What do parents in Switzerland risk if their children miss school during term time?

In a case that was widely reported in Swiss, and even French media in April 2025, a mother of four who took her children out of school one day before the start of summer vacation so they could fly to Canada, was slapped with a 2,000-franc fine.

However, judging this penalty to be unreasonable, the mother had filed an appeal against the school board in the small community of Maienfeld, Graubünden, where the family lives.

The court ruled in her favour, lowering the original fine to 400 francs – 100 francs per child.

But while the amount of the penalty involved in this case may have been exorbitant, the fact that a parent must pay a fine for taking children out of school for early (or extended) vacation is not that unusual in Switzerland.

Not unreasonably, Swiss schools believe that children should not be missing classes for non-imperative reasons – like illness, for instance – but also because such non-essential absences create a precedence that education authorities want to avoid.

Arbitrary fines

This story demonstrates the arbitrary application of "absence fines" in schools throughout Switzerland.

That is due to decentralised nature of Swiss schools, where individual cantons set their own penalties for missing classes – along with other rules and practices, such as term and holiday dates.

“In Switzerland, there are significant differences in how things are done. This lack of uniformity can cause irritation among parents and undermine the relationship of trust between school and home,” said Beat A. Schwendimann, a spokesperson for the Swiss Teachers' Association (LCH).

And even though “sovereignty in matters of education” is important, the LCH recommends "greater harmonisation of the practice of fines at the national level, with fines used not as a first measure, but as a last resort”.

When and how can you take your children out of school in Switzerland?

Again – rules are set by your local education board, so find out what is and isn't allowed.

But generally speaking, for non-justified absences like time off for a vacation, parents need to request a permission from the school, explaining why the child is being taken taken out of class during term.

In some cases, the school may be accommodating, while in others the request could be denied and a fine imposed for non-compliance.

‘Wildcard’ days

Some cantons allow one or two additional and freely selectable vacation days per year – the so-called wildcard days.

If that is the case in your canton, however, you should not just take the child out of school without a prior agreement with the board.

You still need to notify them and get their approval.

They can deny your request if, for instance, an exam is scheduled for the day/days you selected.

So there could be rules attached to wildcard days as well.

Please note, too, that these rules apply mostly to public schools; private ones are typically more flexible in this regard.