If you work with a UK team, ship to UK customers, or are planning a trip, you’ll want the 2027 bank holidays UK-wide on your calendar early. The short version: England and Wales have eight weekday bank holidays, Scotland has nine, and Northern Ireland has ten. Christmas Day lands on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, so the time off shifts to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December.
Below you’ll find every date by region, plus what bank holidays mean for pay, leave, payments, and deliveries.
2027 Bank Holidays UK: Full Date List by Region
The UK doesn’t have one national list. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each observe a slightly different set of days.
| Date | Holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year’s Day | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 4 Jan | New Year’s holiday (substitute for 2 Jan) | No | Yes | No |
| Wed 17 Mar | St Patrick’s Day | No | No | Yes |
| Fri 26 Mar | Good Friday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 29 Mar | Easter Monday | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mon 3 May | Early May bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 31 May | Spring bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 12 Jul | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) | No | No | Yes |
| Mon 2 Aug | Summer bank holiday | No | Yes | No |
| Mon 30 Aug | Summer bank holiday | Yes | No | Yes |
| Tue 30 Nov | St Andrew’s Day | No | Yes | No |
| Mon 27 Dec | Christmas holiday (substitute day) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tue 28 Dec | Christmas holiday (substitute day) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
A royal proclamation appointed 1 January, 3 May, and 28 December 2027 as bank holidays in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and 12 July as an extra one in Northern Ireland.
Most of the differences come down to a few quirks:
- Scotland skips Easter Monday. Scotland doesn’t have the Easter Monday bank holiday, but it does observe St Andrew’s Day, and it gets 2 January, which moves to Monday 4 January in 2027 because it falls on a Saturday.
- Summer comes at different times. Scotland’s summer bank holiday is the first Monday in August, while England, Wales, and Northern Ireland take theirs at the end of August.
- Northern Ireland adds two. St Patrick’s Day and 12 July are local to Northern Ireland.
If a bank holiday lands on a weekend, the next working day is generally treated as the bank holiday instead. That’s why Christmas 2027 gives you a Monday and Tuesday rather than a weekend.
Long Weekends Worth Planning Around
A few stretches make for natural breaks, or for slow response times from UK contacts:
- New Year: Friday 1 January to Sunday 3 January (to Monday 4 January in Scotland)
- Easter: Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March (Good Friday only in Scotland)
- Early May: Saturday 1 May to Monday 3 May
- Late May: Saturday 29 May to Monday 31 May
- August: Saturday 28 August to Monday 30 August (Scotland: 31 July to 2 August)
- Christmas: Saturday 25 December to Tuesday 28 December
What Bank Holidays Mean for Workers
Here’s where people often get tripped up. A bank holiday isn’t automatically a paid day off.
- No automatic right to the day. According to GOV.UK, employers don’t have to give bank holidays as paid leave, so your contract and employer policy decide.
- They can count toward annual leave. Full-time staff usually get 28 days of statutory leave, and that entitlement can include bank holidays. Part-time workers get a pro-rata share.
- Extra pay isn’t guaranteed. Some employers offer enhanced rates or time off in lieu for working a bank holiday. Check your contract.
If you’re based in the US, Canada, or Australia but work for a UK company, ask HR which regional calendar applies to you. A London office and an Edinburgh office won’t always be off on the same days.
What Businesses Should Plan For
If you trade with UK partners, suppliers, or customers, the calendar affects more than staffing.
- Payments: Some UK payment methods, such as CHAPS and Bacs, don’t settle on bank holidays, so transfers can land a working day late. Send invoices and payment runs early around long weekends.
- Deliveries: Couriers and freight operations often run reduced schedules, and customs clearance can slow down. Add buffer days to shipping estimates.
- Meetings and deadlines: Avoid setting launch dates or client deadlines on or just after a bank holiday.
- Time zones: UK clocks go forward on 28 March and back on 31 October 2027. US, Canadian, and Australian changeover dates differ, so your overlap with UK hours shifts at certain points in the year. Re-check meeting times around those dates.
Final Thoughts
The 2027 bank holidays UK calendar is simple once you know which region you’re dealing with. England and Wales share one list, while Scotland and Northern Ireland add or swap a few days of their own. Mark the dates now, confirm your contract terms, and build in extra time around the long weekends.
Governments occasionally add one-off holidays, so give the official GOV.UK bank holidays page a quick look before you lock in major plans.
FAQ
How many bank holidays are there in the UK in 2027?
England and Wales have eight weekday bank holidays, Scotland has nine, and Northern Ireland has ten.
Is Christmas Day 2027 a bank holiday?
Christmas Day falls on Saturday 25 December, and Boxing Day on Sunday 26 December. Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December serve as the substitute days off.
Do employers have to give time off on UK bank holidays?
Not automatically. Whether you get the day off, and whether it’s paid, depends on your contract.
Are bank holidays the same everywhere in the UK?
No. Scotland and Northern Ireland have days that England and Wales don’t, and the summer bank holiday falls on a different date in Scotland.
