According to Estonian labour law, an employee is entitled to at least 28 calendar days of paid annual leave per year. The duration of leave is calculated in calendar days, which means weekends are included in the leave period. If a national public holiday falls during the annual leave, it is not counted as a leave day.
The right to annual leave accrues from the beginning of the employment relationship. An employee is generally entitled to take annual leave once the employment has lasted for at least six months. Leave typically accrues at a rate of approximately 2.33 calendar days per month, resulting in the statutory 28 days per year.
For example, a 28-calendar-day annual leave period means four full weeks of leave — from Monday to Sunday over four consecutive weeks. The employee must take at least 14 consecutive calendar days of leave each year. Unused leave can be carried over, but it must be used within one year from the time it was postponed.
Holiday Pay
In Estonia, employees are entitled to receive full pay during their annual leave, calculated based on their average gross salary over the previous six months.
- Employees with a fixed monthly salary receive their normal monthly wage during the leave.
- For employees with variable earnings, the average daily wage is calculated (total gross pay / number of working days), and then multiplied by the number of working days in the leave period.
Example:
If the average daily wage is €60 and the leave period includes 20 working days:
€60 × 20 = €1,200 holiday pay
In Estonia, no separate holiday allowance is paid unless it is explicitly agreed in the employment contract.