Cooling-off period around Christmas 2025 and New Year's Day 2026

Cooling-off period around the holidays

Christmas and the new year are coming up again. This affects how the cooling-off period is calculated. We are happy to help you with an overview for calculating the cooling-off period.

Both Christmas Days (Thursday 25 and Friday 26 December 2025) and New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January 2026) are treated as generally recognised public holidays. Please note!! Friday 2 January 2026 is treated as equivalent to a generally recognised public holiday.

The schedule for the cooling-off period from Thursday 18 December 2025 is therefore as follows:

The cooling-off period lasts at least three days and begins on the day after the day on which (a copy of) the deed drawn up between the parties was handed over to the buyer. The cooling-off period ends at midnight on the last day of the cooling-off period. It therefore does not matter at what time the buyer received the copy of the deed.

Because the General Time Limits Act applies, the cooling-off period can last longer than three days. Under this act, a time limit is:

• that ends on a Saturday, Sunday or generally recognised public holiday, extended up to and including the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or generally recognised public holiday;
• if necessary extended so far that it includes at least two days that are not a Saturday, Sunday or generally recognised public holiday.

Generally recognised public holidays within the meaning of the General Time Limits Act are: New Year’s Day, Easter Monday and Whit Monday, both Christmas Days, Ascension Day, the day on which the King’s birthday is celebrated and 5 May.

The days treated as equivalent to generally recognised public holidays in 2025 are: 30 May 2025 (the day after Ascension Day).
The days treated as equivalent to generally recognised public holidays in 2026 are: 2 January 2026 (the day after New Year’s Day), 15 May 2026 (the day after Ascension Day).

Tips for calculating the cooling-off period:
* The cooling-off period is at least 3 days.
* Then assume at least two ‘normal working days’ (so no weekend day or public holiday).
* The cooling-off period never ends on a weekend day or public holiday (keep counting until you have at least two normal working days, with the end of the cooling-off period falling on a normal working day).
* Grab a calendar and cross out the public holidays and weekend days. This gives you a quick overview.