How Many Public Holidays Does France Have?
Updated: May 2026
The short answer: France has 11 national public holidays. But the real number depends on where you live and work — Alsace-Moselle gets 13, and each overseas territory adds one. Here is the full picture, plus how France compares internationally.
List the exact dates for your region and any year.
Open the holiday calendar →11 national holidays
The Labour Code (article L3133-1) lists eleven jours fériés that apply across metropolitan France: New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Victory Day, Ascension, Whit Monday, Bastille Day, Assumption, All Saints' Day, Armistice Day and Christmas. This number has been stable for decades.
13 in Alsace-Moselle
The departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle keep two extra holidays inherited from local law: Good Friday and St Stephen's Day (26 December). Employees there enjoy 13 public holidays in total — the highest in France.
An extra day overseas
Each overseas department and collectivity commemorates the Abolition of Slavery on a different date — for example 22 May in Martinique, 27 May in Guadeloupe, 10 June in French Guiana, 20 December in La Réunion and 27 April in Mayotte. These are local public holidays on top of the 11 national ones.
How France compares
- United Kingdom: 8 bank holidays in England and Wales — fewer than France, but the UK moves them to a weekday when they fall on a weekend.
- United States: 11 federal holidays, similar in count but observed differently by state and employer.
- Germany: 9 national holidays, with several more added at the Länder level (up to 13 in Bavaria).
France sits in the middle for raw count, but because it does not shift weekend holidays, the number of effective days off varies more from year to year than in countries that use "observed" dates.
How many are actually days off?
All 11 are days on which work is generally suspended, but only 1 May is a statutory paid holiday for every employee. The others are paid according to collective agreements and company practice. In a typical year, 2 to 4 holidays land on a weekend, so the practical number of weekday days off is usually 7 to 9 from the national list.
Frequently asked questions
Is the count of French holidays the same every year?
Yes — always 11 nationally. What changes is how many fall on a weekend, which affects the number of weekday days off.
Where do people get the most holidays in France?
Alsace-Moselle, with 13 public holidays, thanks to Good Friday and St Stephen's Day.
Does France move holidays that fall on a weekend?
No. Unlike the UK or US, a French holiday on a Saturday or Sunday is simply not replaced.