The Netherlands has 11 public holidays per year. Somewhat unusually, however, in the Netherlands there is no law to say that employees must be given the day off work on certain holidays. This means you won't necessarily have the day off on a public holiday.
Instead, Dutch holidays are regulated in collective agreements (CAO) and labour agreements so check your employer’s CAO or labour agreement, or your employment contract, to see which holidays you are given off. If you work on a public holiday, you are (often) entitled to extra pay or time off in lieu. Most employers count public holidays separately to holiday leave, but check with your company to be sure.
Holidays in the Netherlands can be divided into three categories:
There are two national holidays in the Netherlands: King’s Day (Koningsdag) and Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag).
While Liberation Day is a national holiday, not everyone necessarily has the day off. This will depend on your employer or school. Normally, this holiday is only given as a day off once every five years.
On top of the two national holidays, there are nine other public holidays per year in the Netherlands. These are observed by all Dutch provinces; there are no region-specific holidays.
Note that while some holidays like Good Friday are considered official holidays in the Netherlands, not everybody is given the day off. Again, it is employers who decide whether the day is given as a free day.
The Netherlands also has a number of unofficial holidays that are not legally recognised as days off, such as Sinterklaas and Christmas Eve.
In the Netherlands, there is a school-free period of six weeks in the summer (zomervakantie) and two in the winter (kerstvakantie). In addition, schools also schedule holidays in:
Find out more about the Dutch school holiday system.
| Dutch holidays 2025 | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day (Nieuwjaarsdag) | January 1 |
| Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag) | April 18 |
| Easter Sunday (Eerste Paasdag) | April 20 |
| Easter Monday (Tweede Paasdag) | April 21 |
| King's Day (Koningsdag) | April 26 |
| National Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking) | May 4 (not an official holiday) |
| Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) | May 5 |
| Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag) | May 29 |
| Whit (Pentecost) Sunday (Eerste Pinksterdag) | June 8 |
| Whit (Pentecost) Monday (Tweede Pinksterdag) | June 9 |
| Sinterklaas | December 5 (not an official holiday) |
| Christmas Day (Eerste Kerstdag) | December 25 |
| Boxing Day (Tweede Kerstdag) | December 26 |
| New Year's Eve (Oudejaarsavond) | December 31 (not an official holiday) |
| Dutch holidays 2026 | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day (Nieuwjaarsdag) | January 1 |
| Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag) | April 3 |
| Easter Sunday (Eerste Paasdag) | April 5 |
| Easter Monday (Tweede Paasdag) | April 6 |
| King's Day (Koningsdag) | Aprl 27 |
| National Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking) | May 4 (not an official holiday) |
| Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) | May 5 |
| Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag) | May 14 |
| Whit (Pentecost) Sunday (Eerste Pinksterdag) | May 24 |
| Whit (Pentecost) Monday (Tweede Pinksterdag) | May 25 |
| Sinterklaas | December 5 (not an official holiday) |
| Christmas Day (Eerste Kerstdag) | December 25 |
| Boxing Day (Tweede Kerstdag) | December 26 |
| New Year's Eve (Oudejaarsavond) | December 31 (not an official holiday) |