In the fall, our program starts with a ten day orientation in Santiago de Compostela, which usually begins during the third week of August. In the Spring semester, students have an orientation in Granada starting on the second week of January. (Please note that dates vary every year). University classes in Madrid begin in early September and end by mid-December for the fall, and start in late January and end by early June for the spring (including exams). To anticipate official holidays (national, regional, and local), Google the Calendario Académico Carlos III and doublecheck which days have been set aside as “no lectivos” (university holidays). The same pdf or link will also separately spell out the national, regional (CAM), and local (Getafe) holidays. You can do the same for the Complutense (the local holidays in that case would be Madrid´s, which don´t necessarily coincide with Getafe´s).