Bank holidays over Christmas 2026 and New Year 2027: when banks close and when your money moves

General information, not financial advice. Cut-off times and processing rules differ by bank and payment type — check your own bank's holiday notice before you rely on a date.

When are the bank holidays over Christmas 2026? In the UK, the bank holidays are Friday 25 December 2026 (Christmas Day), Monday 28 December 2026 (the substitute day for Boxing Day, which falls on a Saturday) and Friday 1 January 2027, with an extra Monday 4 January 2027 in Scotland, according to GOV.UK. In the US, the Federal Reserve is closed on Thursday 26 November 2026 (Thanksgiving), Friday 25 December 2026 and Friday 1 January 2027, per the Federal Reserve's holiday list. Black Friday (27 November 2026) is not a Federal Reserve holiday.

Because both Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on a Friday this year, each holiday joins a weekend. In the UK, Christmas becomes a four-day break from Friday to Monday. Anything that only moves on working days will stop for that whole stretch.

The dates, side by side

GOV.UK explains the substitute rule: "If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a 'substitute' weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday." The Federal Reserve page lists Christmas Day 2027 as a Saturday, so next year's pattern will be different again.

Which payments still move on a bank holiday

Not every payment stops when the banks close. What matters is the payment system behind it.

Two caveats. Your own bank still decides how it handles a payment: a Faster Payment can be held for a security check, and not every US bank offers FedNow (the Federal Reserve describes it as "available to depository institutions in the United States", not as something every bank uses). And Faster Payments can carry "real-time payments of up to £1m" at system level, but each bank sets its own, usually much lower, limit.

What this means for your money

Salaries. Many UK employers pay through Bacs, which needs three working days. If your payday falls on a bank holiday or a weekend, ask your employer now which working day the salary will arrive on, rather than finding out on 24 December.

Direct debits. Bacs only processes on working days, so a direct debit due on a non-working day may be collected on a different working day — check with the company collecting it. With Christmas Day, a weekend and the Boxing Day substitute in a row, a bill due on 25 December might not leave your account until Tuesday 29 December. Make sure the money is still there whenever it goes.

Rent and one-off bills. If you pay by Faster Payment, the money can move on the day. If your bank only lets you schedule transfers for working days, a payment set for 25 December may go out on 29 December. Pay landlords before the break.

Transfers abroad. An international transfer depends on the sending service, the receiving bank and the payment system in the other country, so holidays on either side can delay it. Send money for Christmas presents or family abroad early. Our guides to sending money abroad cheaply and the cheapest international transfers compare the options; Wise is one service that shows the expected arrival time before you pay.

Cash. Branches close on bank holidays. Cash machines generally keep working, but plan for queues and empty machines on the busiest days.

If something goes wrong over the break

Fraud does not take a holiday, and branches being closed does not change your rights. If you spot a payment you did not make, freeze your card in your banking app if it allows it and report it to your bank straight away through its app or emergency number rather than waiting for the branch to reopen. Our guide to unauthorised payments and refund rights explains what your bank has to do next, and the same applies on 25 December as on any other day.

A Christmas 2026 payments checklist

• Check your payslip date and any direct debits due between 24 December and 4 January.
• Leave a buffer in your current account for bills that slip to Tuesday 29 December.
• Send rent and other one-off payments by Wednesday 23 December 2026.
• Send money abroad earlier still, and check both countries' holidays.
• In Scotland, remember the extra bank holiday on Monday 4 January 2027.
• In the US, allow for Thanksgiving on 26 November; Black Friday is a normal Federal Reserve business day.

Frequently asked questions

Is Black Friday a bank holiday?

No. Black Friday, 27 November 2026, is not on the Federal Reserve's holiday list, and it is not a UK bank holiday. The US Federal Reserve is closed the day before, on Thanksgiving, 26 November 2026.

Are banks open on Boxing Day 2026?

Boxing Day, 26 December 2026, is a Saturday. In the UK the bank holiday moves to the substitute day, Monday 28 December 2026, according to GOV.UK.

Do bank transfers go through on Christmas Day?

UK Faster Payments operate every day of the year, so a transfer can arrive on Christmas Day unless your bank holds it. Payments that run on working days only, such as Bacs direct debits and salaries, wait until the next working day. In the US, FedNow runs every day, but many other transfers do not.

When is the last day to send money before Christmas 2026?

There is no single answer, because it depends on the payment type and your bank's cut-off. For working-day payments, sending by Wednesday 23 December 2026 gives a margin before the four-day UK break from 25 to 28 December.

Is 2 January 2027 a bank holiday?

In Scotland, yes: 2 January falls on a Saturday in 2027, so the bank holiday is the substitute day, Monday 4 January 2027. It is not a bank holiday in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Plan the money before the break, not during it. This is not financial advice — always check your own bank's holiday notice.