This presentation builds on an international comparative project on school attendance problems (SAPs) in four different countries: Sweden, Germany, England and Japan. The aim of this project was to examine national, organisational and individual dimensions of school attendance problems among 15- to 17-year-old students. We will present results of this project funded by the Swedish Research Council and discuss some of the challenges we encountered during our research process. The study, planned in 2018, aimed to explore different perspectives on schooling and SAPs, as we could understand from the international research literature that problem descriptions and practices differed between research communities and stakeholders. However, the pandemic impacted our research opportunities and the results of our international case studies have been overshadowed by the new reality during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. School systems reacted differently: in some countries, schools were closed for long periods, while in others, schools stayed mostly open. Based on case studies with expert interviews and focus groups revolving around support structures for young people with SAPs in different national and regional contexts, we will discuss how – according to stakeholders at school – the pandemic may have impacted students' opportunities, challenges and willingness to attend school regularly. In summary, regardless of the strategies chosen by education authorities, the COVID-19 pandemic has left scars that are relevant to well-being and regular school attendance. Schools need to take this into account when working with prevention and intervention measures for school attendance.