Bank Holidays 2025: How to maximise annual leave in the new year

As New Year’s Day approaches thoughts turn to making the most of 2025 but for those in full time employment, finding time to fit in plenty of exciting adventures can be a major road block. However, maximising your annual leave can help you make more of your time off.

The statutory minimum holiday allowance is 28 days so booking this around bank holidays - eight bank holidays in England and Wales for 2025, nine in Scotland, and 10 in Northern Ireland - you should have at least 36 days of holiday to play with. Add in weekends and you could have as much as 56 days.

Whether you want to travel to new places, learn a new hobby or find more time for relaxing with a good book, time should not be a barrier if you are more savvy when it comes to booking annual leave.

So, if you are looking to crack up your time off from work in 2025, here’s how to do it.

Maximise annual leave in 2025

You can get a whopping 16 days off over Easter by using up just eight days of your holidays. To make your annual leave stretch this far, you’re going to need to book off four days from April 14-17 then book four more days from April 22-25. Adding to this, the three weekends, Good Friday and Easter Monday, mean you will have plenty of time for putting your feet up and eating chocolate.

In May you can get 18 days off by booking another eight days off. Book off May 6-9 with a weekend either side and the Early May bank holiday on May 5 you get nine days off. Do the same later in the month by booking off May 27-30 and you get another run of nine days thanks to the Spring bank holiday on May 26.

Make the most of the summer (and the kid’s six weeks off) and you can enjoy another nine days off by booking just four days of annual leave. Following the Summer bank holiday on August 25, book off August 26-29 and then keep your fingers crossed for good weather.

And so on to Christmas. There is nothing better than having an extended time with the family at this time of year so here’s how you can enjoy 13 days off in December using up just seven days of annual leave.

Ahead of Christmas Day and Boxing Day, book off December 22-24, then book December 29-31 which sees you through to the new year. And if you want to get in really early, book off January 2, 2026 and it will take you through to the weekend, resulting in a full two weeks off work.

Bank Holidays 2025: England and Wales

• 1 January - New Year’s Day (Wednesday)
• 18 April - Good Friday (Friday)
• 21 April - Easter Monday (Monday)
• 5 May - Early May bank holiday (Monday)
• 26 May - Spring bank holiday (Monday)
• 25 August - Summer bank holiday (Monday)
• 25 December - Christmas Day (Thursday)
• 26 December - Boxing Day (Friday)

Bank Holidays 2025: Scotland

• 1 January - New Year’s Day (Wednesday)
• 2 January (Thursday)
• 18 April - Good Friday (Friday)
• 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, Monday)
• 25 December - Christmas Day (Thursday)
• 26 December - Boxing Day (Friday)

Bank Holidays 2025: Northern Ireland

• 1 January - New Year’s Day (Wednesday)
• 17 March - St Patrick’s Day (Monday)
• 18 April - Good Friday (Friday)
• 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 (Monday)
• 25 December - Christmas Day (Thursday)
• 26 December - Boxing Day (Friday)

If you do want to maximise your holidays in the new year, you’ll probably want to be quick as you might not be the only member of your team hoping to get these days booked off. Then, all you have left to do is decide what you are going to do with all your time off.