Bank holidays
Bank holidays are holidays when banks and many other businesses are closed for the day. Public holidays are holidays which have been observed through custom and practice, such as Christmas Day. Find out about the bank and public holidays in Northern Ireland and employees' rights to pay or time off.
Bank and public holiday dates
The dates of upcoming bank and public holidays in Northern Ireland for 2025, 2026 and 2027 are listed at the following link:
When the usual date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the 'substitute day' is normally the following Monday.
Special bank holidays
There are laws that allow the dates of bank holidays to be changed, or other holidays to be declared, for example to celebrate special occasions.
Time off for employees
You don't have a legal right to paid leave on bank and public holidays, though many people get the day off work. Any right to time off or extra pay for working on a bank holiday depends on the terms of your contract of employment.
Find out more about your right to paid leave:
British Summer Time
British Summer Time (BST) starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October, at 1.00 am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT):
- in spring the clocks go forward, losing an hour - at 1.00 am GMT the UK moves to 2.00 am BST
- in autumn the clocks go back, giving an extra hour - at 2.00 am BST the UK moves to 1.00 am GMT
You can find out when the clocks change in 2025, 2026 and 2027 at the following link: