Public Holidays in Serbia 2026 – Orthodox & National Holidays
Serbia’s 2026 public holiday calendar includes statutory state holidays, nationwide non-working Orthodox religious holidays and separate religious leave rights available to employees of particular faiths. The schedule below uses the VisaBoards holiday database, while this guide explains Serbia’s Sunday substitution rule, Orthodox holiday periods, working observances and dates that should not be treated as general nationwide public holidays.
Next Public Holiday in Serbia
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 11, 2026 | Wednesday | Armistice Day (First World War) | Confirmed |
Public Holidays in Serbia 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year Holidays | Confirmed |
| January 2, 2026 | Friday | New Year Holidays | Confirmed |
| January 7, 2026 | Wednesday | Julian Orthodox Christmas | Confirmed |
| February 15, 2026 | Sunday | Serbian Statehood Day | Confirmed |
| February 16, 2026 | Monday | Serbian Statehood Day | Confirmed |
| February 17, 2026 | Tuesday | Serbian Statehood Day – Substitute Holiday | Confirmed |
| April 10, 2026 | Friday | Orthodox Easter Holidays – Good Friday | Confirmed |
| April 11, 2026 | Saturday | Orthodox Easter Holidays – Holy Saturday | Confirmed |
| April 12, 2026 | Sunday | Orthodox Easter Holidays – Easter Sunday | Confirmed |
| April 13, 2026 | Monday | Orthodox Easter Holidays – Easter Monday | Confirmed |
| May 1, 2026 | Friday | Labour Day | Confirmed |
| May 2, 2026 | Saturday | Labour Day | Confirmed |
| November 11, 2026 | Wednesday | Armistice Day (First World War) | Confirmed |
How Public Holidays Work in Serbia
Serbia’s holiday framework distinguishes between state holidays and religious holidays that are celebrated as non-working days. The official list includes New Year, Serbian Statehood Day, Labour Day and Armistice Day as non-working state holidays, together with Christmas on 7 January and the Orthodox Easter period from Good Friday through the second day of Easter as nationwide non-working religious holidays.
The National Bank of Serbia’s official public holiday calendar publishes the applicable non-working dates for 2026. The statutory classifications and substitution rules are also explained by Serbia’s Ministry of Labour.
What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on Sunday in Serbia?
Serbia provides a substitute day for specified state holidays when one of their statutory dates falls on Sunday. In that situation, the first following working day becomes a non-working day.
This rule applies to New Year, Serbian Statehood Day, Labour Day and Armistice Day. It should not be described as a general rule that automatically moves every holiday falling anywhere on a weekend.
Why Is 17 February 2026 a Public Holiday?
Serbian Statehood Day, or Sretenje, is normally celebrated on 15 and 16 February. In 2026, 15 February fell on Sunday. Because 16 February was already the second statutory holiday date, the first following working day was Tuesday, 17 February, which therefore became an additional non-working day.
Orthodox Christmas and Easter Holidays in Serbia
Serbia recognizes the first day of Christmas on 7 January as a nationwide non-working religious holiday. The nationwide Orthodox Easter holiday period begins on Good Friday and continues through the second day of Easter, which means the period covers Friday through Monday.
In 2026, the officially published Orthodox Easter holiday period runs from 10 through 13 April. Unlike the statutory state-holiday rule, religious holidays are not automatically transferred to the next working day merely because they fall on Sunday.
Is 6 January 2026 a Public Holiday in Serbia?
No. Christmas Eve on 6 January 2026 was not added to Serbia’s statutory nationwide public holiday calendar. The Government of Serbia recommended that employers allow Orthodox Christian employees who observe Christmas according to the Julian calendar not to work on that date, but the measure was a recommendation rather than a new general public holiday.
The distinction matters because some public institutions or employers may have followed the recommendation, while Serbia’s official nationwide 2026 holiday calendar continues to identify 7 January as the statutory Christmas non-working day.
Religious Days Off for Particular Employees
Serbian law also gives employees of certain religious communities the right not to work on specified religious holidays. These entitlements are different from nationwide public holidays and should not be added to a general national holiday calendar for every employee.
- Orthodox Christians may take the first day of their family patron saint celebration, or krsna slava.
- Catholics and members of other Christian religious communities may take Christmas Day and their Easter holiday period according to their calendar.
- Members of the Islamic community may take the first day of Ramadan Bayram and the first day of Kurban Bayram.
- Members of the Jewish community may take the first day of Yom Kippur.
The Ministry of Labour’s official holiday guidance distinguishes these employee-specific religious rights from the nationwide non-working holidays.
Working Public Holidays and Remembrance Days
Not every officially recognized holiday or remembrance date in Serbia is a day off work. Serbia also has public observances that are celebrated while remaining working days.
- Saint Sava’s Day – 27 January
- Holocaust, Genocide and Other Fascist Crimes Victims Remembrance Day – 22 April
- Victory Day – 9 May
- Vidovdan, or Saint Vitus’ Day – 28 June
- World War II Serbian Victims Remembrance Day – 21 October
These dates should not be mixed into the main nationwide non-working holiday schedule simply because they have official commemorative status.
Long Weekends in Serbia in 2026
For people who normally work Monday to Friday and have Saturday and Sunday off, several 2026 holiday periods create extended breaks without requiring an official bridge holiday.
- New Year: Thursday 1 January through Sunday 4 January can form a four-day break because 1 and 2 January are official holidays.
- Statehood Day: Saturday 14 February through Tuesday 17 February can form a four-day break because the Sunday substitution rule makes 17 February non-working.
- Orthodox Easter: Friday 10 April through Monday 13 April is an official four-day Easter holiday period.
- Labour Day: Friday 1 May through Sunday 3 May can form a three-day break for employees who normally have weekends off.
These examples assume a standard Monday-to-Friday working pattern. Individual employers and sectors may operate different schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holiday dates are there in Serbia in 2026?
The verified VisaBoards dataset contains 13 nationwide non-working public-holiday calendar dates for Serbia in 2026. This count treats every date within multi-day holiday periods as an individual calendar date and excludes employee-specific religious leave and working observances.
What is the next public holiday in Serbia?
The next public holiday changes during the year. Use the Next Public Holiday in Serbia section near the top of this page for the current holiday name, date and countdown.
Does Serbia move public holidays that fall on weekends?
Not automatically. For specified state holidays, a date falling on Sunday causes the first following working day to become non-working. A holiday falling on Saturday does not by itself create a Monday substitute under this rule.
Why is 17 February a holiday in Serbia in 2026?
Statehood Day is normally observed on 15 and 16 February. Because 15 February 2026 fell on Sunday, the statutory substitution rule made Tuesday, 17 February the first following working day and therefore an additional non-working day.
Are Orthodox Easter dates public holidays in Serbia?
Yes. Serbia’s nationwide non-working Easter period runs from Orthodox Good Friday through the second day of Easter. In 2026, the officially scheduled period covers 10, 11, 12 and 13 April.
Is Christmas Eve on 6 January a nationwide public holiday?
No. For 2026, the Serbian Government recommended that employers allow Orthodox Christian employees not to work on 6 January, but the recommendation did not add Christmas Eve to the statutory nationwide public holiday calendar.
Are Muslim, Jewish and Western Christian religious holidays nationwide public holidays in Serbia?
No. Serbian law provides specific non-working religious entitlements to employees belonging to those religious communities, but those dates are not general nationwide holidays applying to the entire population.
Are Saint Sava’s Day and Victory Day days off work?
No. They are among Serbia’s officially recognized working observances. Their official status does not automatically make them nationwide non-working days.
Official Sources for Public Holidays in Serbia
- National Bank of Serbia – Public Holidays in Serbia: confirms the official non-working dates and weekdays for 2026 and distinguishes them from working public holidays.
- Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs – State and Religious Holidays: explains the statutory state and religious holiday framework, Sunday substitution rule and employee-specific religious leave rights.
- Government of Serbia – Christmas Eve Recommendation for 2026: confirms that employers were recommended to allow Orthodox Christian employees not to work on 6 January 2026 rather than declaring a new nationwide statutory public holiday.
