Opening Times

In the UK the usual opening times for banks, businesses, Post Offices and shops are:  

• Monday-Friday: 9:00am to 5:30pm  

• Saturday: Most retail shops will be open 9:00am to 5:30pm. However, only a small number of

banks and Post Offices will be open. These are mainly in the city centres and will close around

midday.  

• Sunday: Banks and Post Offices are not open on a Sunday. But some retail shops in city centres

and shopping centres do open on a Sunday, usually between 10:00am and 4:00pm.

If you live in a rural area you may find that the opening times are different.

Please note that these times are only averages; some shops will open for longer, or some will only be

open on certain days. This information is usually available in the shop.

Some supermarkets and petrol stations are open 24 hours a day on most days.

Bank and Public Holidays

In England and Wales there are 8 public holidays (9 in

Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland) known as ‘Bank

Holidays' when most businesses, banks and shops are

closed. Public transport often runs a reduced service on

Bank Holidays, but emergency services will still be

available as usual. Although the dates of some of these

Bank Holidays may change annually, they traditionally

occur at the following times of year:

New Year's Day - 1st January

2nd January - 2nd January (only in Scotland)

St Patrick's Day - 17th March (only in Northern Ireland)

Good Friday - March / April

Easter Monday - March / April (no Bank Holiday in Scotland)

Early May Bank Holiday - First Monday in May

Spring Bank Holiday - Last Monday in May

Battle of the Boyne - 12th July (only in Northern Ireland)

Summer Bank Holiday - Last Monday in August (Scotland: First Monday in August)

St Andrew's Day - 30th November (only in Scotland)

Christmas Day - 25th December

Boxing Day - 26th December