Reviewed annual edition 2026

Vacation Planning Guide for Germany

Three checks create clarity before you compare and request vacation days.

Reviewed 2026 edition

Reviewed vacation windows for 2026

Each German scenario names the controlling state scope and keeps public holidays separate from requested employee leave.

1 January 2026 - 4 January 2026

New Year: one leave day for four free days

New Year's Day falls on Thursday 1 January 2026. Taking Friday 2 January as leave extends the break through Sunday 4 January. One leave day therefore creates exactly four free days, with the nationwide holiday and weekend providing the other three.

Important: 2 January is not a nationwide statutory holiday. Company shutdowns, working-time accounts or collective agreements may treat it differently, but without such a rule or approved leave, Friday remains a normal working day.

Leave days: 1
Free days: 4
Request: 2 January 2026

28 March 2026 - 6 April 2026

Easter: four leave days create ten free days

The Easter window runs from Saturday 28 March through Monday 6 April 2026. Request Monday 30 March through Thursday 2 April, a total of four leave days. Good Friday and Easter Monday are nationwide holidays. Together with both weekends, they create exactly ten free days.

Important: All four leave days need approval; Maundy Thursday is not a statutory holiday. School breaks and travel demand differ by federal state, so check the employment calculation separately from school calendars, childcare and bookings.

Leave days: 4
Free days: 10
Request: 30 March 2026, 31 March 2026, 1 April 2026, 2 April 2026

14 May 2026 - 17 May 2026

Ascension: nationwide Thursday plus Friday

Ascension Day on Thursday 14 May 2026 is a nationwide holiday. One leave day on Friday 15 May creates a four-day break through Sunday 17 May. The nationwide Thursday plus Friday leave is the classic bridge-day pattern.

Important: Friday remains a normal working day without approved leave. Ascension is also a busy travel and excursion date, so review the rota, transport outlook and accommodation early while keeping those decisions separate.

Leave days: 1
Free days: 4
Request: 15 May 2026

25 December 2026 - 3 January 2027

Christmas to New Year: ten days with four leave days

The window begins on Friday 25 December 2026 and ends on Sunday 3 January 2027. Leave is needed from 28 through 31 December, four days in total. Christmas Day and New Year's Day 2027 anchor the block, so four leave days create exactly ten free days.

Important: Boxing Day falls on Saturday in 2026 and adds no free weekday for a Monday-to-Friday schedule. New Year's Eve is not a statutory holiday, so 31 December remains explicitly one of the four leave days.

Leave days: 4
Free days: 10
Request: 28 December 2026, 29 December 2026, 30 December 2026, 31 December 2026

Practical rule

Overview before request

New Year, Easter week, Ascension and the Christmas-to-New-Year period provide the clearest combinations in this 2026 selection. Two create four free days from one leave day; Easter and Christmas each create ten free days from four leave days. The Christmas calculation already includes New Year's Day 2027. Part-time work, shifts, company shutdowns and collective agreements can change an individual's required leave.

Regional rules

Check the place where the rule applies

Beyond nationwide holidays, statutory days differ by federal state and sometimes even by municipality. Corpus Christi, Reformation Day, All Saints' Day, Assumption Day and the Augsburg Peace Festival cannot be applied to every calendar. Check the federal state where the employment rule applies, not only home or destination, and confirm local exceptions with the employer.

School calendars

School breaks follow their own calendar

School holidays are set by the federal states. Easter, summer, autumn and Christmas breaks therefore do not start on the same date everywhere, and movable closure days can vary by school. Families should check the relevant federal state and school calendar before requesting leave. A nationwide holiday does not mean identical school breaks or automatically available childcare.

No-gain date

A holiday can still be useful without improving leave efficiency

German Unity Day creates no bridge-day gain in 2026 because it falls on Saturday, 3 October. Employees on a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule receive no additional free weekday from it. Any regional or workplace substitute arrangement must be checked separately and is not part of the general holiday calculation.

Planning route

From overview to a usable vacation plan

The German decision path is federal state, state holiday rule, workplace approval and then the matching KMK calendar.

1. Orient

Start with the full year

Begin with the German federal state because state holiday law and KMK school ranges can make the same week work differently.

Open overview
2. Localize

Choose the relevant region

Choose the state where the workplace or school sits. A holiday in Bavaria or Berlin may be a normal working day elsewhere.

Check region
3. Compare

Turn dates into leave efficiency

Evaluate Brückentage against that state's holidays, then keep only working days allowed by the contract and employer.

Open planner
4. Coordinate

Check school breaks and calendar weeks

Families should use the KMK range for their state; payroll and project teams can assign the approved block to ISO weeks.

Use calendar weeks
5. Keep

Save the decision where it is used

Keep the federal state and year in the calendar subscription, and create a fresh export after state or source changes.

Open calendar subscription

Keep it portable

Export when the dates are settled

Export only the settled federal-state view and approved leave dates so downstream HR or calendar tools retain the right scope.

Open export

Data basis

Official-source-backed planning context

The guide uses the same source basis as the tools: statutory holiday rules, regional scope, school-break calendars and practical planning views for Germany.

Working Time Act § 9 KMK holiday calendar How we maintain this data