Bridge days 2027 in Netherlands

The Netherlands has nine national public holidays in 2027, and this year stands out for two reasons. First, Easter falls unusually early -- Easter Monday lands on March 29, giving you a major bridge day window in late March rather than April. Second, Liberation Day on May 5 and Ascension Day on May 6 fall on consecutive days (Wednesday and Thursday), creating a rare double-holiday cluster that makes May exceptionally efficient for leave planning. Together, these two features make 2027 one of the more distinctive years in the Dutch holiday calendar.

Dutch employment law guarantees a minimum of 20 vacation days per year for full-time employees working 40 hours per week. Many employers offer 25 days or more depending on the applicable CAO (collective labour agreement). One important note: Good Friday is not an official public holiday in the Netherlands. Whether you have the day off depends on your CAO or employer policy. Liberation Day on May 5 is similar -- many employees only receive it as a paid day off in lustrum years (every five years), though this varies by CAO. Since 2027 is not a lustrum year, check your own employment terms to confirm whether May 5 counts as a free day for you. For a comparison with last year, see our Netherlands 2026 bridge day guide.

Here is a month-by-month breakdown of bridge day potential in 2027:

January: New Year's Day falls on Friday January 1, automatically creating a three-day weekend from Friday through Sunday with no leave required. A free long weekend to start the year.

February: No public holidays. A good month to conserve leave for the strong March window ahead.

March: This is the first major highlight of 2027. Good Friday falls on Friday March 26 and Easter Monday on Monday March 29. If your employer recognises Good Friday as a day off, you get an automatic four-day Easter weekend from Friday through Monday at no leave cost. Take Tuesday March 30 off and you extend this to five consecutive days for one leave day -- a 5:1 efficiency ratio. For a longer Easter holiday, take the week of Monday March 22 through Thursday March 25 off (four working days) and you get ten consecutive days from Saturday March 20 through Monday March 29. That is a 2.5:1 ratio and the single strongest leave block of the entire year.

April: King's Day on Tuesday April 27 is the only holiday this month. Take Monday April 26 off and you create a four-day weekend from Saturday April 24 through Tuesday April 27, spending just one leave day. A compact but effective bridge day at a 4:1 ratio.

May: The second peak period of 2027. Liberation Day on Wednesday May 5 and Ascension Day on Thursday May 6 fall back to back -- an unusual and powerful combination. Take Monday May 3, Tuesday May 4 and Friday May 7 off (three leave days) and you get nine consecutive days from Saturday May 1 through Sunday May 9. That is a 3:1 ratio and a remarkably efficient spring break.

Whit Monday on Monday May 17 automatically delivers a three-day weekend. Want to combine everything? Take the working days of Tuesday May 11 through Friday May 14 off (four leave days) and you connect the early May block to Whit Monday. The result: seventeen consecutive days off from Saturday May 1 through Monday May 17, using seven leave days total. That is the longest unbroken holiday you can build in 2027.

June through September: No Dutch public holidays. These months are best suited for your regular summer vacation. Tip: book your summer leave early because the most popular school holiday weeks get claimed quickly.

October and November: No public holidays. Quiet months for saving remaining leave days for December.

December: Christmas Day on Saturday December 25 and Second Christmas Day on Sunday December 26 both fall on weekends in 2027. There is no direct bridge day advantage at Christmas itself. The best strategy is to take the week of Monday December 20 through Friday December 24 off (five working days). Combined with the weekend of December 18 and 19 and the Christmas weekend, you get nine consecutive days off. Add the days between Christmas and New Year for an even longer year-end break.

Your three key strategies for 2027 are as follows. First, seize the early Easter in March for a holiday of five or ten days. This is a rare opportunity that does not come around every year. Second, combine Liberation Day and Ascension Day in May for a powerful leave block of nine days, and optionally extend it to seventeen days by including Whit Monday. Third, plan the Christmas week well in advance, since the weekend positioning of both Christmas days means you need five leave days for a proper festive break.

Anyone who targets both the March and May windows can realistically turn ten to thirteen leave days into more than thirty actual days off. That is an excellent return on your leave investment.

Curious how the Netherlands compares to other European countries? See which European country has the best bridge days in 2027. Submit your leave requests as early as possible. The early Easter in March is a rare occurrence and many colleagues will want the same periods. The earlier you plan, the more choice you have.

Use the planner below to build your ideal 2027 leave schedule and explore every bridge day opportunity.