Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearCan I carry over unused annual leave?
Up to 8 days, if your contract allows
Only if your contract or a workplace agreement allows it, and then up to 8 of the 28 statutory days. Leave beyond the legal minimum can be carried over if your contract says so. There are exceptions when you couldn't take your leave: sickness, parental leave, or an employer that didn't let you or warn you.
When you can carry over
| Why the leave is left | What you can carry over |
|---|---|
| You just didn't use it | Up to 8 days of the 28, only if your contract or a workplace agreement allows it. Otherwise it's lost at the end of the leave year |
| Extra leave above 28 days | Whatever your contract says |
| You were off sick | Up to 4 weeks (20 days for a five-day week), to be used within 18 months of the end of the leave year it's from. Up to 28 days for irregular hours and part-year workers |
| Maternity, paternity, adoption or other family leave | The leave you couldn't take: your employer must let you carry it over |
| Your employer didn't give you a reasonable chance to take it, or didn't warn you you'd lose it | Acas says up to 4 weeks; gov.uk says your whole entitlement in some cases. Raise it with your employer |
Better: use it
It's easy to lose days by leaving them too late, when the weeks you wanted have gone. Book your breaks when the leave year opens and spread them out: four days around a bank holiday buy nine off. How to get the most days off.
Sources
- gov.uk: Calculate leave entitlement (leave years, starting a job, irregular hours, carrying over)
- Acas: Carrying over holiday
- Acas: Holiday and maternity leave
- nidirect: Taking your holidays (Northern Ireland)
Checked on 26 October 2026. This is general information about the legal minimum in the UK, not legal advice: your contract can give you more, and can set its own rules for notice and carrying over. For help with your own situation, call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 (England, Scotland and Wales) or the Labour Relations Agency on 03300 555 300 (Northern Ireland).
More questions
Can I be paid for leave I don't use?
Not while you're still in the job: statutory leave can only be paid instead of taken when you leave. Extra contractual leave can have its own rules. Can I be paid instead of taking holiday?
Does my employer have to remind me to use my leave?
They must give you a reasonable chance to take it and tell you that you'll lose it if you don't. If they don't, you can carry it over.