Deadline on a Dutch public holiday: how long do you have?
A deadline ending on a Dutch public holiday, Saturday or Sunday runs on to the next working day; one ending Wednesday, 5 May 2027 runs to 7 May 2027.
Deadline ending on Wednesday, 5 May 2027
Friday, 7 May 2027
Extended by 2 days up to and including the first day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or generally recognised holiday (section 1).
Example with typical figures — change any figure to see your own result
| Wed 5 May | Liberation Day |
| Thu 6 May | Ascension Day |
Applies to deadlines set by statute (objections, appeals, statutory payment terms); to a contractual term only if the contract refers to the Act. Not to periods counted backwards from an event.
| Day | Date | A deadline ending here runs until |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Fri 1 January | Mon 4 January |
| Good Friday | Fri 26 March | Tue 30 March |
| Easter Monday | Mon 29 March | Tue 30 March |
| King's Day | Tue 27 April | Wed 28 April |
| Liberation Day | Wed 5 May | Fri 7 May |
| Ascension Day | Thu 6 May | Fri 7 May |
| Whit Monday | Mon 17 May | Tue 18 May |
| Christmas Day | Sat 25 December | Mon 27 December |
| Boxing Day (Second Christmas Day) | Sun 26 December | Mon 27 December |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · checked on 13 November 2026
The General Time Limits Act (Algemene termijnenwet) sets what happens when a statutory deadline ends on a day nobody works. Section 1: if the last day is a Saturday, a Sunday or a generally recognised holiday, the deadline is extended up to and including the next day that is none of these. Section 3 lists the recognised holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, both Christmas days, the day the King's birthday is celebrated and 5 May. Good Friday is treated the same by decree. Section 2 adds that a deadline of at least three days must contain at least two working days. The act covers deadlines set by law, such as objections, appeals and statutory payment terms, and contracts that refer to it. An example from 2027: a deadline ending on Liberation Day, Wednesday 5 May, runs past Ascension to Friday, 7 May 2027.
Deadline on a public holiday in 2027: examples
| Deadline ends on | Runs on to | Extra days |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, 26 March 2027 | Tuesday, 30 March 2027 | 4 |
| Tuesday, 27 April 2027 | Wednesday, 28 April 2027 | 1 |
| Wednesday, 5 May 2027 | Friday, 7 May 2027 | 2 |
| Saturday, 25 December 2027 | Monday, 27 December 2027 | 2 |
| Saturday, 1 January 2028 | Monday, 3 January 2028 | 2 |
The text of the act is on wetten.overheid.nl. Which holidays fall in a year is on the government list. The tool at the top applies section 1 to any date and, if you enter the length of the deadline, section 2 too.
What the act does not cover
Deadlines counted back from an event, such as “no later than ten days before the hearing”, are not extended. Contract terms that do not refer to the act fall outside it too. When in doubt, file in time, ideally a working day before the end.
Does your deadline end on a holiday?
Example: deadline ending on Ascension Day 2027 — change any figure to see your own result
Runs up to and including
Fri 7 May
| Original endThursday, 6 May 2027 | |
| Extension | 1 day |
General Time Limits Act, sections 1 and 3. Easter Sunday and Whit Sunday are Sundays.
Which days are holidays in 2027 is also shown in the calendar 2027.