This article contributes to understanding school attendance during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and Sweden. Sweden presents a unique European case, as compulsory schools largely remained open with only brief closures, while Germany, opted for extended school closures. This study explores how changes in lower secondary students’ attendance – and schools’ efforts to support attendance – can be understood in relation to each country’s education and welfare systems, and their policy decisions during the pandemic. Focus-group interviews were conducted with school personnel in both countries and analysed by an international research team. The findings suggest that the pandemic and the measures implemented in schools affected students’ opportunities, challenges and willingness to attend school regularly. The described experiences highlighted how consequences varied across student groups, including those in different school grades, with differing access to digital tools, special educational needs (SEN) or previous school attendance problems (SAPs).