Fines, prison and airport checks: European penalties for taking your kids out of school for holidays

As the cost of living crisis bites, a controversial trend is emerging: parents taking their kids out of school to take advantage of low season rates.

“There’s definitely a trend of parents willing to face the wrath of schools to get the better deal,” says Liz Mathews, general manager at Flight Centre UK.

After surveying parents on the phenomenon, the travel agent found that 67 per cent were considering taking their children out of school to secure a cheaper holiday.

But what are the consequences?

In the UK, parents can be fined between £60 (€68) and £2,500 (£2,846) for taking their kids out of school. Yet 36 per cent of parents surveyed said they would consider

factoring this into their final holiday cost if it worked out cheaper overall.

Soaring costs are already stretching holidaymakers’ budgets. During school breaks, things get even harder. Consumer champion Which? reports that half-term flight prices are up 42 per cent on pre-pandemic levels.

In some cases, the reality is much more extreme. At the time of writing, return flights from London to Menorca cost as little as €50 in mid-October. A week later, when British schools are on half term breaks, the same flights cost €242.

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why some parents are risking holidaying during school time - particularly with the fuel crisis and inflation hitting their wallets.

Here are the penalties parents could face for taking their children out of school across different European countries.

In Austria, schooling is compulsory between ages six and 15.

If an unauthorised absence of more than three consecutive days is reported to the authorities by the school, parents could face fines of €110 to €400 or up to two weeks' imprisonment. More than three unexcused