Overview
- The federal statistics office’s baseline shows an average of 250.5 working days in 2026, 2.4 more than in 2025.
- Several public holidays fall unfavorably for long weekends, with the Day of German Unity and Boxing Day landing on Saturday, while New Year’s Day falls on Thursday and Ascension Day on May 14, enabling short breaks with a single day off.
- Combining Ascension Day with Pentecost Monday on May 25 can create extended stretches, and Easter week also offers ten-day blocks with four vacation days.
- Regional holidays expand options: Epiphany on Tuesday, January 6, benefits Baden‑Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony‑Anhalt; Corpus Christi on Thursday, June 4, applies in several western and southern states; the Day of Repentance on Wednesday, November 18, is a Saxony‑only opportunity.
- Media planning guides estimate sizable returns on leave, with BILD calculating about 51 days off from 21 vacation days and other tools suggesting up to 67 days from 30 in Bavaria, while labor-law counsel urges transparent allocation, written confirmations and adherence to approved leave except for unforeseeable urgent operational needs.