Working days UK 2027 total 253 in England and Wales, 252 in Scotland and 251 in Northern Ireland. The year has 261 weekdays, and each region removes its own bank holidays. Two of those holidays are substitute days for Christmas and Boxing Day, which fall on a weekend in 2027. This guide lists every bank holiday by region, shows the month by month count and explains how to plan leave and deadlines.
Need to count a specific range? Use the business days between dates calculator, select the United Kingdom and check the regional table below for Scotland or Northern Ireland days that apply to you.
How Many Working Days Are in the UK in 2027?
The working days UK 2027 figure depends on where you work. England and Wales have 253 working days, Scotland has 252 and Northern Ireland has 251. The year starts and ends on a Friday, so it holds 261 weekdays. Each region removes its bank holidays, and every one of them lands on a weekday.
These totals assume a standard Monday to Friday week. They do not include company shutdown days, local holidays set by Scottish councils or shift patterns. For a general method, read our guide on how many business days are in a month.
Which Bank Holidays Fall in 2027 in Each UK Region?
England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2027. Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10. New Year’s Day, Good Friday, the Early May bank holiday, the Spring bank holiday and the two Christmas substitute days apply in all three regions. The other dates differ, as the table shows.
| Date | Bank Holiday | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year’s Day | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mon 4 Jan | 2nd January (substitute day) | 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 | 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 Day (substitute day) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tue 28 Dec | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Total | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Confirm any date on the official GOV.UK bank holidays page before you book leave or set a deadline. The working days UK 2027 totals in this guide follow that list.
Working Days UK 2027 by Month
The table below shows the working days UK 2027 month by month. The weekday column counts Monday to Friday before any bank holiday is removed. The three region columns show the working days left after each region removes its bank holidays.
| Month | Weekdays | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| March | 23 | 21 | 22 | 20 |
| April | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| July | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| August | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| October | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| November | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| December | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 253 | 252 | 251 |
May is the shortest month in all three regions, with 19 working days, because both the Early May and Spring bank holidays fall inside it. March shows the widest gap, from 20 working days in Northern Ireland to 22 in Scotland. For a state by state comparison, see our Australia 2027 working days guide.
Why Do Scotland and Northern Ireland Have Different Bank Holidays?
Each part of the UK sets its own bank holiday list. Scotland adds 2nd January and St Andrew’s Day, takes its summer bank holiday on 2 August and does not observe Easter Monday as a bank holiday. In 2027, 2 January falls on a Saturday, so Scotland moves it to Monday 4 January.
Northern Ireland follows the England and Wales list and adds St Patrick’s Day on 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne on 12 July. These gaps explain why Scotland has one fewer working day than England and Wales, and why Northern Ireland has two fewer. They also change the working days UK 2027 total for any team that spans regions.
What Happens When a Bank Holiday Falls on a Weekend?
When a bank holiday lands on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute weekday is named so the number of holidays stays the same. This happens twice in 2027. Christmas Day falls on Saturday 25 December and Boxing Day falls on Sunday 26 December. The substitute days are Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December in all three regions.
New Year’s Day 2028 also falls on a Saturday, so its substitute day is Monday 3 January 2028 in England and Wales. That day belongs to 2028 and is not in the working days UK 2027 totals above. Between the two Christmas substitute days and the weekend, only three working days remain in the last week of the year, on 29, 30 and 31 December.
How Do Bank Holidays Affect Annual Leave in 2027?
Most workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year by law, which is 28 days for a five day week. Employers are allowed to count bank holidays toward that amount, so your contract decides whether a bank holiday is an extra day off or part of your leave.
Two bridges stand out in 2027. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, taking Monday 22 to Thursday 25 March gives you 10 days in a row around Easter for 4 days of leave. In England and Wales, taking 29, 30 and 31 December gives you 10 days in a row through Monday 3 January 2028 for 3 days of leave. Plan around the working days UK 2027 pattern early, because these weeks fill up fast.
How Do You Count Working Days for a 2027 Deadline?
Start by deciding whether the trigger day counts. In most deadline rules it does not, as explained in our guide on whether the first day counts. Then skip weekends and the bank holidays of the region that applies to you.
For example, 10 working days from Monday 22 March 2027 end on Wednesday 7 April in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, because Good Friday and Easter Monday are skipped. The same count ends on Tuesday 6 April in Scotland, where Easter Monday is a working day. The add business days to a date calculator runs this count for you, and the notice period calculator finds a last working day. Check business days versus calendar days in your contract before you count, since each one gives a different date.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many working days are there in the UK in 2027? | England and Wales have 253 working days in 2027, Scotland has 252 and Northern Ireland has 251. These totals use a Monday to Friday week and remove each region’s bank holidays from the 261 weekdays in the year. |
| How many bank holidays are there in the UK in 2027? | England and Wales have 8 bank holidays, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10. |
| When are the Christmas bank holidays in 2027? | Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend in 2027. The bank holidays move to Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December in all UK regions. |
| Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland? | No. Easter Monday is a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, on 29 March 2027. Scotland observes Good Friday on 26 March but not Easter Monday. |
| Do employers have to give bank holidays off? | There is no automatic legal right to time off on a bank holiday. Your contract sets it. By law most workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, which is 28 days for a five day week, and employers are allowed to count bank holidays toward that amount. |
| Is New Year’s Day 2028 part of the 2027 count? | No. New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday, so the substitute bank holiday is Monday 3 January 2028 in England and Wales. It is not part of the 2027 totals. |
Related Calculators
- Business Days Between Two Dates
- Add Business Days to a Date
- Subtract Business Days from a Date
- Notice Period Calculator
- Deadline Calculator
Last updated: October 2026.