Annual leave laws across the Baltics and Nordics: quick reference
Statutory minimum holiday in EE, LV, LT, FI, SE, NO, DK - and what your workforce software needs to track for each. Compact reference, May 2026.
- hours24 team
If your team is in one country, you know your leave law cold. If your team spans Estonia, Finland, and Latvia, you have three laws and three calendars to keep straight. This is the compact reference, current as of May 2026. Confirm with local counsel for specific cases.
Estonia
28 calendar days minimum (Töölepingu seadus § 55). Vacation pay calculated as the average daily pay over the preceding 6 months. Up to 7 days can be carried over with employee agreement; the rest must be taken in the holiday year. Additional leave for parents, study leave for studying employees, extended leave for certain professions (academics, etc.).
Latvia
4 calendar weeks minimum (~28 calendar days) under Labour Law § 149. At least 2 consecutive weeks must be taken at once. Carry-over allowed but capped.
Lithuania
20 working days minimum (~28 calendar days) under Labour Code Art. 126. 25 working days for employees with disability or sole parents.
Finland
Up to 30 weekday days per holiday year, accrued by working days (Annual Holidays Act). New employees get 2 days per month worked; after a full holiday credit year, 2.5 days per month. Holiday year runs April 1 - March 31.
Sweden
25 working days minimum (Annual Leave Act). 20 days must be taken between June and August unless otherwise agreed. Holiday pay accrues at 12% of qualifying salary or 13% for monthly-paid employees who take their leave on a specific schedule.
Norway
25 working days under Holidays Act (4 weeks + 1 day). Employees over 60 get an extra week. Holiday pay = 10.2% of last year's earnings (12% if 6-week entitlement).
Denmark
5 weeks (25 days) minimum under the Holiday Act. Holiday pay 12.5% of salary, paid in advance via the Feriekonto fund or directly by employer.
What your workforce software needs to handle
- Per-country leave accrual rules (calendar days vs working days, accrual schedule)
- Carry-over caps and expiry dates per jurisdiction
- Holiday pay calculation specifics (averaging windows, percentage formulas)
- Special leave types (parental, study, jury duty, military service, sickness)
- Public holiday calendars per country (these shift the workdays count)
If your software treats 'annual leave' as one universal type with one accrual rate, it can't actually handle a Baltic-Nordic team. Look for per-country leave-type configuration.
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