Public holidays in Kiribati in 2026 are established by an official order issued under the Public Holidays Ordinance (Cap. 81). The 2026 schedule includes national, religious, civic and commemorative holidays, together with several specially designated Kiribati holidays at the beginning and end of the year.
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Next Public Holiday in Kiribati
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 11, 2026 | Friday | In honour of Human Rights Day | Confirmed |
Public Holidays in Kiribati 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Day | Confirmed |
| January 2, 2026 | Friday | Kiribati Holiday | Confirmed |
| March 9, 2026 | Monday | In honour of International Women's Day | Confirmed |
| April 3, 2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Confirmed |
| April 6, 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday | Confirmed |
| April 7, 2026 | Tuesday | National Health Day | Confirmed |
| May 1, 2026 | Friday | International Labour Day | Confirmed |
| June 22, 2026 | Monday | In honour of National Police Day | Confirmed |
| July 10, 2026 | Friday | Gospel Day | Confirmed |
| July 13, 2026 | Monday | In honour of National Day | Confirmed |
| July 14, 2026 | Tuesday | Kiribati Culture and Senior Citizens Day | Confirmed |
| July 15, 2026 | Wednesday | Kiribati Special Day | Confirmed |
| August 3, 2026 | Monday | National Youth & Children's Day | Confirmed |
| October 5, 2026 | Monday | World Teachers Day | Confirmed |
| December 11, 2026 | Friday | In honour of Human Rights Day | Confirmed |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Confirmed |
| December 28, 2026 | Monday | In honour of Boxing Day (Gift Day) | Confirmed |
| December 29, 2026 | Tuesday | Kiribati Holiday | Confirmed |
| December 30, 2026 | Wednesday | Kiribati Holiday | Confirmed |
| December 31, 2026 | Thursday | Kiribati Holiday | Confirmed |
Who Declares Public Holidays in Kiribati?
Public holidays in Kiribati can be declared by official order under the Public Holidays Ordinance. For 2026, the Republic of Kiribati issued a specific Public Holidays Order under sections 6 and 9 of the Ordinance.
The official instrument was dated December 18, 2025 and signed by President Taneti Maamau. It declares the listed dates to be public holidays for 2026 and states that the order supersedes any previous order made for the same purpose.
National Day Holiday in 2026
Kiribati's National Day anniversary is associated with July 12, but the operative public holiday specified in the official 2026 order is Monday, July 13, 2026, described as “In honour of National Day.”
The VisaBoards database therefore uses July 13 as the official 2026 public-holiday date rather than substituting the anniversary date shown by some commercial holiday calendars.
Kiribati Independence Celebration Period
The National Day period creates an extended sequence of public holidays in July 2026. Gospel Day falls on Friday, July 10, followed by the National Day holiday on Monday, July 13, Kiribati Culture and Senior Citizens Day on Tuesday, July 14, and Kiribati Special Day on Wednesday, July 15.
These dates are separately declared public holidays in the official 2026 order and should be treated as individual dates in a holiday database.
International Women's Day Holiday
The official 2026 order designates Monday, March 9 as a public holiday “In honour of International Women's Day.” This differs from the international observance date of March 8 and reflects the operative public-holiday date declared specifically for Kiribati in 2026.
National Police Day
Monday, June 22, 2026 is declared a public holiday “In honour of National Police Day.” The date appears directly in the official 2026 Public Holidays Order.
National Youth & Children's Day
National Youth & Children's Day is observed as a public holiday on Monday, August 3, 2026 under the official annual order.
World Teachers Day
Kiribati observes World Teachers Day as a public holiday on Monday, October 5, 2026. The date is expressly included in the official 2026 schedule.
Human Rights Day Holiday
The 2026 order designates Friday, December 11 as a public holiday “In honour of Human Rights Day.” The database uses the declared December 11 date rather than assuming that the international observance date itself is the operative Kiribati holiday.
Boxing Day and the December Holiday Period
Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26, 2026, but the official Kiribati order designates Monday, December 28 as the public holiday “In honour of Boxing Day (Gift Day).”
The order then declares December 29, December 30 and December 31 as additional Kiribati Holidays. Together with Christmas Day on Friday, December 25, these dates create an extended official holiday period at the end of 2026.
Long Holiday Periods in Kiribati in 2026
Several official holidays create extended breaks in 2026.
- January 1 to January 4: New Year's Day and the January 2 Kiribati Holiday fall on Thursday and Friday.
- April 3 to April 7: Good Friday, Easter Monday and National Health Day produce a sequence around the Easter weekend.
- July 10 to July 15: Gospel Day is followed by the weekend and three consecutive official holidays connected with the National Day period.
- December 25 to December 31: Christmas Day, the Boxing Day holiday and three additional Kiribati Holidays create an extended year-end holiday period.
These periods are based only on dates expressly declared in the official 2026 Public Holidays Order and ordinary weekends. No additional bridge holidays have been assumed.
How Kiribati Handles Specifically Declared Holiday Dates
The 2026 order is particularly important because it specifies the operative public-holiday dates rather than requiring readers to infer substitute days from anniversary dates.
For example, National Day is represented by the July 13 holiday “In honour of National Day,” while Boxing Day is represented by the December 28 holiday “In honour of Boxing Day (Gift Day).” The declared dates therefore take priority over dates inferred from commercial calendars.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many verified public holiday dates are there in Kiribati in 2026?
The verified VisaBoards dataset contains 20 public-holiday dates expressly listed in Kiribati's official 2026 Public Holidays Order.
What is the next public holiday in Kiribati?
The next holiday changes throughout the year. The live VisaBoards section near the top of this page displays the upcoming Kiribati public holiday using the current holiday database.
Who officially declares Kiribati public holidays?
Public holidays may be declared by official order under the Public Holidays Ordinance. The 2026 holiday order was signed by President Taneti Maamau and published through the Office of Te Beretitenti.
When is International Women's Day observed as a public holiday in Kiribati in 2026?
Kiribati observes Monday, March 9, 2026 as a public holiday in honour of International Women's Day.
When is Good Friday in Kiribati in 2026?
Good Friday falls on April 3, 2026 and is expressly declared a public holiday in the official 2026 order.
When is National Day observed in Kiribati in 2026?
The official public holiday in honour of National Day falls on Monday, July 13, 2026. This is the operative public-holiday date stated in the official 2026 order.
When is Gospel Day in Kiribati in 2026?
Gospel Day is observed on Friday, July 10, 2026.
When is Kiribati Culture and Senior Citizens Day in 2026?
Kiribati Culture and Senior Citizens Day is observed on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
When is Boxing Day observed in Kiribati in 2026?
The official 2026 order designates Monday, December 28 as a public holiday in honour of Boxing Day, also described as Gift Day.
Are December 29, 30 and 31 public holidays in Kiribati in 2026?
Yes. The official 2026 Public Holidays Order separately designates December 29, December 30 and December 31 as Kiribati Holidays.
Official Sources for Public Holidays in Kiribati
- Office of Te Beretitenti – Gazettes & Instruments: official government collection containing the National Public Holiday 2026 instrument.
- Republic of Kiribati – Public Holidays Order for 2026: official instrument declaring the 2026 public-holiday dates under the Public Holidays Ordinance.
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