Annual leave, or annual vacation, is the number of paid vacation time entitled to employees and is one of the most valuable and attractive employee benefits.
Companies must legally provide a certain number of paid vacation days to all full-time employees: the number varies depending on employment law in each country. For example, in European Union countries, employees receive a minimum of 4 weeks of paid leave, whereas in Mexico, employees receive six days.
Some private-sector companies offer longer vacation leave as a part of their competitive benefits package.
In this guide, we share the statutory minimum annual leave for 76 countries across the globe. Whether you’re a company hiring in a new country or a worker considering relocating, here’s what you need to know about paid leave.
30+ Days
Argentina
The length of your paid annual leave in Argentina depends on how long the employee works at the company.
- For six months to five years, you’re entitled to 14 days
- For up to ten years: you get 21 days
- For 10 to 20 years, you receive 28
- For 20+ years, you get 35 days of paid time off
Brazil
After you complete one year of employment in Brazil, you can take 30 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Brazil.
Finland
People in Finland are entitled to 30 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Finland.
Germany
German employees get 20 days of paid leave. However, most employers give their workers up to six weeks of paid time off.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Germany.
Panama
In Panama, an employee gets 30 days of paid time off a year once they work with a company for over a year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Panama.
Peru
In Peru, you get 30 days of vacation if you’ve been with the company for more than a year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Peru.
Taiwan
The length of your annual leave depends on how long you’ve been with a company.
- Once you work at a company for six months, you get three days
- After a year, you get seven days
- After two years, you get 10 days
- After three years, you get 14 days
- After five years 15 days
- After 10 years, you get one additional day every year maxed out at 30 days
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Taiwan.
United Arab Emirates
After you complete six months of work, you receive two paid days off per month. Once you've been working for a company for a year, you're entitled to 30 days of annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in UAE.
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20+ Days
Albania
Employees in Albania receive four weeks of paid time off per year. Their time off rolls over until the end of March the following year. If they don't use it, it expires.
Australia
If employed in Australia, you’re entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Australia.
Austria
Austrian workers get 25 days of paid time off per year. If you complete 25 years of service, you can get 30 weeks of paid leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Austria.
Belarus
If working for a company in Belarus, you get 24 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Belarus.
Belgium
In Belgium, you can take 20 days of paid time off per year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Belgium.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Employees in Bosnia and Herzegovina receive 20 days of paid time off. Minors and employees that perform risky or health-harming jobs are entitled to more.
Bulgaria
Employees in Bulgaria receive 20 business days of paid annual leave once they work for an employer for at least eight months.
Learn more about hiring employees in Bulgaria here.
Canada
If you work in Canada, the government guarantees your first paid leave after you complete one year of service but most employees offer some paid time off from the beginning. The longer you work at a company, the more time off you receive:
- One to five years: two weeks off
- Five to ten years: three weeks off
- 10+ years: four weeks off
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Canada.
Croatia
If you work in Croatia, you get a minimum of 20 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Croatia.
Cyprus
In Cyprus, you get four weeks of paid time off per year. The exact number of days depends on the number of days you work per week:
- 20 days off for a five-day week
- 24 days for a six-day week
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Cyprus.
Czech Republic
If you work in the Czech Republic, you get 20 days of paid time off.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Czech Republic.
Denmark
In Denmark, you get 25 days of paid time off.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Denmark.
Egypt
Employees in Egypt receive 21 days of paid time off per year once they work at a company for at least six months. The number of paid vacation days goes up to 30 after 10 years of service.
Estonia
Estonian employers must give employees 28 days of paid time off per year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Estonia.
France
You have the right to 25 days of paid time off in France. You may also be eligible for holiday bonuses depending on seniority.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in France.
Greece
In Greece, you can take 20-22 days off per year. However, you may get 25 days once you spend more than 10 years at the same company.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Greece.
Ireland
If you’re employee in Ireland, your employer must pay you for four weeks of vacation.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Ireland.
Italy
Employees in Italy can take at least 20 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Italy.
Kenya
If an employee works for more than a year at the same company, they get 21 days of paid leave. They get seven paid days off their first year once they complete two uninterrupted months of work.
Learn more about hiring employees in Kenya.
Latvia
Latvian law states that every employee has the right to take four calendar weeks of paid time off. If the employee is under 18 years old, then they can take a month off.
Lithuania
Lithuanian employers must offer 20 days of paid holiday in a year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Lithuania.
Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, employees get 25 days of paid leave in a year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Luxembourg.
Malta
If you work 40 hours a week in Malta, you have the right to 26 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Malta.
Mauritius
In Mauritius, employees receive 20 days of paid time off per year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Mauritius.
Montenegro
In Montenegro, your annual leave depends on your length and type of employment. If you work 36 hours a week in severe conditions, you're entitled to 30 business days of paid time off. If you have a 40-hour workweek, you get 20 days. If you work six days a week, you get 24 days of paid time off.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Montenegro.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, you can take 20 days of paid time off in a year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in the Netherlands.
New Zealand
In New Zealand, you are entitled to 28 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in New Zealand.
Norway
Employees in Norway are entitled to 20 days of paid holiday each year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Norway.
Poland
As an employee in Poland, you get 20 days of paid leave if you’ve been with the company for up to ten years. If you’ve been there more, your paid vacation entitlement is 26 days.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Poland or how much your overall employer costs could be.
Portugal
If you’re working for a company in Portugal, you’re entitled to 22 days of annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Portugal.
Romania
Romanian employees get 20 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Romania.
Russia
Employees in Russia can take 28 days of paid annual leave once they work for an employer for a year.
Learn more about hiring employees in Russia here.
Serbia
As an employee in Serbia, you’re entitled to 20 business days of paid annual leave. This number may increase with years of service, your education level, and other factors.
Slovakia
Slovakian employees get 28 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Slovakia.
Slovenia
If you’re working for a Slovenian company, you are entitled to 28 days of paid time off in a year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Slovenia.
South Africa
South African employees can take at least three weeks of paid time off in a year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in South Africa.
South Korea
If you’ve been with an employer for less than two years, you’re entitled to 15 days of paid holiday. For over three years of employment, you’re entitled to one additional day every two years, with a maximum of 25 days.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in South Korea.
Spain
In Spain, the length of your leave depends on how many hours you work each week. If you work 36 hours each week, you get 22 paid business days off. After you spend more than a year with the same employer, you get 23.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Spain or how much your overall employer costs could be.
Sweden
Swedish employees get 25 days of paid vacation days each year. Employees receive holiday bonuses each May, too.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Sweden.
Switzerland
If you’re working for a company based in Switzerland, you get 20 days of paid time off in a year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Switzerland.
Turkey
If you've been working for less than five years in Turkey, you get a minimum of 14 paid days off per year. After 5 years of employment, this number increases to 20 days. After 15 years of service, you get 26 days of paid vacation.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Turkey.
Ukraine
Like in many other countries in Europe, Ukrainian employees are entitled to 24 calendar days of annual leave. The leave includes weekends, but not official holidays.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Ukraine.
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10+ Days
Cambodia
If you work for three years in Cambodia, you have the right to take 18 days off annually. For every year after that, you get an additional day.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Cambodia.
Chile
You get 15 paid days off after a year of working for the same company in Chile. You get 1.25 days per month in your first year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Chile.
China
Your rights begin when you’ve been working for a company for at least a year. You’re entitled to five paid days off per year for your first ten years, ten days after ten years, and 15 days after 20 years.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in China.
Colombia
Employees in Colombia have the right to 15 business days of paid annual leave per year. Of these 15 days, you’re required to take at least six business days off in a row, and the rest can be compensated in payment.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Colombia.
Costa Rica
For every 50 weeks they spend working, employees in Costa Rica have the right to take two weeks of paid annual leave. If you've been at the company for shorter than 50 weeks, you're entitled to one day off per month.
Georgia
In Georgia, employees take annual leave according to the length of their employment.
- 15 days off for their first five years
- 18 days off between five and ten years
- 21 paid days off after ten years
India
As an employee in India, you get 18 days of paid holiday per year. If you don’t use all your vacation days, you can carry over up to 30 days to the following year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in India.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, employees get 12 paid days off after a year of employment.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Indonesia.
Israel
In Israel, employees get 12 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Israel.
Hong Kong
If you’ve been with a company for up to two years, you get seven days of paid leave. For every additional year of employment, you get an additional day. So, if you’ve been working for a company for 9+ years, you are entitled to 14 days of paid leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Hong Kong.
Hungary
In Hungary, you can take at least three weeks of paid holiday. If you’re working five days a week, you can take 15 days off per year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Hungary.
Japan
In Japan, you get 10 days of paid time off. For your first 2.5 years of service, you get an additional day every year. After that, you get two additional days per year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Japan.
Madagascar
Employees in Madagascar can take five paid days off of annual vacation.
Learn more about hiring employees in Madagascar here.
Malaysia
In Malaysia, you get eight days of paid leave if you’ve been with the company for two years. If you’ve been with the same employer for two to five years, you get 12 days of paid leave per year. If you stay at the same company for five or more years, you get 16 days of paid leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Malaysia.
Mexico
If you’re working for a Mexican company, the number of paid days off you can take depends on how long you’ve been with the company.
- 1 year: 6 paid days off
- 2 years: 8 paid days off
- 3 years: 10 paid days off
- 4 years: 12 paid days off
- 5 or more years: two additional paid days off every five years
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Mexico.
Mongolia
Mongolian employees have the right to a minimum of 15 days of paid leave per year.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Mongolia.
Nigeria
Employees in Nigeria can take a minimum of six working days off after they've been working for a year. If they're under 16 years old, they can take 12 paid days off.
Philippines
If you’re working for a company set in the Philippines, you can take five days off in a year. If you don’t use them, you can receive monetary compensation instead.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in the Philippines.
Singapore
If you’ve been with a company for three months, you get at least seven days of paid time off. You get an additional day off each year until you hit 14 days off after eight years. Most employers in Singapore gives at least 14-20 days off from the beginning despite the legal minimum, though.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Singapore.
Sri Lanka
As an employee in Sri Lanka, you're entitled to 14 days of paid time off after the first year of your employment.
Thailand
People employed in Thailand can take six days off a year and get paid for them. There are 16 public holidays in Thailand but only banks and government offices get them off.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Thailand.
Tunisia
Employees in Tunisia can take 12 paid days off per year once they stay with an employer for a year. This number may increase up to 21 with additional years of service.
Learn more about employing in Tunisia.
Uganda
Employees in Uganda can take 21 days after a year of service. After that, they get seven days for each four-month period they work.
Learn more about hiring employees in Uganda.
United Kingdom
If you’re employed in the UK, you’ll be able to take 20 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in the UK.
United States
In the US, there isn’t a law specifically demanding that an employer pays their employees for their time off. For example, in New York, you may even be required to work on holidays if your contract doesn't specify otherwise. However, most employees get around 15 days of paid annual leave.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in the US.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, you’re allowed to take 12 days off in a year. For every five years you spend with the same employer, you’re entitled to one more extra paid holiday.
Learn more about the statutory employment regulations in Vietnam.
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Deel ensures that each contract a full-time employee or contractor signs is entirely compliant with local labor laws, including statutory annual leave, so you don’t have to learn a new set of rules each time you’re ready to hire in a new country.
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Watch the video below to see how Deel simplifies global HR:
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