In the UK, there are six official bank holidays that are spelled out in the Banking and Financial Dealings Act of 1971 that are observed throughout the country.
The six holidays are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
Easter Monday and Summer Bank Holiday are also bank holidays in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These two dates are not official bank holidays in Scotland. However, most Scottish banks synchronize with the rest of the UK and are closed on these days.
There are also other public holidays where banks are closed in specific regions only.
If a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then the banks will be closed on a substitute day, typically the following Monday.
Here are the lists of all bank holidays for the United Kingdom in 2020 and 2021.
| Date | Day | Name of 2020 Holiday | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2020 | Wednesday | New Year’s Day | Everywhere |
| 2 January 2020 | Thursday | 2nd January | Scotland |
| 17 March 2020 | Tuesday | St Patrick’s Day | Northern Ireland |
| 10 April 2020 | Friday | Good Friday | Everywhere |
| 13 April 2020 | Monday | Easter Monday | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 4 May 2020 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday | Everywhere |
| 25 May 2020 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday | Everywhere |
| 13 July 2020 | Monday | The Twelfth / Orangemen’s Day (substitute day) | Northern Ireland |
| 3 August 2020 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday | Scotland |
| 31 August 2020 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 30 November 2020 | Monday | St Andrew’s Day | Scotland |
| 25 December 2020 | Friday | Christmas Day | Everywhere |
| 28 December 2020 | Monday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Everywhere |
| Date | Day | Name of 2021 Holiday | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2021 | Friday | New Year’s Day | Everywhere |
| 4 January 2021 | Monday | 2nd January (substitute day) | Scotland |
| 17 March 2021 | Wednesday | St Patrick’s Day | Northern Ireland |
| 2 April 2021 | Friday | Good Friday | Everywhere |
| 5 April 2021 | Monday | Easter Monday | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 3 May 2021 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday | Everywhere |
| 31 May 2021 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday | Everywhere |
| 12 July 2021 | Monday | The Twelfth / Orangemen’s Day | Northern Ireland |
| 2 August 2021 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday | Scotland |
| 30 August 2021 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 30 November 2021 | Monday | St Andrew’s Day | Scotland |
| 27 December 2021 | Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day) | Everywhere |
| 28 December 2021 | Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Everywhere |
While planning your bank visit, be sure to call the bank to confirm their holiday hours.