Paid leave in Czechia compared with the UK and Germany

Compare a London job offer with a Prague one and the salary is only half of the arithmetic. The other half is how many days you actually spend away from the desk. Czechia, the UK and Germany, the three systems many expatriates move between, look similar on paper and differ in practice. They share a European floor but count days differently, and one country's "28 days" can include holidays that another counts separately.

The common floor

Under the EU Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC), workers are entitled to at least four weeks of paid annual leave, and the entitlement cannot be replaced by a payment except when the job ends. Czechia and Germany are bound by the directive directly. The UK is no longer an EU member but kept its statutory leave rules, which are, if anything, slightly more generous than the old EU minimum.

So the starting position is that four weeks is the minimum almost everywhere in Europe. The differences lie above the floor, in how the weeks are counted and what else is given as time off.

Czechia: four weeks, 13 holidays

The Czech Labour Code gives employees in the private sector a minimum of four weeks of paid leave a year, five weeks in state and municipal employment, and eight weeks to teachers. Since 2021 leave is counted in hours, which lets part-time and shift workers track their entitlement exactly. The employer decides when leave is taken, normally giving at least 14 days' notice, and should take the employee's wishes into account. Leave cannot be paid out while employment continues; only when the job ends is unused leave converted into money. Our piece on Czech working hours, overtime and holidays goes through the detail.

Czechia has 13 public holidays: 1 January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, 5 July, 6 July, 28 September, 28 October, 17 November, 24 December, 25 December and 26 December. They are in addition to leave. The explanation of each is in Czech public holidays explained. When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many employers and schools bridge the gap, a practice described in how Czech holidays and bridging days affect work.

In practice many Czech employers give a fifth week or more, particularly in multinational companies and the IT sector, so check the contract and not just the law.

The UK: 5.6 weeks, but bank holidays may be inside

The UK's statutory leave is 5.6 weeks a year, which for someone working five days a week comes to 28 days. For part-time workers it is pro-rated. The twist is that employers are allowed to count bank holidays towards the 28 days if the contract says so. England has eight bank holidays a year (Scotland and Northern Ireland have different lists). A contract offering "28 days including bank holidays" therefore gives 20 days of choice plus eight fixed days, while "28 days plus bank holidays" is a better deal. The UK government's guide to holiday entitlement is the authority.

For someone moving from England to Prague, the legal minimum of 20 days of leave plus up to 13 public holidays can feel generous. But some of the Czech holidays fall on weekends in any given year, so the working days gained vary from year to year, and the 24, 25 and 26 December cluster means they often overlap with a Christmas break anyway.

Germany: 20 working days, holidays by state

German law, the Federal Leave Act, sets the minimum at 24 working days based on a six-day week. For the usual five-day week that is 20 days, the same four weeks as the EU floor. Many employment contracts and collective agreements give more, with 25 to 30 days common, so the real figure for a German employee is often higher than the legal minimum. Public holidays are set by the federal states, so they differ between, say, Bavaria and Berlin, and are not counted against leave.

An employee moving between German states can see their number of holidays change without any change of employer. The comparison with Czechia is therefore best done for the state in question. The German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs publishes the national rules.

A worked example

A hypothetical employee works five days a week and is offered the statutory minimum in each of the three places. In Czechia she receives 20 days of leave, and the public holidays that fall on weekdays are extra. In England she receives 28 days, but if the contract counts bank holidays inside that figure, she has 20 days of her own to place and eight fixed days off. In Germany she receives 20 days, plus the public holidays of her state.

On the statutory minimum, then, Czechia and Germany look similar, and England looks similar to both once bank holidays are counted. The sums change quickly with contract terms, which is why the real comparison is not between statutes but between offers.

Part-time work and a new job mid-year

Entitlement is pro-rated in all three countries, but the mechanics differ. In Czechia the hours-based count means a person who works four days a week has a leave entitlement expressed in hours, and a day off then uses up that day's hours. Someone who starts a job part-way through the year receives leave in proportion to the time worked, and the previous employer should certify the leave already taken, so keep that paperwork when you change jobs. The same logic applies in the UK and Germany, where the first year with a new employer is usually calculated in twelfths.

Beyond the statute

Four things matter more than the minimum.

What the contract says. Leave above the minimum is a matter of contract, and a fifth or sixth week is common in many sectors. Ask for the number of days in the offer letter and whether public holidays are included.

How leave is taken. In Czechia the employer sets the timetable, normally with 14 days' notice. In the UK the employer can set its own rules on timing within the law.

Carry-over. In Czechia, unused leave can generally be carried over and must be granted by the end of the following calendar year. Rules differ elsewhere, so check what happens to unused days when you change jobs or countries.

Sick leave is separate. Sickness absence is not deducted from annual leave in any of the three countries, and the Czech sick-pay rules are explained in Czech sick pay and sick leave.

If you are weighing a move, Czech employment contracts explained lists the terms to look for, cost of living in Czechia compared with the UK covers the money side, and the school calendar, which drives how parents use their leave, is in the Czech school year and holidays. The question is not who has more days, but how many days you can choose to spend.

Frequently asked questions

How many days of paid leave do you get in Czechia?

At least four weeks a year in the private sector, five weeks in state and municipal employment and eight weeks for teachers, counted in hours. Public holidays are separate.

How does Czech leave compare with the UK?

The UK statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks (28 days for a five-day week), but bank holidays can be counted inside it. Czechia gives four weeks plus 13 public holidays on top.

Is the German minimum the same as the Czech one?

On a five-day week, yes, it comes to 20 days, the EU floor of four weeks. German contracts often give more, and public holidays depend on the federal state.

Can unused leave be paid out in Czechia?

Only when the job ends. While employment continues, leave must be taken as time off.

This is a general explainer, not legal, tax or mortgage advice.