When negotiating employment benefits, one of the things that often come up is the paid vacation days. Annual leave, or annual vacation, is a term used to define the number of paid vacation time entitlement for employees. These days are the statutory minimum, as defined by the employment law in each country. For example, in European Union countries, employees are entitled to a minimum of 4 weeks of paid leave.

A few things to keep in mind:

• The number of days is calculated for full-time employment (5 working days a week or ~40 hours), so if you are working part-time, the leave entitlement will be adjusted accordingly.
• Some private-sector companies offer longer vacation leave as a part of their competitive benefits package.
• Vacation days are not the same as sick leave or parental leave; those are defined separately
• Public holidays are sometimes included in the vacation leave, depending on the country

Argentina

The length of your paid annual leave in Argentina depends on the length of your labor relationship.

• For 6 months to 5 years, you’re entitled to two weeks (14 calendar days)
• For up to ten years: you get three weeks of vacation
• For 10 to 20 years, your entitlement is four weeks of paid annual leave.
• If you’ve been working for longer than that, you get 35 days of paid time off.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Argentina.

Brazil

After you complete one year of employment in Brazil, you can take 30 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Brazil.

Finland

People in Finland are entitled to 30 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Finland.

Germany

If employed in Germany, you can get 20 days of paid leave. However, most employers give their workers up to 6 weeks of paid time off.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Germany.

Panama

In Panama, an employee can get 30 days of paid time off a year, if they’ve been with the company for over a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Panama.

Peru

In Peru, you can get 30 days of vacation if you’ve been with the company for more than a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Peru.

Taiwan

The length of your annual leave depends on how long you’ve been with a company.

• If you’ve worked there for six months, you get three days.
• After a year, you get seven days.
• For two years, you get 10 days, for three years 14 days, for five years 15 days.
• If you’ve been with a company for over 10 years, you get one additional day every year, with a 30-day leave being the maximum entitlement.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Taiwan.

United Arab Emirates

After you complete six months of service, you can take two paid days off per month. Once you've been working for a company for a year, you're entitled to 30 days of annual leave.

Australia

If employed in Australia, you’re entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Australia.

Austria

Austrian workers get five weeks of paid time off per year. Note that it refers to a working, not a calendar year. If you complete 25 years of service, you can get 6 weeks of paid leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Austria.

Belarus

If working for a company in Belarus, you can get 24 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Belarus.

Belgium

In Belgium, you can take 20 days of paid time off per year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Belgium.

Canada

If you’re working in Canada, you will receive your first paid leave after you complete one year of service. Bear in mind that your employer may state otherwise in the contract. If you’ve been working between one and five years, you get two weeks off, for five to ten years, you can take three weeks of paid leave, and you’re entitled to four weeks of annual leave if you have more than ten years of service.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Canada.

Croatia

If you're working in Crotia, you'll be able to get at least 20 days of paid annual leave.

Cyprus

In Cyprus, you can get at least four weeks of paid time off per year. The exact number of days you may get depends on how long your workweek is: for a five-day week, you get 20 days off, while for a six-day workweek you're entitled to 24 days' annual leave.

Czech Republic

If you’re working in the Czech Republic, you can get 20 days of paid time off.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Czech Republic.

Denmark

In Denmark, you can get 25 days of paid time off and there are certain remunerations paid to employees at the end of the employment.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Denmark.

Estonia

Estonian employers are required to give you 28 days of paid time off per year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Estonia.

France

You have the right to 25 days of paid time off in France, and you may be eligible for holiday bonuses depending on seniority.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in France.

Greece

In Greece, you can take at least 20 days of paid time off per year, with 22 days being the maximum. However, you may get 25 days if you spend more than 10 years at the same company or gain 12 years of employment.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Greece.

Ireland

Employers in Ireland are required to give you four weeks of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Ireland.

Italy

Employees in Italy can take at least 20 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Italy.

Lithuania

Lithuanian employers are obliged to allow you 20 days of paid holiday in a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Lithuania.

Luxembourg

In this European country, employees can get 25 days of paid leave in a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Luxembourg.

Malta

If you work 40 hours a week in Malta, you have the right to 26 days of paid annual leave.

Mauritius

In Mauritius, an employee is entitled to 20 days of paid time off per year.

Montenegro

In Montenegro, you annual leave may depend on your working time. If you work 36 hours a week in severe conditions, you're entitled to 30 business days of paid time off. If your workweek includes 40 hours, you get a 20-day annual leave. If you work six days a week, you can get 24 days of paid time off.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, you can take 20 days of paid time off in a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in the Netherlands.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, you are entitled to 28 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in New Zealand.

Norway

Employees in Norway are entitled to 20 days of paid holiday in a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Norway.

Poland

As an employee in Poland, you can get 20 days of paid leave if you’ve been with the company for up to ten years. If you’ve been there more, your paid vacation entitlement is 26 days.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Poland.

Portugal

If you’re working for a company in Portugal, you’re entitled to 22 days of annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Portugal.

Romania

Romanian employees can get 20 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Romania.

Serbia

In Serbia, you’re entitled to 20 business days of paid annual leave. This number may increase with years of service, your education level, and other factors.

Slovakia

Slovakian employees get 28 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Slovakia.

Slovenia

If you’re working for a Slovenian company, you are entitled to 28 days of paid time off in a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Slovenia.

South Africa

There is a minimum entitlement every employer needs to respect in South Africa - an employee can take at least three weeks of paid time off in a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in South Africa.

South Korea

If you’ve been with an employer for up to two years, you’re entitled to 15 days of paid holiday. For over three years of employment, you’re entitled to one additional day every two years, with 25 days being the maximum.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in South Korea.

Spain

If you’re working 36 hours a week, you get 22 business days off that are paid. After you spend more than a year with the same employer, this number increases to 23.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Spain.

Sweden

Swedish employees get 25 days of paid vacation days in a year. There’s a holiday bonus that employees receive in May.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Sweden.

Switzerland

If you’re working for a company based in Switzerland, you may get 20 days of paid time off in a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Switzerland.

Turkey

If you've been working for less than five years in Turkey, you can get a minimum of 14 paid days off per year. For those with up to 15 years of employment, this number increases to 20 days, while those with over 15 years of service get 26 days of paid vacation.

Ukraine

Like in many other countries in Europe, Ukrainian employees are entitled to 24 calendar days of annual leave. The leave includes weekends, but not official holidays.

Cambodia

If you have up to three years of employment in Cambodia, you have the right to take 18 days off annually. For every year after that, you get an additional day.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Cambodia.

Chile

If working in Chile, you can get 15 paid days off after a year at a company. If you’ve been working for less, you get 1.25 days per month.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Chile.

China

Your rights begin when you’ve been working for a company for at least a year. You’re entitled to five paid days off per year if you have up to ten years of service, ten days if it’s been between ten and 20, and 15 days for those working for a company for over 20 years.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in China.

Colombia

Employees in Colombia have the right to 15 business days of paid annual leave per year. Of these 15 days, you’re required to take at least six business days off in a row, and the rest can be compensated in payment.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Colombia.

India

As an employee in India, you can get 15 days of paid holiday per year. If you don’t use them, you can carry over up to 30 days to the following year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in India.

Indonesia

In this country, employees can get 12 paid days off within a year, after they’ve been working for one year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Indonesia.

Israel

In Israel, employees get 12 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Israel.

Hong Kong

If you’ve been with a company for up to two years, you get seven days of paid leave. For every year of employment, you get an additional day, so if you’ve been working for a company for 9+ years, you are entitled to 14 days of paid leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Hong Kong.

Hungary

In Hungary, you can take at least three weeks of paid holiday, but if you’re working five days a week, you can take 15 days off per year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Hungary.

Japan

In Japan, you get 10 days of paid time off. Up to 2.5 years of service, you get an additional day every year, while after that you get two additional days per year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Japan.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, you can get eight days of paid leave if you’ve been with the company for up to two years. If you’ve been with the same employer for two to five years, you get 12 days of paid leave per year. Those who stay in the same company for five or more years get 16 days of paid leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Malaysia.

Mexico

If you’re working for a Mexican company, the number of paid days off you can take depends on how long you’ve been with the company.

• 1 year - 6 paid days off
• 2 years - 8 paid days off
• 3 years - 10 paid days off
• 4 years - 12 paid days off
• 5 and more years - every 5 years, you get two additional paid days off

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Mexico.

Mongolia

Mongolian employees have the right to at least 15 days of paid leave per year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Mongolia.

Philippines

If you’re working for a company set in the Philippines, you can take five days off in a year. If you don’t use them, you can receive monetary compensation instead.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in the Philippines.

Singapore

If you’ve been with a company for three months, you can get at least seven days of paid time off. Every year you get an additional day off until you can take 14 days off a year after you’ve been working for an employer for eight years. Despite this law, people in Singapore usually get 14 to 20 days off in a year.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Singapore.

Thailand

People employed in Thailand can take six days off a year and get paid for them. There are 16 public holidays in this country, but only banks and government offices don’t work on these days.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Thailand.

United Kingdom

If you’re employed in the UK, you’ll be able to take 20 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in the UK.

United States

In the US, there isn’t a law specifically demanding that an employer pays their employees for their time off. For example, in New York, you may even be required to work on holidays if your contract doesn't specify otherwise. Luckily, the practice is that most employees get around 15 days of paid annual leave.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in the US.

Vietnam

In Vietnam, you’re allowed to take 12 days off in a year. For every five years you spend with the same employer, you’re entitled to one more extra paid holiday.

Learn more about the employment statutory regulations in Vietnam.

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As you can see, many countries guarantee you at least 20 days of paid annual leave. Some will base the length of your paid holiday on your merits and years of employment. Ensure that you carefully read the law of the country you’re planning to work in so you know what to expect.