How business days are counted
A business day is a weekday that is not a public holiday: Monday to Friday, minus the holidays of the country you pick. The calculator counts every day between the two dates, both dates included, then removes Saturdays, Sundays and the public holidays that fall on a weekday. Under the result you get the number of calendar days, weekend days and holidays skipped, with their names.
Example: from Monday, November 2 to Wednesday, December 2, 2026 there are 31 calendar days and 8 weekend days. In the United States, Veterans Day (November 11) and Thanksgiving (November 26) fall in between, which leaves 21 business days. In France, only Armistice Day (November 11) applies, so the count is 22.
When a holiday falls on a weekend and the country moves it to a weekday, the calculator uses the moved date. In the US, Independence Day 2027 falls on a Sunday, so Monday, July 5, 2027 is removed. In the UK, Christmas 2027 falls on a Saturday, so the substitute days, December 27 and 28, are removed.
Adding business days to a date
Switch to Add business days to answer “what date is 10 business days from now?”. The start day is not counted: one business day after a Monday is the Tuesday. Weekends and holidays are skipped along the way.
- 10 business days after Friday, November 20, 2026 in the US is Monday, December 7: Thanksgiving is skipped.
- 5 business days after Tuesday, December 22, 2026 in the UK is Thursday, December 31: Christmas, Boxing Day and its substitute on Monday, December 28 are skipped.
- 5 business days after Tuesday, May 4, 2027 in France is Wednesday, May 12: Ascension Day (May 6) is skipped.
Switch the sign to “minus” to count backward, for example to find the last day to send a document that must arrive 15 business days before a meeting.
Working days per year
A year has 260 to 262 weekdays, depending on where it starts: both 2026 and 2027 have 261. Public holidays on weekdays bring that down to about 250 working days. The table gives the count for each country, with national holidays only.
| Country | Working days 2026 | Working days 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| France | 252 | 254 |
| Belgium | 253 | 254 |
| Switzerland | 255 | 256 |
| Canada | 251 | 251 |
| United States | 250 | 249 |
| United Kingdom | 253 | 253 |
| Germany | 254 | 256 |
| Austria | 251 | 252 |
| Spain | 254 | 254 |
| Mexico | 254 | 256 |
| Italy | 254 | 254 |
| Portugal | 252 | 253 |
| Brazil | 252 | 254 |
The United States has the fewest working days in 2027 (249), because several holidays falling on a weekend are observed on a Friday or a Monday, including New Year’s Day 2028, observed on Friday, December 31, 2027. Month-by-month detail is on each country page, for example working days in the US in 2027, in the UK or in France.
Business days in the US, the UK and Canada
In the United States, federal agencies take the Friday off when a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, and this calculator follows that rule. Banks can differ: the Federal Reserve stays open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday, so Friday, December 24, 2027 is a normal day for bank settlements, but closes on the Monday after a Sunday holiday. In the United Kingdom, bank holidays are non-working days for banks, courts and most offices, and the list differs between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Canada, federally regulated employers follow the general holidays of the Canada Labour Code, and each province adds its own.
Where business days matter
- Delivery and processing times: “ships in 3 to 5 business days” means weekdays only, so an order placed on a Friday afternoon usually starts counting on Monday.
- Payments and bank transfers: banks settle on business days. A transfer sent on the eve of a holiday weekend can take four calendar days.
- Notice periods and contracts: read the wording. “30 days” usually means calendar days, “30 business days” is about six weeks.
- Legal deadlines: in the US, Rule 6(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure counts every day, but a period that ends on a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday runs to the next day that is none of these.
- Payroll and invoicing: daily rates, daily allowances and part-time schedules are based on working days per month.
Pitfalls to avoid
Included or not. This calculator includes both the start date and the end date. If your rule excludes the start day (“within 10 business days of receipt”), use the Add mode, which never counts the start day.
Regional holidays. Only national holidays are removed. A Bavarian, a Scottish or a Quebec worker has extra days off: open the public holidays calendar and switch to Regional to see them.
Company closures and half days. Christmas Eve, the week between Christmas and New Year, or a summer shutdown are not public holidays. Subtract them yourself.
Other weekends. The count assumes a Saturday and Sunday weekend, the norm in all 13 countries covered.
For plain calendar days, use the date calculator; to add up hours worked, the hours calculator; and to find the week number of a deadline, the week number tool.