Dutch Public Holidays 2026 & 2027

Planning a trip, managing business operations, or relocating to the Netherlands requires a clear understanding of the Dutch holiday calendar. To help you plan effectively, this complete guide breaks down the types of holidays, school vacation schedules, and the official public calendars.

Overview of Types of Dutch Holidays

Holidays in the Netherlands generally fall into three distinct categories:

1. National Public Holidays (Nationale Feestdagen)

These are the official days recognized by the government. They include Christian celebrations like Easter and Christmas, alongside secular national events like King’s Day. It is important to know that the Netherlands has no statutory law giving employees an automatic right to a paid day off on public holidays. Whether you get the day off depends entirely on your specific industry employment contract or Collective Labor Agreement (CAO).

2. Cultural Observances (Traditionele Feestdagen)

These are traditional celebrations that are deeply embedded in Dutch culture but are completely normal working days. Schools, shops, and offices remain fully open. Examples include Sinterklaasavond (Saint Nicholas Eve) on December 5 and Sint Maarten on November 11.

3. Regional Festivities

Some celebrations are tied to specific regions. The most famous is Carnival, which takes place in February or March. While it is not an official public holiday, many local businesses and schools in the southern provinces (such as North Brabant and Limburg) close down so residents can join the parades and parties.

School Holidays in the Netherlands

The Dutch government regulates school vacation periods to prevent massive traffic jams and overcrowded holiday destinations. The country is split into three administrative regions: North, Central, and South.

While dates for the Christmas and May holidays are mostly unified across the country, the start and end dates for Summer, Autumn, and Spring breaks rotate annually among these three regions.

There are five major school holiday periods every year:

• Spring Break (Voorjaarsvakantie / Krokusvakantie): Often shifts slightly to line up with regional Carnival dates in the South.
• May Break (Meivakantie): A popular spring holiday. The government sets a mandatory one week off, but many schools choose to extend this to two full weeks.
• Summer Break (Zomervakantie): The longest break, lasting six weeks, staggered across the regions throughout July and August.
• Autumn Break (Herfstvakantie): A one week break in mid October.
• Christmas Break (Kerstvakantie): A two week break for all regions spanning late December through early January.

Dutch Holidays 2026

The table below lists the official dates for the public holidays observed throughout 2026:

Holiday (English Name)	Dutch Name	2026 Date
New Year’s Day	Nieuwjaarsdag	Thursday, January 1
Good Friday	Goede Vrijdag	Friday, April 3
Easter Sunday	Eerste Paasdag	Sunday, April 5
Easter Monday	Tweede Paasdag	Monday, April 6
King’s Day	Koningsdag	Monday, April 27
Liberation Day	Bevrijdingsdag	Tuesday, May 5
Ascension Day	Hemelvaartsdag	Thursday, May 14
Whit Sunday (Pentecost)	Eerste Pinksterdag	Sunday, May 24
Whit Monday	Tweede Pinksterdag	Monday, May 25
Christmas Day	Eerste Kerstdag	Friday, December 25
Boxing Day (Second Christmas Day)	Tweede Kerstdag	Saturday, December 26

Important Note on Liberation Day: While May 5 is a national holiday, standard labor agreements in the Netherlands only grant a paid day off once every five years. The last mandatory year off was 2025, meaning that 2026 is a standard working day for most people.

Dutch Holidays 2027

The calendar changes significantly in 2027 because Easter falls much earlier in the spring, which moves several related Christian holidays forward into late March and early May.

The official public holidays for 2027 are scheduled as follows:

Holiday (English Name)	Dutch Name	2027 Date
New Year’s Day	Nieuwjaarsdag	Friday, January 1
Good Friday	Goede Vrijdag	Friday, March 26
Easter Sunday	Eerste Paasdag	Sunday, March 28
Easter Monday	Tweede Paasdag	Monday, March 29
King’s Day	Koningsdag	Tuesday, April 27
Liberation Day	Bevrijdingsdag	Wednesday, May 5
Ascension Day	Hemelvaartsdag	Thursday, May 6
Whit Sunday (Pentecost)	Eerste Pinksterdag	Sunday, May 16
Whit Monday	Tweede Pinksterdag	Monday, May 17
Christmas Day	Eerste Kerstdag	Saturday, December 25
Boxing Day (Second Christmas Day)	Tweede Kerstdag	Sunday, December 26

Weekend Holiday Rules: If King’s Day (April 27) ever falls on a Sunday, the national celebration is automatically moved to Saturday, April 26. However, in both 2026 and 2027, King’s Day lands on weekdays (Monday and Tuesday respectively), so the date remains unchanged. Conversely, when holidays like Christmas fall on a weekend, the Dutch do not create a substitute holiday on the following Monday, meaning those days off are simply lost for workers who do not normally work weekends.

Understanding the dates is one thing. Knowing what each holiday means in practice, what happens around you, what is open, and what expats often get caught out by, is another.

Nieuwjaarsdag (New Year’s Day, 1 January) marks the start of the year and is one of the quietest public holidays in terms of official activity. Banks, government offices, and most shops are closed. Public transport runs on a reduced holiday schedule. The night before, however, is anything but quiet. The Netherlands celebrates New Year’s Eve with fireworks that are among the most intense in Europe, particularly in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague. If you are new to the Netherlands, the scale of private fireworks can come as a surprise.

Goede Vrijdag (Good Friday) is listed as an official public holiday but works differently from the others. Most businesses, shops, and supermarkets remain open and operate on normal hours. Schools are generally closed. Public transport runs on a regular weekday schedule. In practice, Good Friday feels like a normal working day for most people in the Netherlands, though some employers, particularly in sectors covered by certain CAOs, do give staff the day off. Do not assume you have the day off without checking your contract.

Eerste and Tweede Paasdag (Easter Sunday and Monday) are both full public holidays. Banks, government offices, and most private businesses are closed on Easter Monday. Supermarkets may open on reduced hours depending on the municipality and the retailer. Public transport runs on a holiday schedule across both days. Easter in the Netherlands coincides with one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Tulip fields in the Bollenstreek are at or near peak bloom, and Keukenhof Gardens sees significant visitor numbers. If you are planning a trip during Easter weekend, book trains and accommodation well in advance.

Koningsdag (King’s Day, 27 April) is the standout Dutch national holiday and unlike anything most expats have experienced before. The entire country turns orange to celebrate the king’s birthday. Shops, banks, and offices close, but the streets fill with vrijmarkten, citywide flea markets where anyone can sell anything on public ground without a permit. Amsterdam’s canals become packed with decorated boats, and free outdoor concerts take place across the city. Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, and virtually every Dutch town hold their own celebrations. It is one of the most genuinely participatory national holidays in Europe and worth experiencing firsthand. In 2026, King’s Day falls on Monday 27 April.

Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day, 5 May) commemorates the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation at the end of the Second World War. It is a public holiday every year, but it is only a mandatory paid day off for employees once every five years, in years divisible by five. In other years, whether you receive it as a paid day off depends entirely on your employment contract or CAO. In 2026 it is not a lustrum year, so many workers will not automatically receive the day off. Check your contract. Free concerts and remembrance events take place across the country regardless, with Amsterdam hosting one of the largest public celebrations.

Hemelvaartsdag (Ascension Day) always falls on a Thursday, forty days after Easter. In 2026 that is 14 May, and in 2027 it is 29 April. Banks and government offices close. Because Ascension Day is a Thursday, the following Friday, known informally as a brugdag or bridge day, is extremely popular for taking annual leave to create a four-day weekend. Many Dutch workers plan this months in advance and book transport early. If you are planning to travel that weekend, do the same.

Eerste and Tweede Pinksterdag (Whit Sunday and Monday) fall fifty days after Easter. In 2026 that is 24 and 25 May, and in 2027 it is 13 and 14 June. Both days are full public holidays. The pattern is similar to Easter Monday. Supermarkets open on reduced hours, most shops and offices close, and public transport runs on a holiday schedule. Whit Monday in late May typically falls during warmer weather, making it a popular day for cycling trips and beach visits. Some towns hold Pinkstermarkten, local markets with food and crafts that give a good glimpse of traditional Dutch community life.

Eerste and Tweede Kerstdag (Christmas Day and Boxing Day, 25 and 26 December) are both full public holidays. Most shops, restaurants, and public services close on Christmas Day in particular. Boxing Day is more variable, with some businesses reopening and others remaining closed. The Dutch Christmas period is generally family-oriented and quieter than in some other European countries, partly because Sinterklaas on 5 December is the bigger gift-giving occasion. Restaurants that do open on Christmas often require advance bookings and may serve set menus.

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This is the area where expats most often get caught out. In the Netherlands, there is no law requiring employers to give employees a paid day off on public holidays. Whether you receive the day off, and whether it is paid, depends entirely on your employment contract or the collective labour agreement (CAO) that applies to your sector.

Most employment contracts do include the standard public holidays as paid days off, but not all include Good Friday, and Liberation Day is only guaranteed as a paid day off in lustrum years. If you work in retail, hospitality, or another sector with weekend and holiday trading, you may be required to work on public holidays and will typically receive additional compensation, either a salary supplement or a replacement day off, as specified in your CAO.

If you are unsure which CAO applies to your role, your employer is required to inform you. The Dutch government website at government.nl provides guidance on how to find the applicable CAO for your sector.

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As a general rule, banks, post offices, government offices, and municipal services are closed on all official public holidays. Schools are closed. GP surgeries and pharmacies operate on reduced emergency schedules. Your local pharmacy will have information about the nearest open apotheek during holiday periods.

Supermarkets vary by chain and municipality. Albert Heijn and Jumbo typically open on public holidays with reduced hours in larger cities, but may close entirely in smaller towns. It is worth checking the website of your local branch the day before any public holiday if you need to shop.

Restaurants and cafes generally remain open on public holidays, often with modified hours or holiday menus. Museums and attractions usually open with adjusted schedules, though Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are exceptions where many close entirely. Advance booking is strongly recommended for popular museums during Easter, King’s Day, and the Christmas period.

Public transport continues to run on most public holidays but on a weekend or holiday timetable. NS, the national rail operator, publishes adjusted schedules for each public holiday on its website. Local tram and bus services follow similar adjusted patterns. Check your local operator’s website or app before travelling.