Public Holidays in Paraguay 2026 – National & Public Holidays

Paraguay’s public holidays in 2026 include fixed national holidays, Holy Week holidays, several dates that may be moved by presidential decree, and a special one-off national holiday declared during the year. The country’s current holiday framework is established by Law No. 7544/2025, which also gives the Executive authority to move certain holidays and declare additional national holidays in specific circumstances.

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Next Public Holiday in Paraguay

[next_public_holiday country="Paraguay"]

Public Holidays in Paraguay 2026

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

How Public Holidays Work in Paraguay

Paraguay’s national holiday system is principally governed by Law No. 7544/2025. The law establishes the country’s recurring national holidays and distinguishes between fixed dates and holidays that the Executive may move to a Monday.

The law identifies Heroes of the Homeland Day, Chaco Peace Day, the Day of the Oath of the National Constitution and Battle of Boquerón Day as movable national holidays. Other holidays listed by the law remain on their statutory dates unless a separate legal provision applies.

Law No. 7544/2025 also authorizes the Executive to establish up to three additional national holidays in a year to promote tourism and economic activity or to mark special occasions. An additional holiday declared under this authority has the same legal effect as the country’s other national holidays.

Movable Public Holidays in Paraguay in 2026

Not every holiday identified as movable is automatically transferred each year. A change requires an Executive decree, so the officially observed date should be checked rather than assumed from the statutory anniversary.

Heroes of the Homeland Day

Heroes of the Homeland Day is legally associated with March 1. For 2026, the Executive issued Decree No. 5508 transferring the national holiday to Monday, March 2. The transfer was announced through Paraguay's Radio Nacional.

Day of the Oath of the National Constitution

The Day of the Oath of the National Constitution is established for June 20 under Law No. 7544/2025. In 2026, Decree No. 6215 transferred the national holiday to Monday, June 22. The Ministry of Economy and Finance expressly referenced the transferred holiday when adjusting an official administrative timetable.

Battle of Boquerón Day

Battle of Boquerón Day normally falls on September 29. For 2026, Decree No. 6601 transferred the national holiday to Monday, September 28. The transfer created a three-day weekend while the historical commemoration remains associated with September 29.

Special National Holiday on June 30, 2026

June 30, 2026 was a special one-off national holiday rather than one of Paraguay’s recurring annual holidays. President Santiago Peña declared the Tuesday holiday after the Paraguayan national football team qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Presidency of the Republic announced the measure on June 29, 2026. The declaration was made under the authority allowing the Executive to institute additional national holidays for special occasions.

Independence Holidays in Paraguay

Paraguay’s national independence holiday extends across both May 14 and May 15. Law No. 7544/2025 expressly identifies both dates as national holidays, so they should be treated as two individual public-holiday dates in holiday calendars and databases.

Because May 14, 2026 falls on a Thursday and May 15 falls on a Friday, the two national holidays combine with the normal weekend to create an extended break for many workers.

Holy Week Public Holidays in Paraguay

Holy Thursday and Good Friday are national public holidays under Paraguay’s holiday law. Their calendar dates change each year because they are connected to Easter. In 2026, the two holidays fall consecutively on Thursday and Friday, creating an extended Holy Week break when combined with the weekend.

Easter Sunday should not be added as a separate weekday public-holiday entry simply because it appears on some international holiday calendars. Sundays are already recognized separately under Paraguay’s legal framework. Easter Monday is also not established by Law No. 7544/2025 as a nationwide public holiday.

Long Weekends in Paraguay in 2026

Several 2026 public holidays create useful long-weekend opportunities without requiring an unofficial substitute day. Monday holidays created through presidential transfers are particularly important because the observed holiday may differ from the historical anniversary.

• Heroes of the Homeland Day was moved to Monday, March 2, creating a three-day weekend.
• Holy Thursday and Good Friday create a four-day Holy Week break when combined with Saturday and Sunday.
• Workers’ Day falls on Friday, May 1, creating a three-day weekend.
• The May 14 and May 15 Independence holidays fall on Thursday and Friday, creating a four-day break with the weekend.
• Chaco Peace Day falls on Friday, June 12, creating a three-day weekend.
• Constitution Day was moved to Monday, June 22, creating a three-day weekend.
• Battle of Boquerón Day was moved to Monday, September 28, creating another three-day weekend.
• Christmas Day falls on Friday, December 25, creating a three-day weekend for workers whose normal weekend is Saturday and Sunday.

These breaks result from the official holiday calendar and the normal weekend pattern. Extra annual leave or employer-granted bridge days should not be treated as national public holidays.

Are Public Holidays Paid in Paraguay?

National public holidays are compulsory rest days for workers under Paraguay’s labour rules. The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has stated that Article 217 of the Labour Code treats public holidays as mandatory rest days.

Where the nature of a business makes work on a national holiday necessary, the Ministry states that employees may be required to work subject to the applicable labour protections. Hours worked on the holiday carry a 100% surcharge over the ordinary hourly wage under Article 234 of the Labour Code.

What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend in Paraguay?

Paraguay does not automatically move every national holiday that falls on a weekend. Law No. 7544/2025 specifically identifies the holidays that the Executive may transfer to the preceding or following Monday.

Heroes of the Homeland Day, Chaco Peace Day, the Day of the Oath of the National Constitution and Battle of Boquerón Day are the four movable holidays under the current law. A presidential decree is required for an actual transfer.

Other national holidays established by the law remain on their designated dates, even when they fall on a Saturday or Sunday, unless another applicable legal measure changes the arrangement.

Who Announces Public Holidays in Paraguay?

Paraguay’s recurring national holidays are established by national legislation. Under Law No. 7544/2025, the President of the Republic may use an Executive decree to move designated movable holidays and may establish up to three additional national holidays during a year for tourism, economic or special-event purposes.

This means that an annual holiday calendar can change after its initial publication. Later presidential decrees take priority when they officially transfer a movable holiday or introduce an additional national holiday.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many nationwide public holiday dates are there in Paraguay in 2026?

There are 14 confirmed nationwide public holiday dates in the 2026 schedule when the officially transferred dates and the special June 30 national holiday are counted. The total excludes bank-only observances and dates that are not separate nationwide public holidays.

What is the next public holiday in Paraguay?

The next holiday changes during the year. The Next Public Holiday section above uses the VisaBoards holiday database to display the current upcoming national public holiday.

Can Paraguay move public holidays to a Monday?

Yes. Law No. 7544/2025 allows the Executive to move four designated national holidays to the Monday immediately before or after the original date by decree.

Which public holidays can be moved in Paraguay?

The movable holidays are Heroes of the Homeland Day, Chaco Peace Day, the Day of the Oath of the National Constitution and Battle of Boquerón Day.

Is September 29, 2026 a public holiday in Paraguay?

The Battle of Boquerón holiday was transferred from Tuesday, September 29 to Monday, September 28 for 2026 under Decree No. 6601. The observed national holiday is therefore September 28.

Why was June 30, 2026 a public holiday in Paraguay?

June 30 was declared a special national holiday after Paraguay’s national football team qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was a one-off holiday rather than an annually recurring date.

Are May 14 and May 15 both public holidays in Paraguay?

Yes. Law No. 7544/2025 lists both May 14 and May 15 as national Independence holidays, making each date a nationwide public holiday.

Is Easter Monday a public holiday in Paraguay?

No. Paraguay’s governing national holiday law establishes Holy Thursday and Good Friday as the Holy Week public holidays. Easter Monday is not listed as a separate nationwide national holiday.

Is New Year’s Eve a nationwide public holiday in Paraguay?

No. December 31 is not included among the national public holidays established by Law No. 7544/2025. It should not be mixed into the primary nationwide public holiday schedule.

Do workers receive extra pay for working on a public holiday in Paraguay?

According to guidance from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, work performed on a national holiday is subject to a 100% surcharge over the ordinary hourly wage under the Labour Code.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Paraguay

• Biblioteca y Archivo Central del Congreso Nacional – Law No. 7544/2025: establishes Paraguay’s recurring national holidays, movable holidays and the Executive’s authority to declare additional holidays.
• Radio Nacional del Paraguay – Heroes of the Homeland Day transfer: confirms that Decree No. 5508 moved the 2026 holiday to March 2.
• Ministry of Economy and Finance – Constitution Day transfer: confirms the effect of Decree No. 6215/2026 transferring the holiday to June 22.
• Presidency of the Republic – June 30 special national holiday: confirms the one-off 2026 national holiday declared following Paraguay’s FIFA World Cup qualification.
• Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security – public holiday labour guidance: explains compulsory holiday rest and remuneration rules for employees required to work on national holidays.