If you searched for UK bank holidays 2025, the key thing to know is that the UK does not have one identical bank-holiday calendar. England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each have their own official dates, with Scotland and Northern Ireland observing additional holidays.
The 2025 bank holidays have now passed, but the dates remain useful for checking past payroll records, planning annual leave, understanding payment dates, or comparing holiday calendars. This guide covers every official bank holiday in 2025 and explains the differences between the UK’s four nations.
UK Bank Holidays 2025: Quick Overview
For most people in England and Wales, there were eight bank holidays in 2025. Scotland had nine, while Northern Ireland had ten because of its additional national holidays.
Here is the quickest way to understand the 2025 calendar:
| Date | Day | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Wednesday | New Year’s Day | New Year’s Day | New Year’s Day |
| 2 January | Thursday | — | 2nd January | — |
| 17 March | Monday | — | — | St Patrick’s Day |
| 18 April | Friday | Good Friday | Good Friday | Good Friday |
| 21 April | Monday | Easter Monday | — | Easter Monday |
| 5 May | Monday | Early May bank holiday | Early May bank holiday | Early May bank holiday |
| 26 May | Monday | Spring bank holiday | Spring bank holiday | Spring bank holiday |
| 14 July | Monday | — | — | Battle of the Boyne substitute day |
| 4 August | Monday | — | Summer bank holiday | — |
| 25 August | Monday | Summer bank holiday | — | Summer bank holiday |
| 1 December | Monday | — | St Andrew’s Day substitute day | — |
| 25 December | Thursday | Christmas Day | Christmas Day | Christmas Day |
| 26 December | Friday | Boxing Day | Boxing Day | Boxing Day |
The important point is that UK bank holidays 2025 varied by location. A holiday listed for Scotland, for example, was not automatically a bank holiday in England or Wales.
UK Bank Holidays 2025 in England and Wales
England and Wales had eight official bank holidays in 2025, beginning with New Year’s Day and ending with Boxing Day. There were no special substitute days because Christmas Day and Boxing Day fell on Thursday and Friday.
England and Wales 2025 dates
- Wednesday, 1 January — New Year’s Day
- Friday, 18 April — Good Friday
- Monday, 21 April — Easter Monday
- Monday, 5 May — Early May bank holiday
- Monday, 26 May — Spring bank holiday
- Monday, 25 August — Summer bank holiday
- Thursday, 25 December — Christmas Day
- Friday, 26 December — Boxing Day
This created several useful long weekends. Good Friday and Easter Monday produced a four-day Easter break for workers whose employers closed on bank holidays, while the May and August holidays each fell on a Monday.
Christmas was particularly straightforward in 2025. Christmas Day fell on Thursday and Boxing Day on Friday, creating a four-day Thursday-to-Sunday period when the following weekend is included.
That does not automatically mean every employee received four days away from work. Employers can require staff to work on bank holidays, depending on the employment contract and workplace arrangements.
UK Bank Holidays 2025 in Scotland
Scotland had nine UK bank holidays in 2025, including 2nd January and a substitute day for St Andrew’s Day. The Scottish calendar therefore differed noticeably from England and Wales, particularly at the beginning and end of the year.
Scotland 2025 dates
- Wednesday, 1 January — New Year’s Day
- Thursday, 2 January — 2nd January
- Friday, 18 April — Good Friday
- Monday, 5 May — Early May bank holiday
- Monday, 26 May — Spring bank holiday
- Monday, 4 August — Summer bank holiday
- Monday, 1 December — St Andrew’s Day substitute day
- Thursday, 25 December — Christmas Day
- Friday, 26 December — Boxing Day
One easy mistake is assuming Scotland uses the same late-summer bank holiday as England and Wales. It does not: in 2025, Scotland’s summer bank holiday was Monday 4 August, while England and Wales and Northern Ireland observed their summer holiday on Monday 25 August.
Scotland also observed 2nd January as a bank holiday, which is not part of the standard England and Wales calendar.
UK Bank Holidays 2025 in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland had ten bank holidays in 2025, including St Patrick’s Day and a substitute day for the Battle of the Boyne holiday. These additional dates make Northern Ireland’s calendar different from both England and Wales and Scotland.
Northern Ireland 2025 dates
- Wednesday, 1 January — New Year’s Day
- Monday, 17 March — St Patrick’s Day
- Friday, 18 April — Good Friday
- Monday, 21 April — Easter Monday
- Monday, 5 May — Early May bank holiday
- Monday, 26 May — Spring bank holiday
- Monday, 14 July — Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) substitute day
- Monday, 25 August — Summer bank holiday
- Thursday, 25 December — Christmas Day
- Friday, 26 December — Boxing Day
The 14 July date is particularly important. The Battle of the Boyne holiday is associated with 12 July, but because 12 July 2025 fell on a Saturday, the official bank holiday was observed on Monday 14 July.
Northern Ireland therefore had two additional bank holidays compared with England and Wales: St Patrick’s Day and the substitute Battle of the Boyne holiday.
What Was the Difference Between the UK Nations in 2025?
The biggest difference was not the common holidays but the additional regional dates. England and Wales had eight holidays, Scotland had nine, and Northern Ireland had ten in the official 2025 calendar.
A simple comparison makes the differences clearer:
| Nation | Bank holidays in 2025 | Notable additional dates |
| England | 8 | Standard England & Wales calendar |
| Wales | 8 | Standard England & Wales calendar |
| Scotland | 9 | 2nd January, 4 August, St Andrew’s substitute |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | St Patrick’s Day, 14 July substitute |
This comparison is useful for employers, payroll teams and anyone travelling between UK nations. A date that appears to be a normal working day in one part of the UK may be a bank holiday elsewhere.
For example, 4 August 2025 was a Scottish bank holiday but a normal working day under the England and Wales bank-holiday calendar. Conversely, 25 August 2025 was the summer bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not Scotland.
Do Bank Holidays Mean You Automatically Get a Day Off?
No. A bank holiday does not automatically give every employee an additional paid day off. Your employment contract determines whether bank holidays are included within your annual leave entitlement or provided separately.
For example, an employer might advertise 28 days of annual leave including bank holidays. Another employer might provide a different arrangement, provided it meets the applicable statutory holiday requirements.
This distinction matters when calculating how much annual leave you actually have. Simply counting the bank holidays on a calendar is not enough to determine your personal holiday entitlement.
Employees should check their employment contract, staff handbook or HR policy rather than assuming a bank holiday means their workplace will close.
How Did Bank Holidays Affect Payments in 2025?
Bank holidays can change the date on which some government benefits and other payments arrive. GOV.UK specifically notes that bank holidays may affect when benefits are paid.
This is particularly relevant when a scheduled payment falls on a bank holiday. In those situations, the payment may be made on a different working day.
The exact arrangement depends on the payment and the organisation making it. If you are expecting an important payment around a bank holiday, checking the relevant government or provider schedule is safer than assuming the usual payment date will apply.
Bank holidays can also affect banking services, financial processing and business opening hours, although individual banks and businesses set their own operating arrangements.
Which 2025 Bank Holidays Created Long Weekends?
Good Friday, Easter Monday and the Monday bank holidays naturally created opportunities for longer breaks. However, the actual time off depended on whether the person’s workplace closed on those dates.
For England and Wales, the main long-weekend opportunities were:
- 18–21 April: Good Friday through Easter Monday
- 3–5 May: Early May bank-holiday weekend
- 24–26 May: Spring bank-holiday weekend
- 23–25 August: Summer bank-holiday weekend
- 25–28 December: Christmas Day through the weekend
Scotland had a different summer break, with its bank holiday on 4 August. Northern Ireland had additional long-weekend opportunities around St Patrick’s Day and the August summer holiday.
The practical lesson is that checking the national calendar before booking annual leave can help avoid planning mistakes.
Are Bank Holidays the Same as Public Holidays?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they are not always identical in UK usage. A bank holiday is a day recognised under the UK’s bank-holiday arrangements, while public holidays can also refer to holidays established through other arrangements or local practice.
Scotland, in particular, has public holidays that can vary locally. GOV.UK’s bank-holiday calendar should therefore be used when you specifically need the statutory bank-holiday dates rather than a complete list of every local holiday.
This distinction matters for businesses and travellers. A local public holiday may affect opening hours without appearing on the national bank-holiday list.
Why 2025 Is Useful to Check Now
Although UK bank holidays 2025 are historical as of 2026, checking the calendar still has practical value. Past holiday dates can matter when reviewing payroll, invoices, delivery schedules, benefit payments, employment records and business performance.
It is also useful for comparing annual leave patterns across years. For instance, Christmas fell on Thursday in 2025, while future years can place Christmas and Boxing Day differently across the working week.
If you are checking a historical payment or deadline, use the calendar for the specific UK nation involved rather than relying on a generic “UK holiday” list.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UK bank holidays were there in 2025?
There was no single number for the entire UK. England and Wales had eight, Scotland had nine, and Northern Ireland had ten official bank holidays in 2025.
What was the first UK bank holiday in 2025?
New Year’s Day was the first bank holiday across all four UK nations. It fell on Wednesday, 1 January 2025. Scotland then had another bank holiday on Thursday, 2 January.
What was the last bank holiday of 2025 in England and Wales?
The last two were Christmas Day on Thursday, 25 December, and Boxing Day on Friday, 26 December.
Did Scotland have different bank holidays in 2025?
Yes. Scotland had 2nd January and a different summer bank holiday date. It also observed a substitute day for St Andrew’s Day on 1 December.
Did Northern Ireland have more bank holidays than England in 2025?
Yes. Northern Ireland had ten compared with eight in England and Wales. Its additional dates included St Patrick’s Day and the substitute Battle of the Boyne holiday.
Was 4 August 2025 a bank holiday everywhere in the UK?
No. Monday, 4 August 2025 was the summer bank holiday in Scotland. England, Wales and Northern Ireland observed their summer bank holiday on Monday, 25 August.
Was 14 July 2025 a bank holiday in Northern Ireland?
Yes. Monday, 14 July was the substitute bank holiday for the Battle of the Boyne because 12 July fell on a Saturday in 2025.
Do employers have to give employees bank holidays off?
No. GOV.UK states that employers do not have to provide paid leave specifically on bank or public holidays. Whether you receive the day off depends on your employment terms and workplace arrangements.
Can a bank holiday change a benefit payment date?
Yes. Bank holidays can affect when benefits are paid, and the payment may be made on a different date if the normal payment date falls on a bank holiday.
Where can I verify the official 2025 bank holiday dates?
The GOV.UK UK bank holidays service is the authoritative place to check dates for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It also provides calendar downloads and historical dates.
