Public Holidays in Serbia 2027: Dates, Substitute Days and Employer Guide

August 27, 2026 • 19 min read •

By Kate Vodopian

Quick answer: Serbia’s 2027 public holiday calendar contains 10 original non-working calendar dates, plus Tuesday, May 4 as a substitute day for Labour Day.

This creates 11 unique non-working dates in the national calendar.

For employees who normally work Monday to Friday, eight of those dates fall on weekdays:

• Friday, January 1;
• Thursday, January 7;
• Monday, February 15;
• Tuesday, February 16;
• Friday, April 30;
• Monday, May 3;
• Tuesday, May 4;
• Thursday, November 11.

Three national holiday dates fall on a weekend:

• Saturday, January 2;
• Saturday, May 1;
• Sunday, May 2.

January 2 does not move because Serbia’s substitute-day rule applies when a state holiday falls on Sunday, not Saturday.

May 2 does move because it is the second day of Labour Day and falls on Sunday. Monday, May 3 is already Orthodox Easter Monday, so the Labour Day substitute falls on Tuesday, May 4.

Last reviewed: 26 August 2026.

Public holidays in Serbia are usually straightforward.

Most apply across the whole country.

However, 2027 has an unusual overlap between:

• Orthodox Easter;
• Labour Day;
• and the weekend substitution rule.

Employers also need to understand the difference between:

• national non-working holidays;
• working commemorative holidays;
• religion-specific employee leave;
• and company holidays.

Using one clear calendar helps prevent payroll mistakes and confusion over leave.

How Public Holidays Work in Serbia

Serbia’s public holidays are governed by the Law on State and Other Holidays in the Republic of Serbia.

The law creates two main groups of nationwide non-working holidays.

State Holidays

The main state holidays are:

• New Year;
• Statehood Day;
• Labour Day;
• Armistice Day.

New Year, Statehood Day, and Labour Day are each celebrated over two days.

Armistice Day is one day.

Religious Holidays for All Employees

The nationwide religious holidays are:

• Orthodox Christmas Day on January 7;
• Orthodox Easter from Good Friday through Easter Monday.

These days apply as national non-working holidays.

Employees can also have rights to additional religious holidays based on their own faith.

Serbia Public Holidays in 2027

Verification status: The dates below are based on the holiday law in force on 26 August 2026.

The treatment of May 4 follows the official interpretation used in 2021, when Orthodox Easter and Labour Day had the same calendar pattern.

Serbia Public Holidays 2027: Compact Calendar

Why Tuesday, May 4 Is a Non-Working Day

The 2027 Easter period runs from:

• Friday, April 30;
• through Monday, May 3.

Labour Day is celebrated on May 1 and May 2.

In 2027:

• May 1 falls on Saturday;
• May 2 falls on Sunday;
• May 3 is already Orthodox Easter Monday.

Serbian law says that when a state holiday falls on Sunday, the first following working day becomes non-working.

The first working day after Sunday, May 2 is not Monday because May 3 is already an Easter holiday.

The first available working day is therefore:

Tuesday, May 4, 2027

This creates a five-day national holiday period from Friday, April 30 through Tuesday, May 4.

The same calendar pattern occurred in 2021 and was handled in the same way.

January 2 Does Not Move to Monday

The second day of the New Year holiday falls on Saturday, January 2, 2027.

There is no automatic Monday substitute.

Serbia’s statutory transfer rule applies when a state holiday falls on Sunday.

It does not automatically move a Saturday holiday to Friday or Monday.

For a standard Monday-to-Friday employee:

• Friday, January 1 is a weekday public holiday;
• Saturday, January 2 is already outside the normal working week;
• Monday, January 4 remains a normal working day.

An employer can still provide another day through:

• a collective agreement;
• an employment contract;
• or company policy.

That would be an additional company benefit rather than a statutory substitute day.

Orthodox Christmas in 2027

Orthodox Christmas Day falls on Thursday, January 7, 2027.

It is a nationwide non-working religious holiday.

Christmas Eve on Wednesday, January 6 is not a general statutory non-working day.

Some public bodies, embassies, schools, or private employers may close early or provide January 6 as an additional benefit.

That does not make January 6 a nationwide statutory holiday for every employee.

Employees taking annual leave on Friday, January 8 can create a four-day break from Thursday, January 7 through Sunday, January 10.

Orthodox Easter in 2027

Orthodox Easter Sunday falls on Sunday, May 2, 2027.

The nationwide Easter holiday covers four days.

Religious holidays do not receive an extra substitute day merely because they fall on Saturday or Sunday.

The additional Tuesday holiday on May 4 exists because Labour Day, a state holiday, also falls on Sunday, May 2.

It is not an extra Easter day.

Long Weekends and Busy Leave Periods in 2027

The 2027 calendar creates several periods when employers may receive more leave requests.

The period around Orthodox Easter is likely to create the greatest staffing pressure.

Employees using annual leave on:

• Wednesday, May 5;
• Thursday, May 6;
• Friday, May 7

could be away from work from Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 9.

Small businesses should review minimum staffing levels before approving several overlapping requests.

Working Holidays That Are Not General Days Off

Serbia also recognises several important working holidays and commemorative dates.

These are officially observed, but they do not create a general statutory day off.

Victory Day Is Not a General Day Off

Victory Day falls on Sunday, May 9, 2027.

It is recognised as a state holiday.

However, the holiday law expressly treats Victory Day as a working holiday.

It therefore does not:

• create a nationwide day off;
• transfer to Monday;
• or automatically create holiday-pay entitlement.

A company, public body, or collective agreement can still provide different arrangements.

Religious Holidays for Particular Employees

In addition to the nationwide holiday calendar, employees can have a right not to work on specified religious holidays based on their faith.

These rights are additional to the nationwide state and religious holidays.

Orthodox Family Patron Saint Day

Orthodox employees have the right not to work on the first day of their krsna slava.

The date differs between employees and families.

Employers should record the chosen Slava date separately on the employee’s record.

This is better than adding every possible Slava to the company-wide public holiday calendar.

Catholic and Other Christian Holidays in 2027

For Catholic employees and members of other Christian communities using the Western calendar:

Religion-specific holidays do not automatically move to Monday when they fall on a weekend.

Catholic Christmas falls on Saturday in 2027.

An employee who does not normally work on Saturday does not automatically receive Monday, December 27 as a substitute religious holiday.

Muslim and Jewish Holiday Dates

Islamic holiday dates follow a lunar calendar and may depend on an official religious announcement.

Employers should confirm the first day of:

• Ramadan Bayram;
• Kurban Bayram

with the relevant Islamic community before finalising the employee calendar.

The date of Yom Kippur should also be confirmed with the employee or the relevant Jewish community.

Employees should notify their employer early when they plan to use a religion-specific statutory holiday.

Do Religious Holidays Transfer to Monday?

No.

The automatic transfer rule applies to Serbia’s state holidays when one of their dates falls on Sunday.

It does not apply to the religious holidays listed in the holiday law.

This means there is normally no substitute weekday when:

• Orthodox Christmas falls on Sunday;
• a Slava falls on Saturday or Sunday;
• Catholic Christmas falls on a weekend;
• or another religion-specific holiday falls on a normal rest day.

The right is normally used when the holiday falls on a day the employee would otherwise be required to work.

Working on a Public Holiday in Serbia

Some businesses must continue operating during public holidays.

This can include:

• healthcare;
• hospitality;
• transport;
• utilities;
• retail;
• security;
• emergency services;
• manufacturing;
• and businesses with continuous production.

Serbian law allows organisations to continue working when:

• stopping the service would cause harmful consequences;
• the nature of the activity requires continuous service;
• or the technology of the work process requires continuous operation.

Employers must still follow the applicable holiday-pay rules.

Public Holiday Pay in Serbia

Under Article 108 of the Labour Law, an employee who works on a non-working public holiday is entitled to an increase of at least:

110% of the applicable base salary

This is an additional increase, not the total payment.

In simple terms, the employee receives:

• the normal base pay for the hours worked;
• plus an increase of at least 110% of the base.

The total is therefore normally at least 210% of the base pay for those hours.

An employment contract, work rules, or collective agreement can provide a higher rate.

Holiday Pay Example

Assume an employee’s base hourly rate is RSD 500.

This example does not include other possible increases.

The employee may also qualify for additional pay for:

• overtime;
• night work;
• or another entitlement under a collective agreement.

When more than one statutory increase applies, the percentages should be added rather than one increase replacing another.

Pay When the Employee Does Not Work

An employee who does not work on a non-working holiday that would normally have been a scheduled working day is entitled to wage compensation.

Under Article 114 of the Labour Law, this is based on the employee’s average salary during the previous 12 months, subject to the applicable employment rules and agreement.

However, the holiday must fall on a day the employee would otherwise have worked.

An employee does not automatically receive an additional day’s wage compensation when the holiday falls on their normal weekly rest day.

This is particularly relevant for:

• Saturday, January 2;
• Saturday, May 1;
• and Sunday, May 2.

Shift workers must be assessed against their actual work schedule.

Pay for Work on Tuesday, May 4

Tuesday, May 4 is the transferred non-working day for the second day of Labour Day.

For an employee who normally works Monday to Friday, the date should be entered in the work calendar as a non-working holiday day.

Where an employee is required to work, payroll should apply the rules for work on the transferred Labour Day.

Continuous-operation and shift-working cases can be more complicated.

The employer should check:

• whether the employee also worked on May 1 or May 2;
• the employee’s scheduled working days;
• how the holiday entitlement is recorded;
• the collective agreement;
• and local payroll advice.

The overlap does not create unlimited additional holiday entitlements simply because Easter and Labour Day share the same calendar dates.

Public Holidays and Annual Leave

Public holidays and annual leave should be recorded separately.

Article 70 of the Labour Law states that statutory non-working holidays are not counted as days of annual leave.

For example, a standard Monday-to-Friday employee taking leave around Statehood Day should not have annual leave deducted for:

• Monday, February 15;
• Tuesday, February 16.

Similarly, leave should not normally be deducted for:

• Friday, April 30;
• Monday, May 3;
• Tuesday, May 4.

The result can differ for employees with non-standard schedules.

Always use the employee’s actual working pattern.

Shift Workers and Public Holidays

A public holiday is not automatically a day without work for every shift worker.

An employee may still be scheduled where the business operates continuously.

Employers should record:

• the original holiday date;
• any transferred date;
• whether the employee was scheduled to work;
• the hours actually worked;
• any overtime;
• and any night work.

This is particularly important from April 30 to May 4 because several holiday rules overlap.

A simple Monday-to-Friday calendar is not enough for a continuous shift operation.

Do Public Holidays Vary by Region?

Serbia does not have regional statutory holiday calendars in the same way as Spain or the United States.

The main state and religious holiday rules apply nationally.

However, separate dates can still appear in:

• public-sector calendars;
• school calendars;
• collective agreements;
• company policies;
• embassy calendars;
• or local celebrations.

These additional dates should not automatically be treated as statutory holidays for every private-sector employee.

Employers should identify whether the date comes from:

1. national legislation;
2. a collective agreement;
3. an employment contract;
4. or a voluntary company policy.

A Simple Way to Manage Serbian Public Holidays

Keep one clear record of:

• national state holidays;
• national religious holidays;
• substitute days;
• individual religious holidays;
• each employee’s normal work schedule;
• and any company-specific days off.

TimeOff.Management lets businesses create different public holiday calendars and assign them to the right employees.

You can keep:

• nationwide Serbian holidays;
• transferred dates;
• individual Slava days;
• religion-specific holidays;
• and company holidays

separate.

Managers can see public holidays alongside annual leave, sickness, and other absences in one shared calendar.

Start a 30-day free trial — no card needed.

Practical Checklist for Employers

• Add all nationwide dates early. Include both original holidays and the May 4 substitute.
• Do not move January 2. A Saturday state holiday does not automatically transfer.
• Add Tuesday, May 4. It is the substitute for Labour Day falling on Sunday.
• Keep overlapping holidays clear. May 1 and May 2 are both Easter and Labour Day dates.
• Do not add Victory Day as a day off. May 9 is a working state holiday.
• Record Slava individually. Do not add every possible family patron saint day to the company calendar.
• Check minority religious dates. Islamic dates should be confirmed with the relevant religious community.
• Use the employee’s real schedule. Shift employees may work on dates that are rest days for office employees.
• Apply the 110% increase correctly. It is an additional increase on the base pay.
• Add other premiums where required. Night and overtime increases may also apply.
• Do not deduct statutory holidays from annual leave.
• Review the calendar before 2027. Check for legal amendments or new official guidance.

Key Points for Employers

• Serbia’s main public holiday calendar applies nationally.
• New Year is celebrated on January 1 and 2.
• January 2 falls on Saturday and does not transfer.
• Orthodox Christmas falls on Thursday, January 7.
• Statehood Day creates a four-day break from February 13 to 16.
• Orthodox Easter runs from April 30 to May 3.
• Labour Day falls on May 1 and 2.
• Easter and Labour Day overlap on May 1 and May 2.
• Tuesday, May 4 is the Labour Day substitute.
• Armistice Day falls on Thursday, November 11.
• Victory Day is observed as a working holiday.
• Work on a non-working holiday receives at least a 110% increase on the base pay.
• Public holidays are not counted as annual leave days.
• Some employees have additional religion-specific holiday rights.

FAQ

How Many Public Holidays Are There in Serbia in 2027?

The law names 12 recurring non-working holiday days:

• 2 New Year days;
• 2 Statehood days;
• 2 Labour days;
• 1 Armistice Day;
• 1 Orthodox Christmas Day;
• 4 Orthodox Easter days.

However, in 2027:

• Holy Saturday and the first day of Labour Day both fall on May 1;
• Orthodox Easter Sunday and the second day of Labour Day both fall on May 2.

This leaves 10 original unique calendar dates.

Tuesday, May 4 is then added as the Labour Day substitute.

The practical national calendar therefore contains 11 unique non-working dates.

How Many Weekday Public Holidays Are There for Monday-to-Friday Employees?

Eight dates fall on weekdays:

• January 1;
• January 7;
• February 15;
• February 16;
• April 30;
• May 3;
• May 4;
• November 11.

The actual entitlement can differ for shift workers.

Is January 2, 2027 Moved to Monday?

No.

January 2 falls on Saturday.

Serbia automatically transfers a state holiday when it falls on Sunday, not Saturday.

Monday, January 4 remains a normal working day unless the employer provides an additional benefit.

Is January 6 a Public Holiday in Serbia?

Not as a nationwide statutory non-working holiday.

Orthodox Christmas Day on January 7 is the statutory holiday.

Some employers may provide Christmas Eve as an additional day or partial day off.

Is Tuesday, May 4, 2027 a Public Holiday?

It is a substitute non-working day for the second day of Labour Day.

The original Labour Day date is Sunday, May 2.

Because Monday, May 3 is already Orthodox Easter Monday, the substitute moves to Tuesday, May 4.

Why Is May 4 a Day Off but May 3 Is Also a Day Off?

May 3 is Orthodox Easter Monday.

May 4 is the transferred day for Labour Day falling on Sunday, May 2.

They come from two separate holiday rules.

Is Victory Day a Day Off in Serbia?

No.

Victory Day on May 9 is a state holiday observed as a working day.

It does not automatically create leave or a substitute Monday.

How Much Should an Employee Be Paid for Working on a Public Holiday?

The employee receives normal pay plus an increase of at least 110% of the applicable base.

The minimum total is therefore generally 210% of the base pay for the holiday hours.

Other increases may also apply for night work or overtime.

Do Employees Receive Pay When They Do Not Work on a Holiday?

Yes, where the holiday falls on a day they would normally have worked.

Wage compensation is generally based on average salary during the previous 12 months.

No additional compensation is normally created when the holiday falls on an employee’s scheduled rest day.

Do Orthodox Employees Receive a Day Off for Slava?

Yes.

Orthodox employees have the right not to work on the first day of their family patron saint celebration.

The employee should tell the employer which date applies.

Do Catholic Employees Receive Their Own Christmas and Easter Holidays?

Yes.

Catholic employees and members of other Christian communities have the right not to work on Christmas Day and during their Easter holiday period under their calendar.

These days do not automatically transfer when they fall on a weekend.

Do Muslim Employees Receive Time Off for Eid?

Muslim employees have the right not to work on:

• the first day of Ramadan Bayram;
• the first day of Kurban Bayram.

The exact dates should be confirmed with the relevant Islamic community.

Are Public Holidays Deducted From Annual Leave?

No.

A statutory non-working holiday is not counted as annual leave.

The rule must be applied against the employee’s actual work schedule.

Does Every Employee Have the Same Public Holiday Calendar?

The main nationwide holidays are the same.

However, some employees also have:

• individual Slava leave;
• Catholic or other Christian holidays;
• Muslim holidays;
• Jewish holidays;
• or additional company and collective-agreement days.

Further Reading

• Serbian Ministry of Labour — State and religious holidays
• Law on State and Other Holidays in the Republic of Serbia
• Serbian Labour Law — holiday pay, wage compensation and annual leave
• Ministry of Labour — employee rights during Easter holidays
• 2021 Serbian holiday calendar — identical Easter and Labour Day pattern