Skip to content
Visa Boards

INFORMATION

Public Holidays in Nauru 2026 – National & Cultural Days

Post Date · Modified · Country · Nauru

Public Holidays in Nauru 2026 – National & Cultural Days

Nauru's public holiday calendar for 2026 is established primarily under section 81 of the Public Service Act 2016. The official annual Gazette lists national commemorations, Easter holidays and several Nauru-specific observances, while statutory weekend rules move certain holidays to substitute weekdays. Additional special public holidays may also be declared during the year.

On this pageTable of Content

Next Public Holiday in Nauru

[next_public_holiday country="Nauru"]

Public Holidays in Nauru 2026

[public_holidays country="Nauru" year="2026"]

Official Source for Nauru Public Holidays in 2026

The principal year-specific authority is Republic of Nauru Government Gazette No. 07 of 9 January 2026, G.N. No. 28/2026.

The Gazette was issued under section 81 of the Public Service Act 2016 and specifies the holidays to be observed by officers and employees of the Public Service during 2026. It also sets out the rules used when a holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday.

Later Gazettes can add special holidays or confirm individual observances, so the final 2026 calendar is not necessarily limited to the schedule originally published in January.

How Substitute Public Holidays Work in Nauru

Nauru has explicit weekend-substitution rules under section 81 of the Public Service Act 2016.

For most listed public holidays, when the anniversary date falls on Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday becomes the holiday.

Independence Day and Christmas Day are treated differently. When either falls on Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday and Tuesday are holidays.

These rules matter in 2026 because several anniversary dates fall on weekends. The VisaBoards database therefore records the actual substitute weekdays used as public holidays rather than presenting only the weekend anniversary dates.

New Year's Day in Nauru

New Year's Day falls on Thursday, 1 January 2026. A Government Gazette issued on 31 December 2025 formally declared 1 January as a Public Service holiday for the New Year.

Nauru Independence Holidays in 2026

Nauru's Independence Day anniversary falls on Saturday, 31 January 2026. The annual Gazette also lists Sunday, 1 February as the day following Independence Day.

Because Independence Day falls on a weekend, the statutory rule provides substitute holidays on the following Monday and Tuesday. The observed Independence holidays are therefore Monday, 2 February and Tuesday, 3 February 2026.

Special Holiday on 30 January 2026

A separate Government Gazette declared Friday, 30 January 2026 a special public holiday for officers and employees of the Public Service.

The holiday commemorated the 58th anniversary of Nauru Independence and the 80th anniversary of the return of the Nauruan people from Chuuk. It was an additional one-off holiday and should not be confused with the regular Independence Day substitute holidays on 2 and 3 February.

Special Public Holiday on 2 March 2026

Monday, 2 March 2026 was declared a special public holiday following the death of former President Ludwig Derangadage Scotty.

Government Gazette No. 75/2026 states that the holiday was to be observed by officers and employees of the Public Service and its instrumentalities in honour of the former President, who died on 25 February 2026.

This was a one-off 2026 holiday and was not part of the original annual schedule published in January.

International Women's Day in Nauru

International Women's Day is part of Nauru's official Public Service holiday calendar. Its anniversary falls on Sunday, 8 March 2026.

Because the anniversary falls on Sunday, the holiday is observed on Monday, 9 March under the weekend-substitution rule. Government Gazette No. 81/2026 separately confirms 9 March as the 2026 Public Service holiday for International Women's Day.

Easter Public Holidays in Nauru

Nauru observes three Public Service holidays over Easter in 2026.

  • Good Friday: Friday, 3 April 2026.
  • Easter Monday: Monday, 6 April 2026.
  • Easter Tuesday: Tuesday, 7 April 2026.

Easter Tuesday is therefore an important feature of Nauru's holiday calendar that may not appear in countries where the Easter public-holiday period ends on Monday.

Constitution Day in Nauru in 2026

Constitution Day has an anniversary date of 17 May. In 2026, 17 May falls on Sunday, so the statutory weekend rule moves the observed holiday to Monday, 18 May.

Eigigu Day

Eigigu Day is observed on Friday, 26 June 2026 and appears in the official annual Public Service holiday calendar.

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is observed on Monday, 29 June 2026. It is listed as a Public Service holiday in Government Gazette No. 07/2026.

RONPHOS Handover

RONPHOS Handover is observed on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. The holiday appears in Nauru's official annual schedule as a Public Service holiday.

International Day for Judicial Well-Being

Nauru established the International Day for Judicial Well-Being as a recurring Public Service holiday through the Public Service (Public Holiday for International Day for Judicial Well-Being) Declaration 2025.

The declaration provides that 25 July in each successive year is to be a public holiday for officers and employees of the Public Service and other instrumentalities of the Republic.

In 2026, 25 July falls on Saturday. The general weekend-substitution rule therefore moves the observed holiday to Monday, 27 July.

Ibumin Earoeni Day

Ibumin Earoeni Day is observed on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.

The date appears in the January annual calendar and was subsequently confirmed in Government Gazette No. 287 of 18 August 2026, which declared 19 August from 9:00am to 5:00pm as a public holiday for officers and employees of the Public Service and its instrumentalities.

Sir Hammer DeRoburt Day

Sir Hammer DeRoburt Day falls on Friday, 25 September 2026 and is included in Nauru's official Public Service holiday schedule.

The observance commemorates Sir Hammer DeRoburt, who played a central role in Nauru's transition to independence and served as the country's first President.

Angam Day in Nauru

Angam Day is observed on Monday, 26 October 2026. It is one of Nauru's distinctive national commemorations and appears in the official 2026 holiday schedule.

Christmas Holidays in Nauru in 2026

Christmas Day falls on Friday, 25 December 2026 and is observed on its calendar date.

The annual Gazette also lists the day following Christmas on Saturday, 26 December. Because that separate holiday falls on Saturday and is subject to the general weekend rule, its observed substitute holiday is Monday, 28 December 2026.

Are Nauru Public Holidays the Same as Private-Sector Holidays?

Nauru's legislation uses a specific legal definition of public holiday. The Interpretation Act defines a public holiday by reference to holidays in the Public Service under section 81 of the Public Service Act 2016.

The 2026 annual Gazette likewise states that the listed holidays are observed by officers and employees of the Public Service. The legal sources reviewed here therefore directly establish Public Service holidays and should not be read as automatically proving identical leave or payment entitlements for every private-sector employee.

Can Nauru Declare Additional Public Holidays?

Yes. Section 81 allows special public holidays to be declared during the year. This occurred several times in 2026.

For example, 30 January was added for Independence-related commemorations, 2 March was declared in honour of former President Ludwig Scotty, and a later August Gazette separately confirmed Ibumin Earoeni Day.

Year-specific Gazette notices are therefore important when maintaining an accurate Nauru holiday calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many verified public holiday dates are in the Nauru 2026 VisaBoards dataset?

The verified VisaBoards dataset contains 19 observed Public Service holiday dates for 2026. This includes the annual holiday schedule, statutory substitute dates and additional special holidays declared later during the year.

What is the next public holiday in Nauru?

The next holiday changes during the year. The live VisaBoards section near the top of this page displays the upcoming holiday from the current Nauru holiday database.

When is Nauru Independence Day observed in 2026?

The Independence Day anniversary falls on Saturday, 31 January 2026. Under Nauru's substitution rule, Monday, 2 February and Tuesday, 3 February are the observed Public Service holidays.

Was 30 January 2026 a public holiday in Nauru?

Yes. Friday, 30 January was separately declared a special Public Service holiday commemorating the 58th anniversary of Independence and the 80th anniversary of the return of the Nauruan people from Chuuk.

Was 2 March 2026 a public holiday in Nauru?

Yes. Monday, 2 March was declared a special Public Service holiday in honour of former President Ludwig Derangadage Scotty following his death on 25 February 2026.

When is International Women's Day observed in Nauru in 2026?

The anniversary falls on Sunday, 8 March, so the Public Service holiday is observed on Monday, 9 March 2026.

Is Easter Tuesday a public holiday in Nauru?

Yes. Easter Tuesday is included in Nauru's official annual Public Service holiday schedule. In 2026 it falls on 7 April.

When is Constitution Day observed in Nauru in 2026?

Constitution Day falls on Sunday, 17 May 2026. The substitute Public Service holiday is Monday, 18 May.

When is International Day for Judicial Well-Being observed in Nauru in 2026?

The recurring anniversary is 25 July. Because 25 July 2026 falls on Saturday, the observed Public Service holiday is Monday, 27 July.

When is Angam Day in Nauru in 2026?

Angam Day falls on Monday, 26 October 2026.

What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend in Nauru?

For most Public Service holidays, a Saturday or Sunday anniversary produces a holiday on the following Monday. Independence Day and Christmas Day have a special rule under which the following Monday and Tuesday become holidays when either falls on a weekend.

Is 28 December 2026 a holiday in Nauru?

Yes. The day following Christmas falls on Saturday, 26 December 2026, so its observed substitute Public Service holiday is Monday, 28 December.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Nauru

Still exploring?

Still not satisfied with the answer? Let’s discuss your future.

Ask follow-up questions, share your case, and get perspectives from others in the Visaboards Community.

Discuss in community