Semester: Swedish annual leave and the July shutdown
| Day | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Industrisemestern (veckorna 28–31) | Monday, 6 July 2026 – Sunday, 2 August 2026 | Monday, 12 July 2027 – Sunday, 8 August 2027 |
- The date
- Not a date: annual leave, which most Swedes take in July. The traditional industrisemester is weeks 28 to 31.
- Day off?
- Not public holidays. Under the Annual Leave Act (semesterlagen) employees have the right to 25 days of leave a year, and unless agreed otherwise to four weeks in a row in June to August.
Semester means annual leave, not a university term. Swedish employees have the right to 25 days a year under semesterlagen, the Annual Leave Act, and unless they agree otherwise with their employer, four of those weeks should be together in June, July or August.
The result is that Sweden more or less closes in July. Many factories still shut for the industrisemester, traditionally weeks 28 to 31, offices answer with an out-of-office reply, and the standard answer to any question in late June is efter semestern: after the holiday.
How it works in practice
- Three to five weeks off in summer, at a summer cottage (sommarstuga), in a caravan, abroad, or at home (hemester).
- Summer temps (sommarvikarier) keep hospitals, shops and care homes running.
- Weeks are counted by number in Sweden: people say they are off vecka 28 till 31.
- Holiday pay: semesterlön during the leave, and semesterersättning for days not taken when a job ends.
Food and drink
| Swedish | English | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| grillat | barbecue food | Summer means the grill. |
| glass | ice cream | From the kiosk by the beach. |
| jordgubbar | strawberries | Bought by the roadside. |
Words for Semester
Nouns are given with en or ett where you would use them that way. Words in our dictionary are linked, with their forms and pronunciation.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| en semester | annual leave, holiday |
| vara på semester | to be on holiday |
| semesterlagen | the Annual Leave Act |
| en semesterdag | a day of leave |
| semesterlön | holiday pay |
| semesterersättning | pay for untaken leave |
| industrisemestern | the industrial July shutdown |
| en sommarstuga | a summer cottage |
| en stuga | a cottage, cabin |
| en husvagn | a caravan |
| en charterresa | a package holiday |
| hemester | staycation |
| en sommarvikarie | a summer temp |
| ett autosvar | an out-of-office reply |
| en vecka | a week |
| efter semestern | after the holiday |
| ledig | off work |
Phrases you will hear
- När har du semester?When are you on holiday?
- Jag är ledig vecka 28 till 31.I'm off weeks 28 to 31.
- Trevlig semester!Have a nice holiday!
- Vi tar det efter semestern.Let's deal with it after the holiday.
Learn more Swedish
See every holiday and the full list of red days in the Swedish holiday calendar, and pick up one new word a day with the Swedish word of the day. Dates and weekdays are easier with our guide to days and months in Swedish and the Swedish numbers tool.
Sources
- Lag (1989:253) om allmänna helgdagar, Riksdagen: which days are public holidays.
- Semesterlag (1977:480), Riksdagen
Dates are calculated from the rules above and were checked against the law and published calendars. Last checked 7 October 2026. Customs vary between regions and families; this page describes the common ones.