How to use Dutch public holidays in 2026 for a longer time off

The Netherlands might not have that many public holidays, but you can make the most of them with clever planning. Here’s how to best use the Dutch holidays in 2026 to maximise your vacation time.

Dutch public holidays in 2026

Full-time workers in the Netherlands are entitled to a minimum of 20 days of paid holiday leave each year. However, many Dutch companies have been known to offer between 24 and 32 days of annual leave. If you make a few calculated choices, you could plan your vacation around public holidays and use as little vacation time as possible.

Some of the holidays that provide the greatest opportunities for extended time off are Easter, Ascension Day, Liberation Day and Pentecost. These are all the holidays acknowledged in the Netherlands and when they will be celebrated in 2026:

• 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) - April 27
• Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) - May 5
• Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag) - May 14
• Whit Sunday (Eerste Pinksterdag) - May 24
• Whit Monday (Tweede Pinksterdag) - May 25
• Christmas Day (Eerste Kerstdag) - December 25
• Boxing Day (Tweede Kerstdag) - December 26

Plan an Easter holiday break in the Netherlands

It is important to note that while Good Friday is an official holiday in the Netherlands, it is up to the employer whether employees will get the day off from work. If you are one of the lucky ones to get April 3 off, then you could have a 10-day holiday by only taking four days off of work (March 30 - April 2). If not, you can take five days off for the same amount of time off. 

Make the most of King’s Day and Liberation Day

If your employer gives you Liberation Day off, you can plan a longer break spanning over April/May. With King’s Day falling on a Monday (April 27), you can combine it with Liberation Day on May 5 by taking five days of leave (April 28 to May 4) for a total of 11 days off. 

This option links up well with the school holidays, if you want to plan a trip with the children. For an even longer break, take three extra days of leave for May 6-8 and enjoy a whopping 16 days off in a row.

Combine Ascension Day with Pentecost for a longer break

With Ascension Day falling on Thursday (May 14), you could enjoy a long weekend by taking the Friday off, or you could take the week after off as well to enjoy a 12-day holiday (May 14 to 25) as Tweede Pinksterdag falls on Monday, May 25. You could take it a step further by taking that week off as well to get a whopping 18 days off with just 10 days of leave (May 14 to 31).

2026 Christmas holidays in the Netherlands

Both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on Fridays this year, so there are options for a shorter festive break or a longer one. Using four vacation days from December 28 to 31, you can enjoy 10 days off from work (December 25 to January 3). 

For a longer break, you could take the days leading up to Christmas off as well as the days that follow. Taking December 21-24 off, combined with December 28-31, you could plan yourself a merry winter escape for 16 days with just eight vacation days.