Academic calendar 2025-26

If you are a university student in Catalonia or you are taking higher education courses such as bachelor’s, master’s, postgraduate or doctoral degrees, in this blog we explain all the dates you need to know and take into account during the 2025-26 academic calendar.

In Catalonia, the academic calendar starts during the month of September, while higher studies such as master’s, postgraduate or doctoral degrees begin during the month of October. 

As a general rule, higher education studies are divided into two semesters: the first, from September to January, and the second, from February to June-July. 

During the 2025-26 academic calendar there are various holidays such as Christmas, Easter and the summer holidays.

The start of the academic year will depend on the degree or faculty. However, most universities in Catalonia open their doors between 1 and 25 September. 

• University of Barcelona: 15th September
• Autonomous University of Barcelona: 9th September
• Pompeu Fabra University: 25th September
• Polytechnic University of Catalonia: 1st September
• Ramon Llull University: 15th September
• University of Girona: 15th September
• University of Manresa: 1st September

The beginning of the academic year and the return to routine are fundamental elements for organising our agenda and our calendar. For this reason, at Unihabit we give you a summary of the most important holidays during the 2025-26 academic year.

Regarding holidays and long weekends, there are several dates that you as a student will have to take into account for this academic year 2025-26, regardless of your university.

• 1 September: Manresa local holiday
• 11 September: the first festival of the academic year, the Diada de Catalunya.
• 24 September: local public holiday in the city of Barcelona, La Mercè.
• 12 October: bank holidays, Hispanidad Day.
• 24 October – 2 November: Sant Narcís festival in Girona
• 1 November: All Saints’ Day
• 6 – 8 December: the 6th is the day of the Spanish Constitution and the 8th is the Immaculate Conception. 
• 25 and 26 December: Christmas and Saint Stephen’s Day
• 1 January: New Year’s Day
• 6 January: Epiphany.
• 21 February: local holiday, ‘La Llum’ in Manresa.
• 3 March: local festival, ‘Sant Medir’ in Sant Cugat del Vallès.
• 29 March – 5 April: Easter Week (Monday 5th day of Easter)
• 23 April: Saint George’s Day (Book Day), a school day
• 1 May: Workers’ Day
• 24 May: Second Easter in the city of Barcelona, ‘Pascua Granada’
• 24 June: Saint John’s Day.

As for other holidays, such as local or university holidays, they depend on each centre, and it is the centre that will inform the students of the corresponding dates.

During the 2025-26 academic calendar, you will find the Christmas holidays which divide the first from the second semester. The Easter holidays, which take place in the middle of the second semester. And once the academic year is over, the summer holidays lead to the start of the next academic year. In the case of Pompeu Fabra University, which divides the academic year into terms, the Easter holidays divide the second from the third term.

In the 2025-26 academic calendar, the Christmas holidays begin on 19 December and end on 8 January, bringing the first semester of the academic year to an end. Discover the different things to do in Barcelona at Christmas! From Thursday 8 January, the second semester of the course officially begins. In the middle of the second semester (or end of term in the case of Pompeu Fabra University) we have the Easter holidays, which begin on 29 March and end on 6 April. At the end of the academic year, then, we find ourselves with the summer holidays, a period in which one academic year ends and we start preparing for the next one.

Examination, assessment and make-up dates depend on each university, as there are no pre-established dates. Generally, first semester exams are held either before or after the Christmas holidays. In this case, the second semester will begin once the evaluations have been completed. Assessments and make-up examinations are usually held in mid and late January. Regarding the second semester evaluation, the exams are usually at the end of May while the evaluation is at the beginning/middle of June, thus concluding the course.

In the case of Pompeu Fabra University, the course is divided into terms, so there are 3 evaluations during the course: December, March and June.

During the month of March, the Saló de l’Ensenyament takes place in Barcelona, an event aimed at all students who have doubts or want to find out about their future with regard to their studies. At the Saló de l’Ensenyament you will find different stands belonging to schools, universities, etc. where you can find out about the higher education courses currently available in your field of study and also which courses you can choose to specialise in what you want. The Saló de l’Ensenyament will also help you to make countless interesting contacts in your sector. This event is a unique opportunity for any student who is finishing their studies and wants to continue to broaden their knowledge or specialise in an area.

Another date to keep in mind if you are doing a university academic year and you want to go to another school, change university degree or go to another university to do your master’s or postgraduate degree, is the open day. Generally, open days are held in March, April and May. During these months you can schedule a day for a personalised, guided visit to the centre, where a member of staff will give you information about the course you want to do or information about the university or centre in question.

In the following links you will find the necessary information about the academic calendar 2025-26 of each university. As a student, you have to take into account that each centre and each university celebrates its local public holidays in the city where it is located, and also if the university itself celebrates a public holiday or other long weekend different from the general calendar of the academic year. On the other hand, you will also find in the calendars the key dates for exams, evaluations, non-teaching days, etc.

• Autonomous University of Barcelona
• University of Barcelona
• Pompeu Fabra University
• Ramon Llull University
• University of Girona
• Polytechnic University of Catalonia