Public holidays in Kosovo 2026: full list

For any business with employees, the public holiday calendar is part of planning: who works, who is off, how the day is paid and when public offices close. Below are all of Kosovo's official public holidays for 2026, with weekdays and the days off that move.

Public holiday calendar 2026#

Date	Day	Holiday
1 January	Thursday	New Year's Day
2 January	Friday	New Year (second day)
7 January	Wednesday	Orthodox Christmas
17 February	Tuesday	Independence Day
20 March	Friday	Eid al-Fitr (expected date)
5 April	Sunday	Catholic Easter (day off Monday, 6 April)
9 April	Thursday	Constitution Day
12 April	Sunday	Orthodox Easter (day off Monday, 13 April)
1 May	Friday	International Workers' Day
9 May	Saturday	Europe Day (day off Monday, 11 May)
27 May	Wednesday	Eid al-Adha (expected date)
25 December	Friday	Catholic Christmas

When a holiday falls on a weekend#

The Law on Official Holidays says that when a holiday falls on a rest day, the first working day after it is a day off. In 2026 that means:

• Monday, 6 April, for Catholic Easter;
• Monday, 13 April, for Orthodox Easter;
• Monday, 11 May, for Europe Day.

The government usually confirms each of these days in a public notice. The same principle applies to private businesses, because official holidays are paid days off for all employees.

The two Eids: why the date can change#

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow the lunar calendar, so the exact date is only confirmed a few days beforehand. The dates in the table (20 March and 27 May) are the expected ones. If the moon is sighted a day later, the day off moves by one day. Businesses planning shifts or deliveries should keep a day in reserve.

Working on a public holiday#

Many businesses can't close on a holiday: restaurants, hotels, petrol stations, private clinics, large shops. The Law on Labour allows holiday work, but:

• the employee is entitled to a pay supplement, usually 50% per hour under the Law on Labour;
• hours worked on a holiday are recorded separately in the time records;
• the supplement goes into that month's gross pay and is taxed with it.

More on supplements for night, overtime and weekend work in Overtime and pay supplements. For net pay calculations see Payroll tax and pension contributions.

Holidays and ATK or ARBK deadlines#

When a tax filing deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, it usually moves to the next working day. Still, don't leave filing to the last day: the online systems are busiest right after holidays. Offices such as ARBK and municipal business centres are closed on holidays, so plan registrations and changes a few days earlier.

A short checklist for employers#

1. Tell employees at the start of the year about the holidays and the days that move.
2. Decide who works on holidays when the business is open, and put it in the schedule.
3. Calculate supplements in the pay for the month when the work happened.
4. Keep time records, because they are your evidence in an inspection.

If you're hiring for the first time, start with Hiring your first employee. And if you want customers to know your holiday hours, verify your business on Kerko and keep the profile up to date.