A bank holiday in Britain is a day when banks and most businesses close, set by law, and it affects when you can access services and when payments process
In Britain, a bank holiday is an official public holiday when banks, post offices, and many businesses shut down. The term comes from the fact that banks must close on these days — it is written into law. Unlike the United States, where federal holidays exist but banks often stay open, Britain's bank holidays are genuinely bank closures. If you need to deposit a cheque, withdraw cash, or move money between accounts, you cannot do it on a bank holiday.
The key difference from a regular weekend is that bank holidays can fall on any day of the week, and they change the processing timeline for payments, transfers, and cheques. A payment you send on a Friday before a Monday bank holiday will not clear until Tuesday at the earliest. This matters if you are waiting for a refund, paying a bill, or tracking money that should arrive by a certain date.
Key Takeaways
- Bank holidays in Britain are set days when banks must close by law, and they fall on different dates each year depending on the holiday.
- Payments and cheques do not process on bank holidays, so money sent before one will clear one day later than usual.
- England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have different bank holiday calendars — Scotland has 10 per year, England and Wales have 8, and Northern Ireland has 10.
- If a bank holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday is usually a substitute holiday, which also affects payment processing.
How bank holidays affect payment timing
When you send money or deposit a cheque, the processing clock starts the next working day. A working day is any day the banks are open. If you send a payment on Thursday and Friday is a bank holiday, your payment does not start processing until Saturday — but Saturday is not a working day either, so it actually starts Monday. This means your money arrives one day later than it would in a normal week.
The same applies to cheques. If you post a cheque on a Friday before a Monday bank holiday, it will not clear until at least Wednesday. The bank that receives it needs a working day to process it, and the bank that pays it out needs a working day to debit your account. Bank holidays add an extra day to both ends of that chain.
For refunds, this matters directly. If a company says your refund will arrive within five working days, and one of those days is a bank holiday, you are looking at six calendar days. If you are tracking a tax refund or an insurance payment and a bank holiday falls in the middle of the processing window, add a day to your expected arrival date.
The bank holiday calendar in Britain
Bank holidays are not the same across all four nations. England and Wales share most of them but have different dates for some. Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own calendars.
| Nation | Number of bank holidays per year | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 8 | New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May bank holiday, Spring bank holiday, Summer bank holiday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day |
| Scotland | 10 | New Year's Day, 2 January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May bank holiday, Spring bank holiday, Summer bank holiday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and one additional local holiday that varies by council area |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | New Year's Day, St. Patrick's Day (17 March), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May bank holiday, Spring bank holiday, Summer bank holiday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and one additional holiday |
The dates change every year because Easter is a moveable feast. Good Friday and Easter Monday shift between late March and late April depending on the lunar calendar. The Early May bank holiday and Spring bank holiday are fixed to specific Mondays, but the Summer bank holiday (the last Monday in August) moves within that window.
If a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday becomes a substitute bank holiday. This is called a substitute bank holiday or replacement holiday. For example, if Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, Boxing Day (26 December) is moved to Monday, and the following Tuesday becomes an additional bank holiday. This affects payment processing for the entire week.
What stays open on bank holidays
Not everything closes. Supermarkets, petrol stations, restaurants, and most shops stay open on bank holidays, though some reduce their hours. Post offices close, which matters if you need to post a cheque or collect a parcel. Most government offices close, so you cannot visit the tax office or a local council office in person.
Online banking and payment apps work on bank holidays — you can send a payment through your phone at any time. But the payment will not process until the next working day. Some banks offer faster payments or same-day transfers, but these also pause on bank holidays. A same-day transfer sent on a bank holiday will not go through until the next working day.
Bank holidays and refund tracking
If you are waiting for a refund and the company tells you it will arrive within a certain number of working days, bank holidays extend that timeline. A five working day refund window that includes a bank holiday becomes six calendar days. This is why it is worth checking the bank holiday calendar when you submit a refund request.
For tax refunds from HMRC, the processing time is usually given in working days. If HMRC says your refund will arrive within 10 working days and there is a bank holiday in that window, add a day. The same applies to insurance refunds, business refunds, and any payment that depends on the banking system to clear.
If you are tracking a refund online, the status will usually show when it has been sent to your bank. Once it reaches your bank, it will clear on the next working day — unless that day is a bank holiday, in which case it clears the day after.
What to do if a refund is delayed by a bank holiday
If you were told your refund would arrive by a certain date and a bank holiday fell in the processing window, the delay is expected and not the company's fault. Check the bank holiday calendar for the relevant nation and count the working days again, excluding the bank holiday. If the refund should have arrived before the bank holiday and has not, contact the company or organisation that issued it.
When you contact them, have the date you submitted the refund request and the date they said it would arrive. Ask them to confirm whether they have sent it to your bank and on what date. If they sent it before the bank holiday, it should clear on the first working day after the holiday. If they have not sent it yet, ask for a new timeline that accounts for the bank holiday.
For HMRC refunds, you can check the status of your tax return online through your personal tax account. If the refund shows as processed but has not arrived, it is likely waiting for the bank holiday to pass. If it shows as not yet processed and you are past the stated timeline, contact HMRC directly.
Bank holidays and international payments
If you are sending or receiving money from outside Britain, bank holidays in Britain do not stop the payment — but they do delay the British side of it. If someone abroad sends you money and a bank holiday falls on the day it arrives in your British bank, it will not clear until the next working day. The sender's bank may have already processed it, but your bank cannot clear it until it is open again.
The same applies in reverse. If you send money abroad on a day before a bank holiday, your bank will not send it until the next working day. This can add an extra day to international transfers, which already take several days to clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to do anything special to account for a bank holiday when I send a payment?
No. Your bank will automatically delay the payment until the next working day. If you send a payment on a Friday before a Monday bank holiday, it will process on Tuesday. You do not need to reschedule or resubmit it.
Can I withdraw money from an ATM on a bank holiday?
Yes. ATMs work on bank holidays because they are not staffed by the bank. You can withdraw cash, check your balance, and deposit cheques into an ATM on a bank holiday. The cheque will not be processed until the next working day, but the deposit itself goes through.
If a refund is supposed to arrive within five working days and there is a bank holiday, do I get an extra day?
Yes. The five working days do not include bank holidays. If a bank holiday falls during the five working day window, the refund will arrive on the sixth calendar day instead of the fifth.
What happens if Christmas Day falls on a weekend?
If Christmas Day (25 December) falls on a Saturday, Christmas is observed on Monday 27 December. If it falls on a Sunday, Christmas is observed on Monday 27 December and Boxing Day is observed on Tuesday 28 December. These substitute dates are bank holidays, and payments do not process on them.
Are bank holidays the same in Scotland as in England?
No. Scotland has 10 bank holidays per year, while England and Wales have 8. Scotland observes 2 January as a bank holiday, which England and Wales do not. Some Scottish council areas also have an additional local bank holiday. Check the specific calendar for your area.