A bank holiday in the UK is a day when banks, most businesses, and government offices close, but it is not the same as a public holiday in other countries
In the UK, a bank holiday is an official day off set by law when banks, post offices, and most retail businesses shut down. The term comes from the fact that banks were the first institutions to close on these days — the practice started in the 1870s. Today, bank holidays are observed across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, though the exact dates vary slightly by region.
Bank holidays are different from what Americans call federal holidays or what other countries call public holidays. The UK does not use the term "public holiday" in law — it uses "bank holiday" instead. When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday (or sometimes Tuesday) becomes a substitute day off, called a substitute bank holiday or replacement bank holiday.
The key thing to know: if you have money in a UK bank account and a bank holiday falls on a weekday, your bank will be closed that day. Payments you send will not process until the next working day. If you are waiting for a refund, tax payment, or any other bank transfer, a bank holiday will delay it by at least one day.
Key Takeaways
- Bank holidays in the UK are days when banks, post offices, and most shops close by law, and they vary by region and year.
- Payments and transfers do not process on bank holidays, so money sent on or arriving on a bank holiday will be delayed until the next working day.
- When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, the government moves the day off to the following Monday or Tuesday, which counts as a working day for banking purposes until the substitute day arrives.
- Tax refunds, government payments, and insurance refunds may take longer to reach your account if a bank holiday falls during the processing window.
- Scotland observes different bank holidays than England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, so the dates you need to watch depend on where your bank is located.
How bank holidays affect money moving in and out of your account
When you send a payment or expect one to arrive, bank holidays add time to the journey. If you transfer money on a bank holiday, the bank does not process it — it sits in a queue until the next working day. If money is supposed to arrive on a bank holiday, it will not hit your account until the day after.
This matters most for tax refunds, government payments like the State Pension, and insurance refunds. If the processing timeline says your money will arrive in five working days, and a bank holiday falls within those five days, you add one more day to the wait. A refund due on a Friday that lands on a Monday bank holiday will not show up until Tuesday.
Some banks process payments faster than others, but none can move money on a day the bank is legally closed. If you are tracking a refund and see it has not arrived on the expected date, check whether a bank holiday fell on that day or the day before.
The bank holidays that apply in each UK region
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland share most bank holidays, but Scotland has its own list. The dates also change year to year because some holidays are tied to Easter, which moves.
| Holiday | England, Wales, Northern Ireland | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January | 1 and 2 January |
| Good Friday | Yes | No |
| Easter Monday | Yes | No |
| Early May Bank Holiday | First Monday in May | First Monday in May |
| Spring Bank Holiday | Last Monday in May | Last Monday in May |
| Summer Bank Holiday | Last Monday in August | First Monday in August |
| Christmas Day | 25 December | 25 December |
| Boxing Day | 26 December | 26 December |
Scotland does not observe Good Friday or Easter Monday as bank holidays, but it observes 2 January (New Year's Day substitute). If your bank is based in Scotland, those dates will not delay your payments. If your bank is based in England and you live in Scotland, English bank holidays still apply to your account.
When Christmas or Boxing Day falls on a weekend, the government declares a substitute bank holiday on the following weekday. In 2024, for example, Christmas fell on a Monday and Boxing Day on a Tuesday, so no substitute days were needed. In 2025, Christmas falls on a Wednesday and Boxing Day on a Thursday, so again no substitutes. But in 2026, Christmas falls on a Saturday, so the substitute bank holiday will be Monday 28 December.
What stays open on a bank holiday
Not everything closes. Hospitals, emergency services, and some transport services run on bank holidays. Supermarkets and petrol stations often stay open, though with reduced hours. Post offices close, which matters if you need to collect a parcel or send a registered letter.
Most importantly for refunds: online banking stays available. You can log into your bank account and see your balance, but no payments will process until the next working day. You can also use ATMs to withdraw cash.
Government offices close on bank holidays, so you cannot visit the tax office, the Department for Work and Pensions, or your local council office. If you need to contact them about a refund, you will have to wait until the next working day.
How to plan around bank holidays when waiting for money
If you are waiting for a tax refund, a government payment, or an insurance refund, check the bank holiday calendar before you expect the money to arrive. The UK government publishes the bank holiday dates each year on GOV.UK. Search for "bank holidays" and you will find the full list for the current and next year.
When you receive a letter or email telling you when your refund will arrive, count the working days carefully. If the timeline says "five working days" and a bank holiday falls on day three, add one more day to your wait. Do not count weekends or bank holidays as working days.
If a refund is delayed and you suspect a bank holiday caused it, wait until the day after the bank holiday before you contact the organisation. If the money still has not arrived two working days after the bank holiday, then contact them to ask for a status update.
What to do if a payment was supposed to arrive on a bank holiday
If you were told your refund would arrive on a specific date and that date turned out to be a bank holiday, the money will arrive the next working day instead. This is not an error — it is how the banking system works.
Some organisations will tell you in advance that a bank holiday will delay your payment. Others will not mention it, and you will only notice when the money does not show up on the expected date. If this happens, check whether a bank holiday fell on that day. If it did, check again the next working day.
If the money still has not arrived after the bank holiday, contact the organisation that sent it. Have your reference number ready and tell them the date you were told to expect the payment. They can check whether the payment was sent and trace where it is in the system.
Bank holidays and tax refund timelines
HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) processes tax refunds during working days only. If you are owed a refund and HMRC says it will take ten working days, a bank holiday during that window adds one day to the total. If a bank holiday falls on the day your refund is supposed to be sent, HMRC will send it the next working day instead.
Tax refunds are usually sent by BACS (Bankers' Automated Clearing Services), which takes one to three working days to reach your account after HMRC sends it. If HMRC sends your refund on a Thursday and a bank holiday falls on Friday, the payment will not leave HMRC until Monday, and it will not reach your account until Tuesday or Wednesday.
You can track your tax refund status through your HMRC online account. It will show you when HMRC has processed the refund and when it was sent. If you do not see a date, the refund is still being processed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my bank transfer go through on a bank holiday?
No. Any payment you send on a bank holiday will not process until the next working day. If you send money on a Friday and Monday is a bank holiday, the payment will not leave your account until Tuesday. The recipient will not see it until Wednesday or later, depending on their bank.
Do I need to do anything different on a bank holiday to receive a refund?
No. You do not need to do anything. If a refund is scheduled to arrive on a bank holiday, it will arrive the next working day instead. Just check your account the day after the bank holiday if the money does not show up on the expected date.
What if I need to contact my bank on a bank holiday?
Most banks close their phone lines and offices on bank holidays. You can use online banking and ATMs, but you cannot speak to someone until the next working day. If you have an urgent problem, some banks have emergency numbers for customers, but these are usually for fraud or security issues only.
Does a bank holiday affect standing orders or direct debits?
Yes. If a standing order or direct debit is scheduled for a bank holiday, it will process on the next working day instead. If you are expecting a payment from someone and they have set up a standing order for a bank holiday, the money will arrive the day after.
Are bank holidays the same as public holidays?
In the UK, "bank holiday" is the legal term. Other countries use "public holiday" or "federal holiday". The meaning is the same — a day when banks and most businesses close — but the UK does not use those terms in law.