Holiday and Days Off in Denmark (the Holiday Act) (2026 Legal Guide) — Rules & Requirements
About this article
Sourced from Danish Acts of Parliament (love), executive orders (bekendtgørelser), and official government guidance. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
The Holiday Act guarantees every employee in Denmark generous paid holiday:
- 5 weeks (25 days) of paid holiday per year.
- Holiday is accrued and taken under a concurrent model — you accrue 2.08 days per month and can use them from the following month (September-to-December holiday is accrued from September of the previous year).
- Holiday pay: Salaried employees receive their ordinary salary during the holiday. Hourly-paid employees receive 12.5% of their total pay as holiday pay.
- Holiday supplement: Salaried employees receive a further 1% of their annual salary as a holiday bonus (many collective agreements raise this to 1.5% or more).
- You have the right to take 3 consecutive weeks in the main holiday period (1 May – 30 September).
When does it apply?
- You are an employee in Denmark — the Act applies to all employees regardless of sector or contract type.
- Both full-time and part-time employees accrue holiday proportionally.
- New employees start to accrue holiday from their first working day.
What to do if the employer does not pay holiday pay
- Plan your main holiday early — the employer must confirm dates no later than 3 months before the main holiday period.
- If the employer refuses holiday, contact your trade union or the dispute body for your collective agreement.
- Unused holiday can be carried over to the next year by written agreement (up to 1 week) or paid out on termination of employment.
- Check your payslip for holiday accrual — it should correspond to 12.5% (hourly-paid) or the salary-continuation model (salaried).
What should you NOT do?
- Don't let unused holiday lapse — the 5th week can be carried over or paid out by agreement. The first 4 weeks are protected by EU law.
- Don't confuse holiday pay with salary — if you are hourly-paid, your 12.5% holiday pay is separate from your ordinary salary.
- Don't accept a contract with fewer than 25 days — the Holiday Act minimum cannot be set aside by individual agreement.
About Employment Law & Working Conditions in Denmark
Your work in Denmark rests on the so-called flexicurity model — there is no statutory minimum wage, but collective agreements (overenskomster) at sector level cover around 80% of employees. Ferieloven (the Holiday Act) gives you 25 days of paid holiday a year, accrued monthly. Salaried employees (funktionærer) have enhanced notice periods and protection against unfair dismissal under funktionærloven (the Salaried Employees Act). The working environment is governed by arbejdsmiljøloven (the Working Environment Act), enforced by Arbejdstilsynet. Collective-agreement disputes are heard by Arbejdsretten (the Labour Court); individual cases are heard by the ordinary courts.
Common Questions
How many holiday days am I entitled to in Denmark?
The Holiday Act guarantees 5 weeks (25 days) of paid holiday per year for every employee. Holiday is accrued and taken under a concurrent model — you accrue 2.08 days per month and can use them from the following month. Both full-time and part-time employees accrue holiday proportionally from their first working day.
How is holiday pay calculated in Denmark?
Salaried employees receive their ordinary salary during the holiday plus a holiday supplement of 1%, which many collective agreements raise to 1.5% or more. Hourly-paid employees receive 12.5% of their total pay as holiday pay, separate from their ordinary salary. Check your payslip for the accrual.
Can I carry over unused holiday to the next year in Denmark?
The 5th week can be carried over to the next year by written agreement or paid out on termination of employment. The first 4 weeks are protected by EU law. You have the right to 3 consecutive weeks in the main holiday period (1 May – 30 September), and the employer must confirm dates no later than 3 months before.
What is the holiday and days off right in Denmark?
The Holiday Act guarantees every employee in Denmark generous paid holiday:5 weeks (25 days) of paid holiday per year.Holiday is accrued and taken under a concurrent model — you accrue 2.08 days per month and can use them from the following month (September-to-December holiday is accrued from September of the previous year).Holiday pay: Salaried employees receive their ordinary salary during the holiday. Hourly-paid employees receive 12.5% of their total pay as holiday pay.Holiday supplement: Salaried employees receive a further 1% of their annual salary as a holiday bonus (many collective...
When does it apply — holiday and days off?
You are an employee in Denmark — the Act applies to all employees regardless of sector or contract type.Both full-time and part-time employees accrue holiday proportionally.New employees start to accrue holiday from their first working day.
What do I do if the employer does not pay holiday pay or refuses to let me take my 5 weeks?
Plan your main holiday early — the employer must confirm dates no later than 3 months before the main holiday period.If the employer refuses holiday, contact your trade union or the dispute body for your collective agreement.Unused holiday can be carried over to the next year by written agreement (up to 1 week) or paid out on termination of employment.Check your payslip for holiday accrual — it should correspond to 12.5% (hourly-paid) or the salary-continuation model (salaried).
What should you NOT do — holiday and days off?
Don't let unused holiday lapse — the 5th week can be carried over or paid out by agreement. The first 4 weeks are protected by EU law.Don't confuse holiday pay with salary — if you are hourly-paid, your 12.5% holiday pay is separate from your ordinary salary.Don't accept a contract with fewer than 25 days — the Holiday Act minimum cannot be set aside by individual agreement.