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Year end school holidays in Singapore: a plan ahead checklist for 21 November to 31 December

The year end school holidays are the longest stretch of the year for many families in Singapore, and this year they overlap with the start of the Northeast Monsoon, a fare change and two long weekends. A little planning goes a long way. Here is a checklist you can work through, with the PantauSivik tools that help at each step.

The dates

For primary and secondary schools, Term 4 ends on Friday 20 November and the year end holidays run from Saturday 21 November to Thursday 31 December, according to MOE. Junior college and Millennia Institute students who finish Term 4 on Friday 27 November start a week later, on Saturday 28 November. Students sitting the A Levels start their holidays after their exams. The long weekends fall in the middle, from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 December and from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January, as listed by MOM. We cover them in our long weekends post.

Before the holidays start: 1 to 20 November

• Update the app. Open Google Play and make sure you have the latest PantauSivik.
• Choose your sectors. Pick up to 4 of the 47 NEA sectors for the places you live, work or visit often, so alerts name the right area. Our step by step guide to setting up alerts walks you through it.
• Decide how you will get around. Open the Trip Planner to compare routes and fares, and remember fares change on 26 December.

From 21 November: the first weeks

With schools out, expect busier trains, buses and attractions, especially in the daytime and at weekends. The Northeast Monsoon starts in December. NEA says its early phase, roughly December to early January, can bring widespread steady rain, sometimes heavy, with showers and storms that often build in the afternoon and early evening (see NEA’s climate page). That is worth planning around if you are heading to the beach, a park or an outdoor event.

• Check the Weather page before you leave, and again if you will be out for hours. See our Weather, PSI and UV guide.
• Keep Public Alerts on for heavy rain, lightning and train faults. Lightning alerts name your sector first, and we looked at four stormy days of lightning data to see how a storm can hit one part of Singapore and not another.
• Have a rainy day plan. Choose a covered or indoor option for each outing, and a time you will decide.

Christmas weekend: Friday 25 to Sunday 27 December

• Fares rise 7.0% on Saturday 26 December. That is the second day of the weekend, so trips that day already cost more. Check the Trip Planner for your fare. See our fare review post.
• Check road works and expressway travel times in the Traffic section a few days before, and again on the day. Works are added and finish all the time.
• Check carpark lots before you drive in. Popular malls and attractions fill up quickly on holiday weekends.

New Year: Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January

The school holidays end on Thursday 31 December, so the New Year weekend is also the last stretch before schools reopen. We did not find the 2027 term dates in MOE’s 2026 announcement, so check MOE’s calendar for the first day of the new term. Repeat your checks a few days before: route, road works, weather and alerts.

Heading across the Causeway or the Second Link?

If you are planning a trip to Malaysia, the Malaysia section shows transit, weather and fuel prices. Our Malaysia guide explains it. Remember that alerts follow your Home country, and the app offers to switch them for the trip.

A quick checklist to save

• Update the app and choose your sectors.
• Check your route and fare in the Trip Planner.
• Check the Weather page and keep rain and lightning alerts on.
• Check road works, travel times and carparks before you drive.
• Have a rainy day plan for every outing.
• Check again a few days before each long weekend.

Common questions

When do the year end school holidays start in 2026?

For primary and secondary schools, they run from Saturday 21 November to Thursday 31 December 2026, according to MOE. Junior college and Millennia Institute students who finish Term 4 on 27 November start on Saturday 28 November.

When do public transport fares go up?

Fares rise 7.0% on Saturday 26 December 2026. That is the Saturday of the Christmas weekend. Our fare review post has the details.

What is the Northeast Monsoon?

According to NEA, it runs from December to early March. The early phase, roughly December to early January, can bring widespread steady rain, sometimes heavy, and afternoon thunderstorms. The late phase is drier and windier.

Sources: MOE school terms and holidays for 2026; Ministry of Manpower public holidays; NEA climate of Singapore; our fare review post. Dates and conditions can change. Check official sources closer to the day.

See also: Rain in Singapore for visitors, Three long weekends coming up, Fare review 2026: Trip Planner estimates, How to set up alerts for home and work, Weather, PSI and UV guide, Trip Planner guide, Malaysia guide.