Public Holidays in Venezuela 2026 – National & Public Holidays
Venezuela’s public holidays in 2026 include statutory labour holidays, national commemorative dates established by law and a special one-off national non-working day declared during the year. Banking observances and local or sector-specific closures should not be treated as nationwide public holidays. The schedule below is generated from the VisaBoards holiday database so that the main dates remain centrally maintained.
Next Public Holiday in Venezuela
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 12, 2026 | Monday | Indigenous Resistance Day | Confirmed |
Public Holidays in Venezuela 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Day | Confirmed |
| February 16, 2026 | Monday | Carnival Monday | Confirmed |
| February 17, 2026 | Tuesday | Carnival Tuesday | Confirmed |
| March 18, 2026 | Wednesday | National Day of Joy (DÃa de Júbilo Nacional) | Confirmed |
| April 2, 2026 | Thursday | Holy Thursday | Confirmed |
| April 3, 2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Confirmed |
| April 19, 2026 | Sunday | Declaration of Independence Day | Confirmed |
| May 1, 2026 | Friday | International Workers' Day | Confirmed |
| June 24, 2026 | Wednesday | Battle of Carabobo | Confirmed |
| July 5, 2026 | Sunday | Independence Day | Confirmed |
| July 24, 2026 | Friday | Birth of Simón BolÃvar | Confirmed |
| October 12, 2026 | Monday | Indigenous Resistance Day | Confirmed |
| December 24, 2026 | Thursday | Christmas Eve | Confirmed |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Confirmed |
| December 31, 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Eve | Confirmed |
How Public Holidays Are Defined in Venezuela
Venezuela’s holiday framework combines labour-law holidays with dates established under the country’s Law on National Holidays. Article 184 of the Organic Labour Law identifies Sundays and several specific calendar and religious dates as holidays for labour purposes. It also recognizes holidays established by the Law on National Holidays and certain additional dates declared by national, state or municipal authorities.
The recurring labour-law holidays include New Year’s Day, Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, International Workers’ Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Separately, Venezuela’s Law on National Holidays published by the National Assembly establishes April 19, June 24, July 5, July 24 and October 12 as National Holiday dates every year.
National Holidays and Historic Commemorations
Several Venezuelan public holidays commemorate events and figures central to the country’s independence and national history.
Declaration of Independence Day
April 19 commemorates the events of April 19, 1810, associated with the beginning of Venezuela’s independence process. The date is expressly included in the Law on National Holidays.
Battle of Carabobo
June 24 commemorates the Battle of Carabobo. The date is one of the annual National Holidays expressly established by Venezuelan law.
Independence Day
July 5 commemorates Venezuela’s Declaration of Independence in 1811 and is one of the country’s legally established National Holidays.
Birth of Simón BolÃvar
July 24 marks the birth of Simón BolÃvar. Venezuelan law includes July 24 among the annual National Holiday dates.
Indigenous Resistance Day
October 12 is observed as Indigenous Resistance Day, or DÃa de la Resistencia IndÃgena. It is included among the National Holiday dates established by law.
Carnival and Holy Week Holidays in Venezuela
Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday are statutory holidays under Venezuela’s labour legislation. Their Gregorian calendar dates change from year to year because they are tied to the Christian liturgical calendar.
For 2026, the Consulate General of Venezuela in Barcelona identifies February 16 and February 17 as Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday.
Holy Thursday and Good Friday are also recognized as holidays under the labour framework. The official consular calendar identifies April 2 and April 3 for these observances in 2026.
Special One-Off Holiday in Venezuela in 2026
Venezuela also had an exceptional nationwide non-working day in 2026. On March 18, the national government declared a DÃa de Júbilo Nacional, or National Day of Joy, following Venezuela’s victory in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The declaration made March 18, 2026 non-working nationwide, while exempting workers in essential services. Educational activities were also suspended. The declaration was reported by the Ministry of People’s Power for Culture.
This was a special 2026 holiday rather than an annually recurring date. It should therefore not be assumed to apply in later years.
Bank Holidays in Venezuela
Venezuela’s banking calendar contains additional closure dates that are not the same as the nationwide public holidays shown in the main VisaBoards schedule.
Banking observances may be associated with religious feast days and other dates recognized specifically by the financial sector. For that reason, a day on which banks are closed should not automatically be classified as a nationwide public holiday for all workers and businesses.
Examples appearing on 2026 banking calendars include observances connected with Epiphany, Saint Joseph, Ascension, Corpus Christi and other religious dates. These banking-specific dates are intentionally kept separate from the main nationwide public holiday dataset.
What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Sunday?
Venezuelan labour legislation treats Sundays themselves as holidays for labour purposes, but readers should not assume that every annual National Holiday falling on a Sunday automatically creates a Monday substitute holiday. Any additional non-working or replacement date should be supported by an applicable law, decree or official announcement rather than inferred from the calendar.
This distinction matters in 2026 because April 19 and July 5 fall on Sundays. The statutory dates remain April 19 and July 5 unless an applicable authority separately declares another day off.
Long Weekends in Venezuela in 2026
Several confirmed public holidays create useful extended breaks in 2026 without requiring an assumed substitute holiday.
- Carnival: Carnival Monday and Tuesday on February 16 and 17 follow the weekend, creating a four-day sequence from Saturday through Tuesday for people who normally have Saturday and Sunday off.
- Holy Week: Holy Thursday and Good Friday on April 2 and 3 run directly into the weekend, creating a four-day sequence through Easter Sunday for workers with a Saturday-Sunday weekend.
- International Workers’ Day: May 1 falls on a Friday, creating a three-day weekend for many Monday-to-Friday workers.
- Birth of Simón BolÃvar: July 24 falls on a Friday, creating another three-day weekend for many workers.
- Indigenous Resistance Day: October 12 falls on a Monday, creating a three-day weekend for workers whose normal rest days are Saturday and Sunday.
- Christmas: Christmas Eve falls on Thursday, December 24 and Christmas Day on Friday, December 25, producing a four-day sequence through the weekend for many Monday-to-Friday workers.
Actual working arrangements can vary by employer, industry and the statutory exceptions applicable to activities that continue during holidays.
Are Businesses Closed on Public Holidays in Venezuela?
Venezuelan labour legislation generally provides for work to be suspended on statutory holidays and for workplaces to remain closed to the public, subject to legal exceptions for activities that are permitted or required to continue.
Essential services and certain continuous or otherwise exempt activities may therefore operate even when a date is officially non-working. The March 18, 2026 National Day of Joy, for example, expressly excluded essential-service workers from the general non-working declaration.
Are Public Holidays Paid in Venezuela?
Public-holiday pay and compensation are governed by Venezuelan labour legislation and depend on the worker’s circumstances and whether work is actually performed on the holiday. Employers and employees should consult the applicable provisions of the Organic Labour Law and current official labour guidance when determining holiday remuneration in a specific case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the next public holiday in Venezuela?
The next holiday changes during the year. Check the Next Public Holiday section above for the current database-generated result.
How many nationwide public holiday dates are included for Venezuela in 2026?
The VisaBoards 2026 dataset contains 15 verified nationwide holiday dates, including the one-off National Day of Joy declared for March 18, 2026. Bank-only, local and other non-nationwide observances are excluded from that total.
Was March 18, 2026 a public holiday in Venezuela?
Yes. March 18, 2026 was declared a nationwide, non-working DÃa de Júbilo Nacional following Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic championship. Essential-service workers were excluded from the general suspension of work.
Are Carnival Monday and Tuesday public holidays in Venezuela?
Yes. Venezuela’s labour legislation recognizes both Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday as holidays. In 2026 they fall on February 16 and February 17.
Are Holy Thursday and Good Friday public holidays in Venezuela?
Yes. Both dates are included in Venezuela’s statutory labour-holiday framework. In 2026 Holy Thursday falls on April 2 and Good Friday on April 3.
Is every Venezuelan bank holiday a nationwide public holiday?
No. Venezuela has banking-specific observances that affect financial institutions but are not necessarily general nationwide public holidays. Bank holidays should therefore be distinguished from the main public holiday calendar.
Does Venezuela automatically move a Sunday public holiday to Monday?
A Monday replacement should not be assumed merely because an annual holiday falls on Sunday. Any substitute or additional non-working date needs support from the applicable legal rule or an official declaration.
Why are Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve included as holidays?
December 24 and December 31 are specifically included among the holiday dates recognized for labour purposes under Venezuela’s Organic Labour Law, alongside December 25.
Official Sources for Public Holidays in Venezuela
- National Assembly of Venezuela Law on National Holidays: verifies the annual National Holiday dates of April 19, June 24, July 5, July 24 and October 12.
- Consulate General of Venezuela in Barcelona 2026 Non-Working Days: confirms the 2026 dates for Carnival Monday, Carnival Tuesday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, alongside other consular closure dates.
- Supreme Tribunal of Justice Venezuelan labour-law material: supports the statutory labour-holiday framework covering New Year’s Day, Carnival, Holy Week, May 1 and the December holidays.
- Ministry of People’s Power for Culture National Day of Joy declaration: verifies the special nationwide non-working day declared for March 18, 2026.
