Public Holidays for
Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany has 11 public holidays in 2026. 8 fall on weekdays, 3 on weekends.
All 11 public holidays
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Thursday | Neujahr |
| Apr 3 | Friday | Karfreitag |
| Apr 6 | Monday | Ostermontag |
| May 1 | Friday | Maifeiertag |
| May 14 | Thursday | Christi Himmelfahrt |
| May 25 | Monday | Pfingstmontag |
| Jun 4 | Thursday | Fronleichnam |
| Oct 3 | Saturday(weekend) | Tag der Deutschen Einheit |
| Nov 1 | Sunday(weekend) | Allerheiligen |
| Dec 25 | Friday | 1. Weihnachtstag |
| Dec 26 | Saturday(weekend) | 2. Weihnachtstag |
Plan your time off
8 holidays fall on weekdays in 2026 — here are the best periods to extend them into long breaks using fewer leave days.
5 days off · 1 leave day
Apr 2 – Apr 6
Karfreitag, Ostermontag
5 days off · 1 leave day
Apr 3 – Apr 7
Karfreitag, Ostermontag
4 days off · 1 leave day
Jan 1 – Jan 4
Neujahr
4 days off · 1 leave day
Apr 30 – May 3
Maifeiertag
4 days off · 1 leave day
May 1 – May 4
Maifeiertag
4 days off · 1 leave day
May 14 – May 17
Christi Himmelfahrt
4 days off · 1 leave day
May 23 – May 26
Pfingstmontag
4 days off · 1 leave day
Jun 4 – Jun 7
Fronleichnam
4 days off · 1 leave day
Dec 24 – Dec 27
1. Weihnachtstag, 2. Weihnachtstag
4 days off · 1 leave day
Dec 25 – Dec 28
1. Weihnachtstag, 2. Weihnachtstag
Leave entitlements in Germany
German law guarantees a minimum of 20 vacation days for a 5-day work week (24 days for 6-day weeks). In practice, most employers offer 25-30 days. Public holidays vary by state (Bundesland), with 9 nationwide holidays plus regional holidays, giving workers 10-14 public holidays per year depending on location. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have the most holidays.
Managing time off for a team? InvisibleHR handles Germany's leave requirements in Slack.