen - Found in an official source
Düzeltme (Kasım 2026 doğrulaması): Flandre ilk ihlal cezası 1–25 €
Leerplichtwet art. 5 §1 (Vlaamse versie)
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?