Public Holidays in the Netherlands 2027: Dates and Employer Guide

September 2, 2026 • 22 min read •

By Kate Vodopian

Country code: NL — Netherlands — Nederland

Quick answer: The Netherlands has 11 official public holiday dates in 2027.

Seven fall on a weekday:

• New Year’s Day — Friday, January 1;
• Good Friday — Friday, March 26;
• Easter Monday — Monday, March 29;
• King’s Day — Tuesday, April 27;
• Liberation Day — Wednesday, May 5;
• Ascension Day — Thursday, May 6;
• Whit Monday — Monday, May 17.

Four fall on a weekend:

• Easter Sunday — Sunday, March 28;
• Whit Sunday — Sunday, May 16;
• Christmas Day — Saturday, December 25;
• Boxing Day — Sunday, December 26.

However, an official public holiday is not automatically a legal day off for every employee.

The employee’s collective labour agreement, known as a CAO, or their employment contract determines:

• whether the employee receives the day off;
• whether the day is paid;
• whether they must work;
• and whether extra pay or another benefit applies.

Last reviewed: 2 September 2026.

Public holidays in the Netherlands can look simple at first.

There is one national list and no separate holiday calendar for every province.

But there is an important catch.

A date can be an official public holiday without giving every employee an automatic right to paid leave.

This is why employers should never add all Dutch public holidays to an employee calendar without checking the CAO or employment contract first.

How Public Holidays Work in the Netherlands

The Dutch government publishes an official list of public holidays.

However, Dutch law does not state that employees must receive these dates as days off.

The practical holiday calendar is normally determined by:

1. the applicable collective labour agreement, or CAO;
2. the employment contract;
3. the staff handbook or company policy;
4. established workplace arrangements.

A CAO can state:

• which public holidays are days off;
• whether employees continue to receive normal pay;
• whether they can be required to work;
• whether a holiday premium applies;
• whether a substitute day is provided;
• and whether another religious holiday can be used instead.

Where a CAO applies, employers must follow it.

If there is no applicable CAO, the employer should state the company’s holiday arrangements clearly in the employment contract or staff handbook.

This guide covers employees working in the European Netherlands.

Netherlands Public Holidays in 2027

Verification status: All dates have been checked against the official 2027 public holiday calendar published by the Government of the Netherlands.

Netherlands Public Holidays 2027: Compact Calendar

Are Public Holidays Automatic Days Off?

No.

There is no general Dutch law stating that every employee must be given a day off on an official public holiday.

The employee’s CAO or employment contract determines whether the date is a day off.

It should also explain:

• whether the employee receives normal pay;
• whether the employee can be scheduled to work;
• whether extra pay applies;
• whether another day off is provided;
• and what happens when the holiday falls on a weekend.

Some public holidays are widely treated as days off in practice.

That still does not remove the need to check the employment terms.

Weekend Public Holidays in 2027

Four official public holidays fall on Saturday or Sunday.

Employers should not automatically add:

• Friday, December 24;
• Monday, December 27;
• or Tuesday, December 28

as statutory observed holidays.

A CAO, employment contract or company policy can still provide one or more of these dates as paid leave.

Those dates should be recorded as:

• contractual holidays;
• company holidays;
• substitute days;
• collective closure days;
• or annual leave.

They should not be presented as automatic national substitutes.

Easter Sunday and Easter Monday Are Separate Holidays

Easter Sunday falls on Sunday, March 28, 2027.

Easter Monday falls on Monday, March 29, 2027.

Easter Monday is not an observed substitute for Easter Sunday.

It is a separate official public holiday.

This distinction matters for employees who work weekends.

An employee who works on Easter Sunday may have different pay or time-off rights from an employee who works on Easter Monday.

The correct treatment depends on:

• the applicable CAO;
• the employment contract;
• the employee’s normal schedule;
• and any workplace holiday policy.

Whit Sunday and Whit Monday Are Separate Holidays

Whit Sunday falls on Sunday, May 16, 2027.

Whit Monday falls on Monday, May 17, 2027.

Whit Monday is not a substitute for Whit Sunday.

Both dates appear separately on the official holiday calendar.

Employers with seven-day operations should record them as two separate dates.

Liberation Day in 2027

Liberation Day falls on:

Wednesday, May 5, 2027

It is an official Dutch public holiday.

However, employees are not automatically entitled to the day off.

Many CAOs provide a paid day off on Liberation Day only once every five years.

The next anniversary year is:

2030

This means 2027 may be a normal working day for many employees.

Employers should check:

1. whether a CAO applies;
2. what the CAO says about May 5;
3. whether the employment contract adds a company benefit;
4. whether the business has an established practice of closing.

If the CAO does not address Liberation Day, or no CAO applies, the employer can decide whether May 5 is a company day off.

The decision should be communicated clearly before the start of the year.

Liberation Day and Ascension Day Fall Together in 2027

Liberation Day falls on Wednesday, May 5.

Ascension Day follows on Thursday, May 6.

This creates an unusual staffing period.

Where employees receive both dates as paid days off, taking annual leave on Friday, May 7 can create a five-day break:

• Wednesday, May 5;
• Thursday, May 6;
• Friday, May 7;
• Saturday, May 8;
• Sunday, May 9.

However, many employees will not receive May 5 as a paid holiday in 2027.

Employers should not advertise this as a five-day public holiday period until the applicable CAO and company policy have been checked.

Good Friday in 2027

Good Friday falls on:

Friday, March 26, 2027

It is included in the official Dutch public holiday list.

However, it is not a universal paid day off.

Many employees work as normal on Good Friday.

The applicable CAO or employment contract should state whether:

• the workplace closes;
• employees receive paid leave;
• employees must work;
• or different opening hours apply.

Good Friday should not automatically be added as a paid absence for every employee.

King’s Day in 2027

King’s Day falls on:

Tuesday, April 27, 2027

It is an official public holiday.

Whether an employee receives paid leave still depends on the CAO or employment contract.

Monday, April 26 is not an official public holiday.

An employer may choose to close on Monday to create a four-day break.

That day should be recorded as:

• annual leave;
• a company holiday;
• an agreed collective closure;
• or time off under another company arrangement.

King’s Night on Monday, April 26 is not a separate official public holiday.

Working on a Public Holiday

Employees can be required to work on a public holiday where their employment terms and schedule allow it.

This is common in sectors such as:

• healthcare;
• hospitality;
• retail;
• transport;
• security;
• emergency services;
• logistics;
• manufacturing;
• and continuous operations.

Dutch law does not set one universal public holiday pay multiplier for every employee.

The CAO or employment contract should state whether the employee receives:

• normal pay;
• an additional percentage;
• a fixed allowance;
• time off in lieu;
• another paid day;
• or a combination of these benefits.

Employers should not assume that every public holiday shift must be paid at the same rate.

They should check the exact CAO for the employee’s sector.

Public Holiday Pay

The public holiday rules should answer two separate questions.

Employee Does Not Work

Where the CAO or employment contract treats the public holiday as a paid day off, the employee normally continues to receive the pay specified by those terms.

The day should be recorded as a public holiday rather than annual leave where the agreement says it does not reduce the leave balance.

Employee Works

Where an employee works on the public holiday, the CAO or employment contract determines whether an additional payment or time-off benefit applies.

Possible arrangements include:

There is no safe nationwide percentage that can be applied to every Dutch employee.

Why the CAO Matters

A collective labour agreement, or CAO, is an agreement covering employment conditions.

It may apply:

• to one business;
• to an entire industry;
• because the employer belongs to an employers’ organisation;
• or because the government has made the sector CAO generally binding.

A CAO can include rules covering:

• working hours;
• wages;
• public holidays;
• holiday premiums;
• annual leave;
• overtime;
• pensions;
• and notice periods.

Where a CAO applies, it can override conflicting terms in an individual employment contract.

Employers should identify the correct CAO before publishing the 2027 employee calendar.

If no CAO applies, holiday arrangements should be written into:

• the employment contract;
• a staff handbook;
• or another clear company policy.

Part-Time Employees and Public Holidays

Part-time employees are not automatically entitled to a replacement day whenever a holiday falls on a day they do not normally work.

The starting point is the employee’s normal schedule and the applicable CAO.

Holiday Falls on a Normal Working Day

Assume an employee normally works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

If Easter Monday is a paid day off under the CAO, the employee normally receives the holiday benefit for the Monday hours they would have worked.

Holiday Falls on a Normal Day Off

Assume another employee works Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Easter Monday is not one of their normal working days.

The employee does not automatically receive Tuesday off instead.

However, the CAO or company policy may provide a proportional holiday-hours system.

Avoid Unequal Treatment

Many Dutch public holidays fall on Monday.

This can create different results for part-time employees depending on their fixed working days.

Employers should check whether their approach treats part-time employees fairly.

Possible methods include:

• calculating annual public holiday hours in proportion to contracted hours;
• using an annual-hours system;
• allowing equivalent time off;
• or applying the method required by the CAO.

The method should be documented and used consistently.

Do not change an employee’s normal work pattern simply to avoid public holiday entitlement.

Public Holidays and Annual Leave

Official public holidays and statutory annual leave are separate concepts.

However, whether a public holiday reduces the employee’s leave balance depends on the CAO or employment contract.

Many CAOs state that recognised public holidays:

• are paid days off;
• and do not reduce the employee’s annual leave balance.

Employers should check the exact wording before processing leave.

Example

An employee books annual leave from Monday, March 22 to Friday, April 2.

The period includes:

• Good Friday on March 26;
• Easter Monday on March 29.

If both dates are paid public holidays under the employee’s CAO, they should normally be recorded separately rather than deducted as annual leave.

If Good Friday is a normal working day under the employee’s terms, it may still need to be covered by annual leave.

The leave system should reflect the employee’s actual entitlement.

Minimum Annual Leave in the Netherlands

Dutch employees receive a statutory minimum amount of paid annual leave.

The minimum equals:

Four times the employee’s weekly working hours

For an employee working five equal days each week, this is equal to four weeks of annual leave.

A CAO or employment contract can provide additional non-statutory leave.

Public holiday leave should not be confused with this minimum annual leave entitlement.

Holiday Allowance Is Not Public Holiday Pay

Dutch employees are normally entitled to holiday allowance, known as:

vakantiegeld

The statutory amount is generally at least 8% of gross annual salary.

Most employers pay it once a year, often in May or June.

Holiday allowance is not:

• payment for working on a public holiday;
• a public holiday premium;
• a substitute day;
• or an extra public holiday.

These are separate employment benefits.

Employers should record and explain these benefits separately.

Can Employees Swap Public Holidays?

A CAO may allow a Christian public holiday to be exchanged for another religious or cultural holiday.

For example, an employee may wish to use another date for:

• Eid al-Fitr;
• Eid al-Adha;
• Chanukah;
• Diwali;
• or another important observance.

There is no automatic general right to swap every public holiday.

The arrangement should be based on:

• the CAO;
• the employment contract;
• or an agreed company policy.

A flexible holiday policy can help employees use paid leave on dates that matter to them.

The employer should explain:

• which dates can be exchanged;
• how much notice is required;
• whether manager approval is needed;
• and how the original holiday is treated.

Common Dutch Dates That Are Not Official Public Holidays

Several important dates are widely observed but do not appear on the official public holiday list.

An employer can still provide one or more of these dates as:

• paid company leave;
• a flexible holiday;
• a collective closure;
• or annual leave.

Shops and Public Holidays

Retail opening rules are separate from employee leave rules.

A shop being allowed to open does not mean every employee must work.

A shop being required to close does not automatically determine how employees are paid.

Under the general Dutch trading-hours rules:

• shops may normally open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on working days and Saturdays;
• municipalities can change local opening rules;
• municipalities decide whether Sunday opening is allowed;
• shops must close on six public holidays unless a local exception applies.

Those six holidays are:

• New Year’s Day;
• Easter Monday;
• Ascension Day;
• Whit Monday;
• Christmas Day;
• Boxing Day.

Municipalities can allow shops to open on these holidays.

King’s Day and Liberation Day are not closing days under the national rules. On Good Friday, only the evening closing time below applies.

Some shops have separate exemptions.

These can include:

• petrol stations;
• pharmacies;
• railway station shops;
• airport shops;
• hospital and care-facility shops;
• roadside restaurants;
• and shops mainly selling newspapers and magazines.

Early Closing Dates

Under the general national rules, shops must close after 7 p.m. on:

• Good Friday;
• Remembrance Day on May 4;
• Christmas Eve on December 24.

A municipality may allow longer opening.

Retail employers should check:

1. local trading rules;
2. the retail CAO;
3. the employee’s schedule;
4. public holiday pay arrangements.

Legal Deadlines and Public Holidays

Official public holidays can affect legal payment and response deadlines.

Where a period set by law ends on:

• a Saturday;
• a Sunday;
• or an official public holiday,

the deadline may extend to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or official holiday.

Businesses should take particular care around:

• Easter;
• Ascension;
• Whitsun;
• and Christmas.

This rule does not automatically apply to every commercial contract.

Contractual payment dates and bank processing times should be checked separately.

School Holidays Are Separate

School holidays are not employee public holidays.

Dutch school holiday dates are divided into three regions:

• North;
• Central;
• South.

The government fixes the main school holiday dates and provides advisory dates for some shorter breaks.

Schools can sometimes vary the advisory dates.

Vocational colleges, universities and other higher education institutions can use their own calendars.

A school being closed does not automatically give parents a paid day off.

Employers should keep:

• public holidays;
• school holidays;
• annual leave;
• and childcare-related leave

as separate calendar categories.

Long Weekends and Leave Opportunities in 2027

These examples assume:

• the employee works Monday to Friday;
• the relevant holiday is a day off under their CAO or contract;
• Saturday and Sunday are normal rest days.

Christmas Needs Early Planning

Christmas Day falls on Saturday.

Boxing Day falls on Sunday.

There is no automatic national entitlement to Monday, December 27 or Tuesday, December 28.

Employers planning a Christmas shutdown should decide early whether those weekdays will be treated as:

• normal working days;
• company holidays;
• annual leave;
• collective closure days;
• or substitute leave under the CAO.

Employees should receive the decision before they begin making travel or childcare arrangements.

A Simple Way to Manage Dutch Public Holidays

Keep one clear record of:

• the CAO applying to each employee;
• the public holidays included in that CAO;
• company holidays;
• weekend holiday rules;
• public holiday premiums;
• substitute days;
• annual leave;
• and each employee’s working schedule.

TimeOff.Management lets businesses create different public holiday calendars and assign them to the right employees.

You can keep:

• official Dutch holidays;
• CAO-specific holidays;
• company closure dates;
• and flexible religious holidays

separate.

Managers with Team View access can then see public holidays alongside annual leave, sickness and other absences in one shared calendar.

Start a 30-day free trial — no card needed.

Practical Checklist for Employers

• Identify the applicable CAO. Do this before setting up the 2027 calendar.
• Do not treat all official holidays as automatic days off.
• Check Good Friday. Many employees work as normal.
• Check Liberation Day. Many CAOs do not provide leave in 2027.
• Do not create automatic weekend substitutes.
• Keep Easter Sunday and Easter Monday separate.
• Keep Whit Sunday and Whit Monday separate.
• Decide the Christmas schedule early.
• Document holiday-work pay. Do not guess a universal premium.
• Use the employee’s normal schedule.
• Review part-time treatment. Avoid unfair results based only on fixed weekdays.
• Keep public holidays separate from annual leave.
• Do not confuse holiday allowance with public holiday pay.
• Check municipal trading hours if you operate a shop.
• Keep school holidays separate from employee leave.
• Tell employees which optional or flexible holidays they can use.
• Load the final calendar before employees begin booking leave.

Key Points for Employers

• The Netherlands has 11 official public holiday dates in 2027.
• Seven fall on a weekday.
• Four fall on a weekend.
• Official holidays are not automatically legal days off.
• The CAO or employment contract determines employee entitlement.
• Good Friday is not a universal paid day off.
• Liberation Day falls on Wednesday, May 5.
• Many CAOs provide Liberation Day leave only once every five years.
• The next five-year anniversary holiday is in 2030.
• Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on the weekend.
• There is no universal December 27 or 28 substitute.
• Dutch law does not set one public holiday pay multiplier for every employee.
• Part-time employees should be assessed against their schedule and CAO.
• Statutory annual leave equals four times weekly working hours.
• Holiday allowance is normally at least 8% of gross annual salary.
• School holidays and retail opening rules are separate.

FAQ

How Many Public Holidays Are There in the Netherlands in 2027?

There are 11 official public holiday dates.

This does not mean every employee receives 11 paid days off.

The CAO or employment contract determines which dates apply.

What Are the Netherlands Public Holidays in 2027?

The official dates are:

• New Year’s Day — January 1;
• Good Friday — March 26;
• Easter Sunday — March 28;
• Easter Monday — March 29;
• King’s Day — April 27;
• Liberation Day — May 5;
• Ascension Day — May 6;
• Whit Sunday — May 16;
• Whit Monday — May 17;
• Christmas Day — December 25;
• Boxing Day — December 26.

Are Dutch Public Holidays Paid Days Off?

Not automatically.

The applicable CAO or employment contract states whether the employee receives paid leave.

Is Good Friday a Day Off in the Netherlands?

Not for every employee.

Good Friday is an official public holiday, but many employees work as normal.

Check the CAO or employment contract.

Is Liberation Day a Day Off in 2027?

Not automatically.

Many CAOs provide paid Liberation Day leave only once every five years.

The next anniversary year is 2030.

The employer may still provide May 5 as a company holiday.

Is Ascension Day a Public Holiday?

Yes.

Ascension Day falls on Thursday, May 6, 2027.

Whether the employee has the day off depends on their CAO or employment contract.

Is King’s Day a Paid Day Off?

King’s Day is an official public holiday.

It falls on Tuesday, April 27, 2027.

Paid leave depends on the employee’s CAO or contract.

Is Monday, April 26 a Public Holiday?

No.

It is the day before King’s Day.

An employee needs annual leave or another agreed form of time off if the business remains open.

Are December 27 and 28 Public Holidays?

No automatic national public holidays fall on those dates.

Christmas Day falls on Saturday, December 25.

Boxing Day falls on Sunday, December 26.

A CAO or company policy may still provide December 27 or 28 as a substitute or company holiday.

Are Weekend Holidays Moved to Monday?

Not automatically.

The Netherlands does not have one national rule moving every weekend public holiday to Monday.

Do Employees Receive Extra Pay for Working on a Public Holiday?

It depends on the CAO or employment contract.

There is no single public holiday premium that applies to every Dutch employee.

Do Public Holidays Reduce Annual Leave?

Where a CAO or contract provides the public holiday as a paid day off, it will often not reduce annual leave.

Employers should check the exact agreement.

How Much Annual Leave Do Employees Receive?

The statutory minimum is four times the employee’s weekly working hours.

An employee working 40 hours each week receives at least 160 hours of statutory annual leave.

What Is Dutch Holiday Allowance?

Holiday allowance is known as vakantiegeld.

It is normally at least 8% of gross annual salary.

It is separate from public holiday pay and annual leave.

Do Part-Time Employees Receive Public Holidays?

They receive the rights provided by their CAO or employment contract.

The result depends on their normal working schedule.

Employers should ensure their calculation method does not unfairly disadvantage part-time staff.

Can Employees Exchange Christmas for Another Religious Holiday?

A CAO or company policy may allow a public holiday to be exchanged for another religious or cultural date.

There is no automatic general right to make the exchange.

Is Remembrance Day a Public Holiday?

No.

Remembrance Day falls on Tuesday, May 4, 2027.

It is an important national commemoration, but it is not an official public holiday.

Is Sinterklaas a Public Holiday?

No.

Sinterklaas Eve falls on Sunday, December 5, 2027.

It is not an official national public holiday.

Are School Holidays Public Holidays for Parents?

No.

School holidays do not automatically create paid employee leave.

Parents normally need annual leave, flexible working or another approved leave arrangement.

Further Reading

• Government of the Netherlands — Official Public Holidays in 2026 and 2027
• Business.gov.nl — Public Holidays in the Netherlands
• Business.gov.nl — Holiday Entitlement
• Business.gov.nl — Collective Labour Agreements
• Business.gov.nl — Holiday Allowance
• Business.gov.nl — Trading Hours
• Government of the Netherlands — School Holidays