Public Holidays in South Sudan 2026 – National & Public Observances
South Sudan’s 2026 public holidays include fixed national dates as well as Christian and Islamic holiday periods. The Ministry of Labour is the key authority for public-holiday declarations, while the Government of South Sudan also identifies important national commemorations. Some future holiday periods may remain subject to a specific Ministry notice, so the live VisaBoards schedule below is the primary date reference.
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| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 24, 2026 | Thursday | Christmas Holiday | Subject to Confirmation |
Public Holidays in South Sudan 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year | Confirmed |
| March 20, 2026 | Friday | Eid El Fitr | Confirmed |
| March 21, 2026 | Saturday | Eid El Fitr | Confirmed |
| March 22, 2026 | Sunday | Eid El Fitr | Confirmed |
| April 3, 2026 | Friday | Easter Holiday | Confirmed |
| April 4, 2026 | Saturday | Easter Holiday | Confirmed |
| April 5, 2026 | Sunday | Easter Holiday | Confirmed |
| April 6, 2026 | Monday | Easter Holiday | Confirmed |
| May 1, 2026 | Friday | International Labour Day | Confirmed |
| May 16, 2026 | Saturday | Sudan People’s Liberation Army Day | Confirmed |
| May 27, 2026 | Wednesday | Eid Al-Adha | Confirmed |
| May 28, 2026 | Thursday | Eid Al-Adha | Confirmed |
| May 29, 2026 | Friday | Eid Al-Adha | Confirmed |
| July 9, 2026 | Thursday | Independence Day | Confirmed |
| July 30, 2026 | Thursday | Martyrs Day | Confirmed |
| December 24, 2026 | Thursday | Christmas Holiday | Subject to Confirmation |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Holiday | Subject to Confirmation |
| December 26, 2026 | Saturday | Christmas Holiday | Subject to Confirmation |
Who Announces Public Holidays in South Sudan?
The Ministry of Labour issues public-holiday calendars and specific holiday notices in South Sudan. Section 61 of the Labour Act 2017 provides that employees are entitled to paid leave on days declared by the Ministry to be public holidays.
Specific Ministry announcements are particularly important for multi-day and religious holidays. When a later Ministry notice establishes a holiday period, that announcement should take priority over an advance calendar estimate.
How Are Religious Holiday Dates Confirmed?
South Sudan recognizes both Christian and Islamic holiday periods. Easter follows the Christian calendar, while Islamic holidays such as Eid El Fitr and Eid Al-Adha follow the Hijri calendar and may depend on the applicable religious and government confirmation process.
For 2026, the Ministry of Labour issued a specific Easter public-holiday notice covering 3 April through 6 April. The Ministry also issued Public Announcement PH 06/2026 establishing the Eid Al-Adha holiday from 27 May through 29 May, with official work resuming on 1 June.
For future religious or multi-day holiday periods, employers and travellers should use the latest Ministry announcement rather than assume that the duration will be identical to a previous year.
National Holidays and Public Holidays in South Sudan
The Government of South Sudan identifies Sudan People’s Liberation Army Day on 16 May, Independence Day on 9 July and Martyrs Day on 30 July among the country’s national holidays. These dates are also consistent with the recurring public-holiday framework used in Ministry of Labour holiday materials.
The government’s National Holidays page also identifies Veteran’s Day on 18 August. However, a national commemoration and a Ministry-declared public holiday are not automatically the same classification. Veteran’s Day is therefore not included in the VisaBoards nationwide public-holiday dataset without sufficient evidence that it is declared as a general public holiday.
Are Public Holidays Paid in South Sudan?
Yes. Section 61(2) of the Labour Act 2017 states that an employee is entitled to paid leave on days declared by the Ministry to be public holidays.
If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, section 61(3) provides for either twice the employee’s regular hourly rate for all time worked on the public holiday or one day of paid leave as compensation.
What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend?
Section 61(1) of the Labour Act states that all public holidays are observed on calendar days. The section does not create an automatic weekday substitute when a holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday. A replacement or additional day should therefore not be assumed unless it is specifically announced by the Ministry or another competent government authority.
Public-Holiday Notices and the Private Sector
Ministry holiday announcements can apply beyond government offices. The 2026 Easter notice, for example, was addressed to civil service institutions, commissions, diplomatic missions, United Nations agencies, NGOs, private-sector institutions and the general public. Employers should check the wording of each holiday notice for its stated scope and resumption-of-work date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the next public holiday in South Sudan?
The next holiday changes as the year progresses. Use the dynamic Next Public Holiday section near the top of this page for the current holiday name, date and countdown.
How many public holiday dates are there in South Sudan in 2026?
VisaBoards records each calendar day within an officially recognized multi-day holiday period as a separate database row. Because a future holiday period may remain subject to confirmation or a later Ministry announcement, the live public-holiday table should be used for the current total rather than hard-coding a number in the article.
Are Eid holiday dates fixed every year in South Sudan?
No. Eid El Fitr and Eid Al-Adha follow the Islamic lunar calendar. Final public-holiday dates and the length of the official holiday period should be checked against the latest Ministry of Labour announcement.
Is the Christmas holiday period in 2026 final?
The Christmas dates in the current VisaBoards dataset are marked Subject to Confirmation until sufficiently authoritative 2026-specific Ministry confirmation is available. This prevents an advance calendar listing from being presented as a final government declaration.
Is Veteran’s Day a public holiday in South Sudan?
Veteran’s Day on 18 August is identified on the Government of South Sudan’s National Holidays page. VisaBoards does not classify it as a general nationwide public holiday without supporting evidence that the date has also been declared as a public holiday under the applicable Ministry framework.
Can South Sudan declare additional one-off public holidays?
Yes. Special government declarations can create additional public holidays for particular national events or circumstances. A one-off date should be added to the public-holiday calendar only after an authoritative government announcement establishes its status.
Official Sources for Public Holidays in South Sudan
- South Sudan Ministry of Labour: 2026 Easter Holiday public announcement covering 3–6 April.
- South Sudan Ministry of Labour: Public Announcement PH 06/2026 covering the Eid Al-Adha holiday from 27–29 May.
- Government of South Sudan, Ministry of Information, Communication Technology & Postal Services: National Holidays information for Sudan People’s Liberation Army Day, Independence Day, Martyrs Day and Veteran’s Day.
- Labour Act 2017: Section 61 covering calendar-day observance, paid public-holiday leave and compensation for employees who work on public holidays.
