Public Holidays 2026: How to Set Up Kimai Correctly

As companies prepare their HR and time tracking systems for the new year, one question always appears:
“Do we really need to record public holidays in our time tracking system if no one works on those days?”. The short answer: yes, absolutely.

And with many people now searching for terms like public holidays Germany 2026, public holiday calendar Europe 2026, and how to track public holidays in HR systems, having the right setup matters more than ever.

This guide walks you through public holiday management for 2026, explains why it’s essential for compliance, and shows how to set it up in Kimai.

Why public holidays must be recorded in time tracking systems

Recording public holidays is not about tracking work performed. It’s about accurately tracking non-working days, which impacts:

• Payroll accuracy
• Overtime and flexitime calculations
• Holiday entitlements
• Compliance and auditing
• Consistent HR documentation

This makes accurate holiday recording essential—especially for companies operating across multiple regions.

Public holiday calendars vary by country and region

Every country — and often each administrative region — has its own list of public holidays. This makes public holiday management in 2026 especially complex for multinational teams.

Below is an overview of the 10 calendars in Europe.

Common public holidays in Europe in 2026

Many European countries share several holidays, including:

• New Year’s Day
• Easter Monday
• Labour Day (May 1)
• Christmas Day
• Boxing Day (Dec 26)

Beyond these, holiday calendars differ significantly.

Public Holidays Germany 2026 (9–13 depending on state)

One of the top-searched topics online is public holidays Germany 2026, and for good reason:

• Germany has one of the most complex public holiday systems in Europe.

• Public holidays vary widely by Bundesland (federal state):

  • Epiphany — Jan 6 (Bavaria, BW, Saxony-Anhalt)
  • Reformation Day — Oct 31 (various states)
  • All Saints’ Day — Nov 1 (Bavaria, NRW, Saarland, etc.)
  • Good Friday & Easter Monday — nationwide
  • Additional regional holidays depending on state

This regional variation makes Germany one of the most challenging countries for accurate time tracking and payroll.

Austria (13 public holidays)

Stable nationwide rules, but the list of additional regional holidays must be checked.

Switzerland (4 national + 11–13 cantonal holidays)

One of the most complex systems due to canton-level regulation.

France (11 holidays + regional differences)

Alsace-Moselle has additional religious holidays; overseas territories follow separate calendars.

Belgium (12 national holidays)

Relatively consistent across the country.

Netherlands (10 holidays)

One of the countries with the fewest public holidays.

Italy (12 holidays)

Strong religious influence.

Spain (14 holidays)

Autonomous communities add regional holidays to the national list.

Poland (14 holidays)

One of the highest totals in Europe. (We’re jealous!)

United Kingdom (8–9 depending on region)

Different calendars for England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Why correct holiday assignment matters

If your company operates in multiple regions (even within Germany), your time tracking system must:

• Manage multiple regional holiday calendars
• Assign each employee to the correct regional holiday list
• Calculate balances based on local public holidays
• Integrate holidays into payroll rules
• Prevent overpayment or underpayment

Mistakes in holiday assignments are one of the most common sources of payroll errors.

2026 holiday compliance checklist

Prepare your system for the start of the year according to this checklist:

1. List all employee locations (country + region)
2. Gather all 2026 public holidays
3. Ensure your time management system supports regional holiday calendars
4. Test how holidays affect balances and overtime
5. Verify payroll integrations
6. Review absence types
7. Confirm GDPR/DSGVO compliance

Public Holiday Management in Kimai

Managing public holidays manually — especially for countries like Germany with regional differences — can be time-consuming and error-prone. The Working Contract Plugin is one of the simplest solutions.

Watch this short video tutorial to learn how to check the list of public holidays for the next year:

With the plugin you get:

• Automatic public holiday management for your country and region
• Correct absence and holiday recording
• Seamless payroll integration
• GDPR/DSGVO compliance
• Holiday-aware scheduling

Try it now in the Kimai Demo,
set it up in your Kimai Cloud ,
or learn more on the Working Contract Plugin page.