Germany public holidays 2026: what employers need to know
Key takeaways
- 9 nationwide public holidays apply in all 16 Bundesländer; states add their own, so totals range from about 10 to 13 (e.g. Bavaria up to 13).
- ArbZG Section 9 keeps employees off work on applicable holidays; EFZG Section 2 requires full pay for lost working time.
- Rules follow the employee's regular place of work, not the employer's HQ, which is critical for distributed and remote teams.
Introduction
Germany has 9 nationwide public holidays (gesetzliche Feiertage) in 2026, plus additional state-only days. Under the Working Hours Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz, ArbZG), employers must release staff from work on the holidays that apply where they work; under the Continued Remuneration Act (Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz, EFZG), regular wages continue for working time lost because of those holidays.
For cross-border employers, the decisive rule is: the employee's place of work determines the calendar. A Hamburg HQ with a remote worker in Munich must apply Bavarian holidays for that person.
Key facts at a glance
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Nationwide holidays (2026) | 9 (all states) |
| Maximum in any state | 13 (e.g. Bavaria) |
| Governed by | ArbZG, EFZG, state Feiertagsgesetze |
| Paid time off on public holidays? | Yes, under ArbZG Section 9 and EFZG Section 2 |
| Only federal statutory public holiday | German Unity Day (3 October) |
Nationwide public holidays 2026 (all 16 states)
| Date | Day | Holiday (English) | Local name | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Thursday | New Year's Day | Neujahr | All states |
| 3 Apr | Friday | Good Friday | Karfreitag | All states |
| 6 Apr | Monday | Easter Monday | Ostermontag | All states |
| 1 May | Friday | Labour Day | Tag der Arbeit | All states |
| 14 May | Thursday | Ascension Day | Christi Himmelfahrt | All states |
| 25 May | Monday | Whit Monday | Pfingstmontag | All states |
| 3 Oct | Saturday | German Unity Day | Tag der Deutschen Einheit | All states |
| 25 Dec | Friday | Christmas Day | Erster Weihnachtstag | All states |
| 26 Dec | Saturday | Second Day of Christmas | Zweiter Weihnachtstag | All states |
Weekend holidays in 2026: German Unity Day (3 October, Saturday) and the Second Day of Christmas (26 December, Saturday) fall on weekends. There is no statutory substitute day. Check the applicable Tarifvertrag or employment contract.
Bridge days (Brückentage): Labour Day falls on a Friday. Ascension Day falls on a Thursday, so expect leave requests for adjacent days. Plan staffing and payroll cut-offs early.
Regional public holidays by state (2026)
Additional dates depend on where the employee normally works.
| Date | Day | Holiday (English) | Local name | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jan | Tuesday | Epiphany | Heilige Drei Könige | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt |
| 8 Mar | Sunday | International Women's Day | Internationaler Frauentag | Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| 5 Apr | Sunday | Easter Sunday | Ostersonntag | Brandenburg only |
| 4 Jun | Thursday | Corpus Christi | Fronleichnam | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland; parts of Saxony and Thuringia |
| 8 Aug | Saturday | Augsburg Peace Festival | Augsburger Friedensfest | Bavaria (Augsburg city only) |
| 15 Aug | Saturday | Assumption of Mary | Mariä Himmelfahrt | Saarland; Catholic communities in Bavaria |
| 31 Oct | Saturday | Reformation Day | Reformationstag | Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia |
| 1 Nov | Sunday | All Saints' Day | Allerheiligen | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland |
| 18 Nov | Wednesday | Repentance and Prayer Day | Buß- und Bettag | Saxony only |
Holiday count by state (2026)
| State | Total public holidays (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | 12 |
| Bavaria | 13 |
| Berlin | 10 |
| Brandenburg | 11 |
| Bremen | 10 |
| Hamburg | 10 |
| Hesse | 10 |
| Lower Saxony | 10 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 10 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 11 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | 11 |
| Saarland | 12 |
| Saxony | 11 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 11 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 10 |
| Thuringia | 11 |
Employer and payroll obligations
Statutory paid time off
ArbZG Section 9 keeps employees off work on applicable public holidays; EFZG Section 2 preserves full regular pay for working time lost. Public holidays do not reduce Bundesurlaubsgesetz annual leave (minimum 20 days on a five-day week; many contracts offer 25–30 days).
Legal reference: ArbZG Section 9 · EFZG Section 2 · BUrlG (annual leave separate from public holidays). ArbZG fines can reach up to €15,000 per violation in serious cases.
Which state's calendar applies?
The federal state where the employee actually works governs, including remote workers. The Federal Labour Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht, 1 August 2024, 6 AZR 38/24) ties entitlement to the regular place of employment even when someone works elsewhere temporarily.
Weekend holidays
No automatic substitute day under federal law. In 2026, German Unity Day (Saturday), Reformation Day (Saturday, where observed), All Saints' Day (Sunday, where observed), and the Second Day of Christmas (Saturday) can fall on non-working days without a statutory replacement. Collective agreements or contracts may provide otherwise.
Working on a public holiday
Work on public holidays is restricted; exceptions cover sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, transport, and emergencies. Compensatory time off is central; supplements follow agreement or Tarifvertrag. Certain holiday bonuses can qualify for tax relief within statutory caps.
What this means for international employers
Teams spread across Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin run four different holiday calendars in parallel. April–May 2026 packs Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, and Whit Monday within eight weeks.
Payroll engines should key off employee work location. Without a German entity, an EOR is a common way to apply the right state calendars, ArbZG/EFZG pay rules, and sector collective agreements across all Bundesländer.
Hiring in Germany?
Jackson & Frank supports EOR, visas, and outsourced HR and payroll across Germany and the DACH region. Contact our team to align calendars and compliance.
Sources
- Federal government, German Unity Day / national holidays: bundesregierung.de
- ArbZG (gesetze-im-internet.de): gesetze-im-internet.de
- EFZG (gesetze-im-internet.de): gesetze-im-internet.de
- BUrlG (gesetze-im-internet.de): gesetze-im-internet.de
- Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior, holiday law overview: mi.niedersachsen.de
- North Rhine-Westphalia legal database, holiday law: recht.nrw.de