Annual leave
Also known as: vacation leave, paid vacation
Annual leave is statutory paid vacation time that employees are entitled to each year. Most jurisdictions mandate a minimum (usually 20-30 working days for full-time employees); employers can offer more.
Annual leave is the leave category most regulated by law and most negotiated by candidates. The EU-wide statutory floor is 20 working days; many member states require more. The interaction between statutory annual leave, public holidays, carry-over rules, and payout-on-termination obligations is where most cross-border employers get tripped up.
Statutory minimums by country
Variation is wide. The EU floor is 20 working days, but most member states exceed it; the UK's 28 days is the highest in the table because it bundles public holidays into the entitlement. The United States is the outlier — no federal statutory minimum at all, which is why offers there hinge on what the individual employer puts in writing.
| Country | Working days / year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 24 | Labor Code Art. 31: 24 working days paid + 15 working days unpaid per year. |
| Germany | 20 | Federal Vacation Act minimum on a 5-day week. 24 days for 6-day week. |
| France | 25 | 2.5 working days accrued per month of work = 30 ouvrables ≈ 25 ouvrés. |
| United Kingdom | 28 | 5.6 weeks per year, which may include UK bank holidays (8). |
| Italy | 20 | Minimum 4 weeks; collective agreements typically extend to 26+ days. |
| Spain | 22 | Minimum 30 calendar days = 22 working days. Cannot be replaced by cash. |
| Netherlands | 20 | Minimum 4× weekly working hours; collective agreements usually add more. |
| Poland | 20 | 20 days for <10 years tenure, 26 days after 10 years. |
Figures as of 2026. All entries shown in working days per year for a full-time employee. For the full interactive tool with public-holiday calendars, see the Vacation & public holidays calculator.
Carry-over rules
Most EU jurisdictions limit how much unused leave can carry into the following year (typically up to a deadline like March or June). Use-it-or-lose-it policies are common but often illegal in the EU — the right to take leave can be exercised but the right to receive payment for unused leave cannot be waived.
Frequently asked questions
- How many days of annual leave in Georgia?
- At least 24 working days of paid annual leave plus 15 working days of unpaid leave per year for full-time employees. Employers can offer more.
- Is annual leave the same as PTO?
- Annual leave refers specifically to paid vacation. PTO is a broader US term that bundles vacation, sick days, and personal time. In Georgia and most EU jurisdictions, annual leave and sick leave are tracked separately.
- Can unused annual leave be paid out?
- On termination — yes, this is generally required in EU jurisdictions including Georgia. While employed, payout in lieu of taking leave is usually prohibited because the right to rest is the underlying principle.