Working Days – Netherlands
The Netherlands recognizes relatively few official public holidays compared to other EU countries: only eight to nine statutory public holidays per year. For HR and payroll professionals, it is important to know which days are legally established and which days employers provide as days off based on collective labor agreements or company policy. The standard working week in the Netherlands runs Monday through Friday, with a typical working time of forty hours per week.
Annual summary
| Other year | Working days | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 254 | |
| 2026 | 254 | |
| 2027 | 255 | |
| 2028 | 254 |
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Holiday rules and practice in Netherlands
How public holidays work in Netherlands, and what that means when you count working days.
- Standard work week
- Monday–Friday
- 40 hours per week
- Substitute days
- No
- A public holiday that falls on a weekend is not replaced, so it produces no extra day off.
- Regional variation
- No
- Public holidays apply uniformly across the whole country.
Bank holidays
The Netherlands does not have a statutory 'bank holiday' concept separate from public holidays. Some employers observe additional days (like Good Friday or Dec 24) by company policy, but these are not statutory.
Local terminology
| Working day | werkdag |
|---|---|
| Public holiday | feestdag / nationale feestdag |
| Official holiday | officiële feestdag |
Worth knowing
- The Netherlands has only 8–9 official statutory public holidays — relatively few for an EU country.
- Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag) is widely observed and many employers give it off, but it is NOT a statutory public holiday.
- Christmas is celebrated over 2 days: Dec 25 (Eerste Kerstdag) and Dec 26 (Tweede Kerstdag) — both statutory.
- There is no substitute day system.
- King's Day (Koningsdag, Apr 27) is a major national celebration — if it falls on a Sunday, it is observed on Apr 26.
- Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag, May 5) is a statutory holiday only once every 5 years (lustrum years: 2020, 2025, 2030...), but treated as a holiday by many employers annually.
- Ascension Day and Whit Monday are statutory holidays, unlike in many other EU countries.
Frequently asked questions
Is Good Friday an official public holiday on which employees are entitled to a day off?
No, Good Friday is not a legally recognized public holiday in the Netherlands. However, many employers provide this day off based on a collective labor agreement provision or internal policy. HR professionals should consult the applicable collective labor agreement or employment contract to determine whether employees are entitled to a day off.
Does Liberation Day (5 May) apply every year as a mandatory day off for employees?
Liberation Day is legally recognized as a national public holiday only in lustrum or commemorative years, such as every fifth year. Outside those years, many employers nonetheless treat the day as a day off, often based on collective labor agreement provisions. Check the applicable collective labor agreement to determine whether employees are entitled to paid leave in a given year.
What happens if King's Day falls on a Sunday?
If King's Day falls on a Sunday, the celebration is moved to Saturday, 26 April. The Netherlands does not have a general system of replacement days (substitute days): the shift applies to the public celebration, not automatically for employment law purposes. HR professionals must check the applicable collective labor agreement or company regulations to determine which day is designated as the public holiday.
Are Ascension Day and Whit Monday considered official public holidays in the Netherlands?
Yes, both Ascension Day and Whit Monday are legally recognized public holidays in the Netherlands, which is relatively exceptional within the EU. Employees are entitled to paid leave on these days in principle, unless the collective labor agreement or employment contract provides otherwise. For payroll administration, these days are therefore treated as official public holidays.
How are the Christmas holidays treated under employment law in the Netherlands?
In the Netherlands, both 25 December (Christmas Day) and 26 December (Boxing Day) are official, legally recognized public holidays. Employees are entitled to paid leave on both days, unless the nature of work or collective labor agreement provisions determine otherwise. For payroll administration, both days count as public holidays when calculating worked and non-worked days.