What is a business day?
A business day, or working day, is a day on which normal business is done. In most countries that means Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. Business days matter for delivery estimates, payment and settlement times, contract deadlines, legal notice periods, shipping promises and project plans.
Calendar days are easy to count, but business days depend on which days of the week are weekends in your country and on the holidays that apply. This calculator lets you set both.
How to use the business days calculator
- Choose Count business days between two dates, or Add or subtract business days.
- Pick the start date, then the end date or the number of days to add.
- Select your working days. Use the presets for Monday to Friday, Sunday to Thursday or Monday to Saturday.
- Paste any holidays to skip, one date per line in the form YYYY-MM-DD.
- Read the results: business days, calendar days, non-working days and holidays skipped, or the resulting date.
Weekends differ around the world
Not every country works Monday to Friday. Some countries in the Middle East have used Friday and Saturday as the weekend, and others have a Sunday to Thursday working week or have moved to Saturday and Sunday. Many shops, factories and schools work six days. The working-day checkboxes let you match the schedule you actually use, so the count is right for your country or contract.
Inclusive or exclusive counting
- With Include the end date ticked, both the start and the end date are counted if they are working days.
- With it unticked, the count stops the day before the end date, which matches how many people count the days between two dates.
- Check the wording of your contract or policy, because the two methods differ by up to one day.
- When you add business days, the start date itself is not counted, so adding 1 business day to a Friday gives the next Monday.
Holidays and other limits
The tool does not know your national or bank holidays, because they change by country, region and year. Add the dates that apply to you in the holiday box. Half days, company shutdowns and local observances are not included unless you list them. For legal deadlines, always confirm the exact rule that applies to your situation.
Example: delivery and payment deadlines
A shop promises delivery within 5 business days of an order placed on Wednesday 7 January 2026. Counting Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the date is Wednesday 14 January. A bank transfer that takes 2 business days sent on a Friday arrives on Tuesday, not on Sunday. Typing the start date and the number of days into the tool avoids these small mistakes and shows the exact date you can share with customers or colleagues.
Examples
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Business days in January 2026 (Mon-Fri, both dates counted) | 22 |
| The same month with 1 January as a holiday | 21 |
| 10 business days after Friday 2 January 2026 | Friday 16 January 2026 |
| 1 business day before Monday 5 January 2026 | Friday 2 January 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate business days between two dates?
Choose the dates, select your working days and read the business days count.
How do I add business days to a date?
Choose Add or subtract business days, enter a start date and the number of days.
Does it include holidays?
Only the ones you list. Public holidays vary by country, so paste your own.
Can I set Saturday and Sunday as working days?
Yes. Tick any days of the week you work.
Does a business day include the start date?
When counting a range, the start date is counted. When adding days, it is not.
How many business days are in a year?
A typical year has about 260 weekdays, before public holidays are removed.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The calculation runs in your browser.