How long you can take off work changes which schools and plans fit. We set out the week options and start-day rules that schools state on their official pages, grouped into one to two weeks, four weeks and eight to twelve weeks. Checked on 31 October 2026.
In short
Think of your break in three sizes: one to two weeks, four weeks, and eight to twelve weeks. Merise and Curious World Academy start on Mondays and take bookings from one week, while the fee tables of Target, CEGA and B&D include eight-week and twelve-week rows. Check your employer’s leave rules first, then look for a school that fits your break.
Start with how long you can be away: three sizes
The whole process is in our guide to studying English in the Philippines. This article splits your break into three sizes.
For the total cost by number of weeks, see local fees by length of stay, and for one- and two-week prices, one or two weeks of English in the Philippines. Here we match your break to schools’ rules.
1 to 2 weeks
What schools state on official pages: One-week units from Monday to Friday (Merise, Curious World Academy, Grandline)
What to check first: Start day, arrival day, class on public holidays
4 weeks
What schools state on official pages: Some schools list fees in four-week units (HELP)
What to check first: Local fees, visa extension, registration fee
8 to 12 weeks
What schools state on official pages: Some schools list eight-week and twelve-week rows (Target, CEGA, B&D)
What to check first: How your leave is handled, work contact
One to two weeks: schools that start Monday and finish Friday
Schools that offer one-week units often fix the start day. These examples come from the schools’ official pages.
- Merise English Academy (Cebu): you arrive on Sunday, start on Monday, graduate on Friday and fly home on Saturday, and it says you can join from as little as five days
- Curious World Academy: study periods are one week or more in one-week units, with a start day that is normally Monday, move-in on Sunday and move-out on Saturday
- Grandline (Manila): it builds study in one-week units from Monday to Friday and asks you to contact it if you need something else
- Target (Cebu): arriving on the Saturday before the start requires a pre-arrival night fee (1,500 pesos a night)
Four weeks: schools that plan in four-week units
HELP English Academy (Clark) lists tuition and housing in four-week units. Its local fee table has rows for up to four weeks, six weeks and eight weeks, then every two weeks.
HELP says that arriving on a date other than its official pick-up dates adds 1,000 to 1,500 pesos a night. If your leave dates are fixed first, check the gap with the pick-up dates.
B&D English School charges a 5,000 peso registration fee for stays of three weeks or less and waives it from four weeks. Whether a four-week stay needs a visa extension depends on your nationality, so check the rules for yours in visa extensions for students in the Philippines.
Eight to twelve weeks: decide how your leave works first
The fee tables of Target and CEGA have eight-week and twelve-week rows after the rows for one to four weeks. B&D’s general course fee table also has eight-week and twelve-week rows.
Target adds 40 USD a week for stays under eight weeks that overlap its peak season, from 27 June to 14 August 2027. If you can take a long break, check the season too.
CEGA accepts course changes during a stay. A change takes effect on the Monday of the week after next, counting from the week you ask. If your plans might change partway through, read the change rules too.
Staying in touch with work while you study
Merise describes a program for people who want to combine work and English, with lessons in the morning and evening and remote work in the afternoon. It says the study and free space on the 8th floor of the school building has fast Wi-Fi.
CEGA says Wi-Fi is available on campus and in the accommodation. HELP, on the other hand, says students may not leave the school from Monday to Friday.
With classes in the daytime, the hours when you can reply are limited. Agree with your employer before you leave which hours you will answer. If you want a course for work English, see business English in the Philippines too.
Checking your leave rules
Rules on paid leave and longer breaks differ by country and by employer. Check your employer’s leave policy before you book, and ask about the dates a school fixes, such as a Monday start and a Friday finish.
This article does not judge any one employer’s rules, so ask your manager or HR early. The length of stay the immigration rules allow depends on your nationality, so use visa extensions for students in the Philippines as a starting point.
What to check before you apply
When narrowing schools to fit your break, check these four points.
- Whether the school’s fee table has a row for the number of weeks you can take
- The start day and the arrival and departure days
- The hours you can answer work, and the Wi-Fi and going-out rules
- Your passport’s validity and the date of your return flight
Next step: narrow schools by the length of your break
Compare each school’s fee table and start rules in the list of schools in the Philippines. For the whole process, see our guide to studying English in the Philippines.
Sources
Official information from each company
- Merise English Academy: Short-term study (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Merise English Academy: One-week study (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Merise English Academy: Courses (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Curious World Academy: ESL (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Grandline: Study abroad (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Target Global English Academy: Tuition (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- CEGA: Tuition (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- HELP English Academy: Tuition and fees (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- HELP English Academy: Admissions (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- B&D English School: Study costs (checked 31 Oct 2026)
