20 business days from today in the UK
20 business days from today (October 14, 2026) is:
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
That is 28 calendar days, skipping 8 weekend days.
Based on England and Wales bank holidays. Use the calculator below to change country.
20 business days from today in the UK is Wednesday, November 11, 2026, counted from a reference date of October 14, 2026 and skipping weekends plus England and Wales bank holidays. The result card above updates to your own local today once the page loads. Use the calculator below to change the start date, adjust the day count, or switch to another country's holiday calendar.
20 business days is the outer limit for a public authority to answer a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000: section 10(1) requires compliance promptly and in any event not later than the twentieth working day following the date of receipt.
The twenty working days, and how the Act defines a working day
Section 10(1) states the deadline and section 10(6) defines the unit. A working day "means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a day which is a bank holiday under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 in any part of the United Kingdom".
Read that last clause slowly, because it is the part people miss. The definition is not confined to bank holidays where the authority sits. A day that is a bank holiday in any part of the United Kingdom is excluded, so 2nd January and St Andrew's Day, which are Scottish bank holidays and not English ones, are not working days for a request made to a public authority in London.
An honest caveat about the dates on this page
The calculator on this page counts England and Wales bank holidays, which is the list published on GOV.UK and the list most UK commercial contracts mean. It is not the section 10(6) list, which is wider.
For a genuine freedom of information deadline the statutory definition governs, and it will occasionally take out a day this page counts as a working one. Where the answer matters legally, count against the section 10(6) definition rather than this page, and treat what you see above as the commercial working-day answer it is.
Twenty working days from the reference date
Four weekends leave the count before any closure is considered. The calendar span below is what a requester actually waits through.
| Quantity | Amount |
|---|---|
| Days on the wall calendar | 28 days |
| Working weeks counted | 4 weeks |
| Weeks of calendar time | 4 weeks |
| Months of calendar time | 0.9 months |
| Saturdays and Sundays removed | 8 |
| Closures removed from the count | 0 |
| Day of the week it lands on | Wednesday |
Closures inside the twenty-day window
No England and Wales bank holiday falls between the reference date and the answer, so every day taken out of this count is a Saturday or a Sunday.
Three ways the twenty days can stretch
- A fees notice suspends the clock. Under section 10(2) the working days between the giving of a fees notice and receipt of the fee are disregarded in calculating the twentieth working day.
- A public interest test extends it. Under section 10(3) the authority need not comply until such time as is reasonable in the circumstances, though that does not affect the deadline for a refusal notice under section 17(1).
- Regulations can push it out. Section 10(4) allows a longer period to be prescribed, capped at the sixtieth working day following the date of receipt.
Where this page's law and dates come from
Each link below was opened on September 7, 2026 and checked against the wording quoted above it. Where a period on this page is trade practice rather than legislation, the text says so in those words instead of reaching for a citation.
- Freedom of Information Act 2000, s.10(1) and s.10(6) (opens in a new tab) (The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk); checked again on October 10, 2026)
- Environmental Information Regulations 2004, reg.5(2) (opens in a new tab) (The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk))
- Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, s.1 and Schedule 1 (opens in a new tab) (The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk))
- England and Wales bank holidays (opens in a new tab) (UK Government (GOV.UK))
Nearby business-day counts
Counted from the reference date October 14, 2026, skipping weekends and England and Wales bank holidays. Each value updates to your local today on its own page.
| Business days | Lands on |
|---|---|
| 7 business days from today | October 23, 2026 |
| 10 business days from today | October 28, 2026 |
| 15 business days from today | November 4, 2026 |
| 30 business days from today | November 25, 2026 |
| 45 business days from today | December 16, 2026 |
| 60 business days from today | January 11, 2027 |
For informational purposes only
This calculator provides general estimates based on business day counting rules. It does not constitute legal advice. Deadlines in legal, regulatory, or contractual matters may be subject to jurisdiction-specific rules, court orders, or statutory exceptions. Always verify critical deadlines with a qualified professional.