Public Holidays in Netherlands
Statutory public holidays in Netherlands, with the dates that give people the day off, how the calendar is set, and what it means for travel, cities and culture.
Netherlands at a glance
The Netherlands has a compact set of public holidays, with King’s Day on 27 April the most distinctive, and Liberation Day on 5 May a full holiday in some years.
Several dates move with Easter, and many employers add Good Friday and Ascension to collective agreements.
Netherlands public holidays 2026
The dates below come from Netherlands’s published calendar for 2026. Open the full year for the complete list.
| Holiday | Date | Year |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Jan 1Thu | 2026 |
| Valentine's Day | Feb 14Sat | 2026 |
| March Equinox | Mar 20Fri | 2026 |
| Good Friday | Apr 3Fri | 2026 |
| Easter Sunday | Apr 5Sun | 2026 |
| Easter Monday | Apr 6Mon | 2026 |
| King's Birthday | Apr 27Mon | 2026 |
| Remembrance Day | May 4Mon | 2026 |
| Liberation Day | May 5Tue | 2026 |
| Mother's Day | May 10Sun | 2026 |
| Ascension Day | May 14Thu | 2026 |
| Whit Sunday | May 24Sun | 2026 |
Showing 12 of 24 dates recorded for 2026.
Major cities in Netherlands
The urban centres that anchor most trips to Netherlands.
Amsterdam
A canal-ring capital of gabled houses, museums and cycling streets.
Rotterdam
A city rebuilt after 1940 with bold modern architecture and Europe's busiest port.
The Hague
The seat of government and international courts, with a seaside district.
Utrecht
A compact city of a medieval wharf system and a towering cathedral spire.
Maastricht
A hill-country city with Roman walls, caves and a Burgundian feel.
Delft
A canal town of blue-and-white pottery, a market square and Vermeer.
Top attractions in Netherlands
The places that draw most visitors to Netherlands.
Amsterdam Canal Ring
Seventeenth-century concentric canals lined with merchant houses.
Keukenhof
A spring park of millions of tulips, hyacinths and daffodils.
Kinderdijk
Nineteen working windmills draining a polder landscape of ditches.
Wadden Sea
A tidal mudflat sea of sandbanks and seal haul-outs in the north.
Van Gogh Museum
The largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and letters.
Zaanse Schans
Working windmills and green wooden houses beside a river.
Festivals, food and getting around Netherlands
What the calendar looks like on the ground, and how to move through the country around it.
Festivals behind the holidays
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New Year's Day
Falls on Jan 1
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Valentine's Day
Falls on Feb 14
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March Equinox
Falls on Mar 20
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Good Friday
Falls on Apr 3
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🎉
Easter Sunday
Falls on Apr 5
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Easter Monday
Falls on Apr 6
Food & drink
Getting around
Cycling is the default for short trips; the train network is dense, punctual and cheap enough for most journeys.
Travelling around Netherlands’s holidays
What the dates mean once you are there.
Book around the peaks
Transport and hotels in Netherlands tighten around major holidays; reserve early for the busiest weeks.
Check opening hours
Museums, banks and government offices usually close on statutory holidays, and often on the nearest Monday.
Carry local currency
Small vendors and rural businesses frequently take cash only, especially on holidays when banks are shut.
Expect crowded transport
Long weekends produce the year's heaviest road, rail and air traffic. Build in extra travel time.
Confirm the official list
Netherlands's holiday dates are confirmed by government announcement; check the year page for the final arrangement.
Plan the long weekends
Pairing a holiday with adjacent weekends gives the longest breaks of the year — and the busiest.
Netherlands public holidays: common questions
How many public holidays does Netherlands have?
Netherlands has 24 dates recorded on its 2026 calendar, ranging from national statutory holidays to widely marked observances that are not days off work.
Where can I find the full 2026 list?
The complete 2026 calendar for Netherlands is on the year page, with every recorded date in order.
Are Netherlands's public holidays paid?
Statutory national holidays are generally paid leave for employees. Observances and commemorative days are usually not.
Do holidays move if they fall on a weekend?
Where a holiday falls on a weekend, Netherlands typically observes it on the nearest weekday. Check the year page for the confirmed arrangement.
Are there regional holidays in Netherlands?
Some holidays are observed only in certain regions or by certain communities. The year page lists what applies nationally.
Which years are covered for Netherlands?
Calendars are published for 2026, 2025.