Public Holidays in Serbia 2026 and 2027: Dates, Days Off and What Stays Open

Short answer: Serbia has nine fixed state holiday days plus four Orthodox Easter days each year; in 2027 Easter falls on 2 May, so Labour Day and Easter overlap and the break runs from 30 April to 4 May.

When you start work in Serbia, you need to know which days are holidays. On these days most people do not work, offices are closed, and buses run on a different timetable. This guide lists every official non-working day for 2026 and 2027, with the weekday, so you can plan travel, shopping and paperwork.

All dates below come from the Law on State and Other Holidays in the Republic of Serbia. We checked the weekdays for each date. The government sometimes announces extra details close to the holiday, so check news or your employer for last-minute changes.

The official non-working holidays

The law has two groups of non-working days: state holidays and religious holidays that everyone gets.

State holidays (non-working):

1. New Year (Nova godina): 1 and 2 January
2. Statehood Day (Sretenje, Dan državnosti): 15 and 16 February
3. Labour Day (Praznik rada): 1 and 2 May
4. Armistice Day (Dan primirja u Prvom svetskom ratu): 11 November

Statehood Day marks the start of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804 and the first constitution in 1835. For the short story behind these dates, see the story of Serbia.

Religious holidays for everyone (non-working):

5. Orthodox Christmas (Božić): 7 January (the first day of Christmas)
6. Orthodox Easter (Uskrs or Vaskrs): from Good Friday to Easter Monday

Victory Day on 9 May is also a state holiday, but the law says it is celebrated as a working day. You work as normal.

Some other days are marked but are working days, for example Saint Sava Day (27 January) and Vidovdan (28 June). Schools may hold events on these days, but offices and workplaces stay open.

The Sunday rule

The law has one important rule: if a state holiday falls on a Sunday, the first next working day is a day off.

This rule is for state holidays (New Year, Statehood Day, Labour Day, Armistice Day). It does not move Christmas or Easter, because Easter always includes a Sunday anyway.

Example: in 2026, Statehood Day (15 February) fell on a Sunday. So Monday 16 February was the holiday, and Tuesday 17 February was also a day off.

Holidays in 2026

What this means in practice for 2026:

• Long weekends: 1 to 4 January, 14 to 17 February, 10 to 13 April, and 1 to 3 May.
• Armistice Day (11 November 2026) is in the middle of the week, so it is a single day off.

Holidays in 2027

2027 is unusual. Orthodox Easter Sunday falls on 2 May 2027, which is also the second day of Labour Day. This creates a very long break.

About 4 May 2027: the second day of Labour Day falls on a Sunday. Under the Sunday rule, the first next working day is off. Monday 3 May is already Easter Monday, so the extra day should be Tuesday 4 May. The same thing happened in 2021, when Easter was also on 2 May. Wait for the official confirmation in spring 2027 before you book travel.

So in 2027 you can expect a break from Friday 30 April to Tuesday 4 May.

Days off for Muslims, Catholics and other faiths

The holiday law also protects workers of other religions. Members of these communities have the right (not the duty) to take these days off:

Expected dates (these depend on the moon for Eid, so the final date may move by one day):

The Islamic community in Serbia announces the exact Eid dates each year; ask at your mosque.

How to use this right:

1. Tell your employer early, in writing if possible, that you will use the religious day off.
2. Check your contract and company rules. Some employers ask for notice a few days before.
3. If your work cannot stop (for example in a factory with shifts), agree on a solution with your manager.

What is open and closed on holidays

On the main non-working days, expect this:

• Government offices, police stations for paperwork, and courts: closed. Plan your white card registration and other papers around holidays.
• Banks: most branches are closed. ATMs and card payments work.
• Supermarkets and malls: many open with shorter hours. Some close on 1 January, 7 January and Easter Sunday. Hours change each year, so check the store website or Google Maps the day before.
• Pharmacies: some pharmacies work 24 hours, every day. Normal pharmacies may close.
• Hospitals and emergency services: always open. Police 192, fire 193, ambulance 194.
• Public transport in Belgrade: usually runs on a Sunday or holiday timetable, with fewer buses. See our Belgrade public transport guide.
• Markets (pijaca): often closed or quieter on the biggest days.
• Food delivery apps: usually work, but some restaurants close.

Buy food the day before a long break. On the evening before a holiday, supermarkets can be very busy. For shopping tips and store hours, read our grocery shopping guide.

Pay for working on a holiday

If you work on a public holiday, the Labour Law gives you a higher salary for that day. Under the Labour Law, the increase for work on a holiday that is a non-working day is at least 110% of the base. Your employment contract or the company's collective agreement may give more. Check your payslip, and ask your employer or a union if the extra pay is missing.

Holiday words in Serbian

If a Serbian coworker says "Hristos se rodi" at Christmas, the usual answer is "Vaistinu se rodi". At Easter, "Hristos vaskrse" is answered with "Vaistinu vaskrse". You do not have to say it, but people appreciate it.

Last checked: November 2026. Dates are based on the current holiday law; always confirm with your employer before booking travel.

Official sources

• Law on State and Other Holidays in the Republic of Serbia (Paragraf)
• Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules, prices and phone numbers can change. We last checked it in November 2026. Always confirm with the official source before you act.