The Netherlands observes 11 official public holidays in 2026. For international teams scheduling meetings with Dutch colleagues, knowing these dates in advance is not optional — it is operational. Two holidays in particular catch people off guard: Ascension Day, which falls on a Thursday in May and creates an informal four-day weekend, and King's Day on 27 April, when the country essentially shuts down for a national street party. Schedule a product review or a client call on either of those days and you will not have a Dutch quorum.
This guide lists every Dutch public holiday in 2026 with exact dates, explains the Liberation Day rule that trips up many teams, and offers practical guidance for scheduling around the Dutch calendar.
Dutch Public Holidays 2026
The Netherlands has a uniform national holiday calendar — all provinces observe the same public holidays. There are no regional variations to track, which makes the Netherlands simpler than countries like Spain or Australia in that regard.
- 1 January — New Year's Day (Nieuwjaarsdag)
- 3 April — Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag)
- 5 April — Easter Sunday (Eerste Paasdag)
- 6 April — Easter Monday (Tweede Paasdag)
- 27 April — King's Day (Koningsdag)
- 14 May — Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag)
- 24 May — Whit Sunday / Pentecost (Eerste Pinksterdag)
- 25 May — Whit Monday (Tweede Pinksterdag)
- 25 December — Christmas Day (Eerste Kerstdag)
- 26 December — Second Christmas Day (Tweede Kerstdag)
Liberation Day: Is It a Holiday in 2026?
Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) on 5 May commemorates the end of World War II and the liberation of the Netherlands from German occupation in 1945. It is a meaningful national day — but it is not a public holiday every year.
The rule: Liberation Day is designated as a national public holiday only in years that are multiples of five. 2025 was the 80th anniversary, making it a full public holiday. 2026 is not a milestone year, so 5 May 2026 is not an official public holiday.
However, the day is still widely observed culturally. Many organizations — particularly government bodies, educational institutions, and some corporations — close or reduce operations on 5 May even in non-milestone years. Free festivals are held across the country. If you have Dutch colleagues, it is worth checking with them individually about their availability on 5 May 2026 rather than assuming it is a normal workday.
King's Day: A Day Unlike Any Other
King's Day on 27 April is not just a public holiday — it is one of the most distinctive national celebrations in Europe. Cities across the Netherlands fill with orange-clad revelers. Streets become open-air flea markets (vrijmarkts) where anyone can sell secondhand goods. Canal boats pack the waterways in Amsterdam. Music stages go up in every city center. It is effectively a nationwide street party.
From a business perspective, treat King's Day as a hard stop. No Dutch employee will be available, and even if they were technically reachable, scheduling important work on this day signals a poor understanding of the local culture. The day before (26 April, a Sunday in 2026) also sees significant celebrations, with King's Night (Koningsnacht) events the evening before. Plan your team calendar accordingly and avoid anything requiring Dutch participation on 27 April.
The Ascension Day Long Weekend
Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag) is always on a Thursday — 39 days after Easter Sunday. In 2026 that falls on 14 May. Because it lands on a Thursday, a large number of Dutch employees take the Friday off as well, using one vacation day to create a four-day weekend from Thursday through Sunday.
This pattern is well-established enough that many Dutch companies informally treat the Friday after Ascension Day as a reduced-capacity day. If you are scheduling anything in the week of 11 May 2026, assume your Dutch colleagues may be unavailable from Thursday 14 May through Monday 18 May. Confirm availability explicitly rather than assuming the Friday is a normal workday.
Note also that Whit Sunday and Whit Monday (24 and 25 May) follow just ten days after Ascension, creating another two-day break. The second half of May 2026 is a particularly fragmented period in the Dutch calendar.
Managing Dutch Holidays for International Teams
The Netherlands is a major hub for European tech, logistics, and financial services companies — Amsterdam and Eindhoven in particular host significant international team presences. This means Dutch holidays affect not just local teams but also multinational scheduling across time zones.
A few practical notes for teams managing Dutch colleagues:
- The spring period from April through late May is the most holiday-dense window in the Dutch calendar. King's Day, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, and Whit Monday all fall in this stretch. Plan major milestones and launches outside this window if possible.
- Q4 is relatively clear of public holidays after 26 December. If you need a reliable stretch of uninterrupted Dutch availability, November and the first half of December are your best windows.
- Dutch summer vacations tend to concentrate in July and August. While not official holidays, availability drops considerably during school summer breaks, particularly for employees with children.
For a full breakdown of Dutch public holidays organized by date, View Netherlands holidays at autolidays.com/holidays/netherlands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Netherlands have regional holidays?
No. Unlike Spain or Australia, the Netherlands has a uniform national holiday calendar. All provinces observe the same public holidays. There are no regional or provincial additions to track, which makes managing Dutch holidays straightforward compared to countries with tiered systems.
Why does the Netherlands have two Christmas holidays?
The Netherlands, along with many other northern European countries including Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and the UK, observes both 25 December and 26 December as public holidays. These are called First Christmas Day (Eerste Kerstdag) and Second Christmas Day (Tweede Kerstdag). Most offices close on both days, and the period between Christmas and New Year is typically a quiet time for Dutch businesses.
How do I keep track of Dutch public holidays automatically?
You can subscribe to Dutch holiday calendars in Google Calendar, but this only shows holidays as labels on your calendar — it does not block your time or remind you in advance. To have Dutch public holidays automatically block your schedule and appear alongside your existing meetings and deadlines, use Autolidays. It connects to your Google Calendar and imports the complete Dutch holiday calendar with no manual updates required.
Automate Your Dutch Holiday Calendar
Keeping a manually updated list of Dutch public holidays is error-prone, and the consequences of missing a holiday — scheduling a call, sending a deliverable request, or launching a campaign on a day when your Dutch colleagues are not working — are real. Autolidays automatically imports the complete Dutch public holiday calendar for 2026 directly into your Google Calendar, keeping you informed without any maintenance on your end. View Netherlands holidays at autolidays.com/holidays/netherlands to see all 2026 dates and connect your calendar automatically.