Public Holidays in Cyprus 2027: Dates, Bank Holidays and Employer Guide

August 27, 2026 • 22 min read •

By Kate Vodopian

Quick answer: Cyprus commonly uses a public-authority calendar containing 15 public holiday dates in 2027.

Of these:

• 11 fall on a weekday;
• 4 fall on a Saturday or Sunday;
• there is no universal rule giving every private-sector employee a substitute weekday.

The weekend dates are:

• Labour Day — Saturday, May 1;
• Assumption Day — Sunday, August 15;
• Christmas Day — Saturday, December 25;
• Boxing Day — Sunday, December 26.

Banks follow a separate official calendar.

In 2027, banks close on Orthodox Easter Tuesday, May 4, but the official Central Bank calendar does not list Christmas Eve as a bank holiday.

Most private-sector employees do not receive one automatic national list of paid public holidays. Entitlement normally depends on:

• the employment contract;
• a collective agreement;
• established workplace practice;
• or sector-specific legislation.

Last reviewed: 27 August 2026.

Public holidays in Cyprus may look simple at first.

There is one national calendar and no large regional system.

However, employers still need to distinguish between:

• public-authority holidays;
• bank holidays;
• private-sector contractual holidays;
• retail employee holidays;
• hotel and leisure-sector holidays;
• and school closures.

These calendars overlap, but they are not identical.

Using one generic Cyprus calendar for every employee can therefore cause:

• incorrect leave deductions;
• payroll mistakes;
• employees receiving the wrong days off;
• and confusion over weekend holidays.

Scope of This Guide

This guide covers public holidays and employment arrangements issued by authorities in the Republic of Cyprus.

It is intended as a practical planning guide for small businesses.

It does not replace an employment contract, collective agreement, sector decree or legal advice.

How Public Holidays Work in Cyprus

Cyprus does not have one universal private-sector public holiday entitlement that applies to every employee in exactly the same way.

For many private-sector employees, public holidays are governed by:

• an individual employment agreement;
• a collective agreement;
• company policy;
• or an established workplace practice.

Some sectors are different.

Specific legal or regulatory rules apply to employees in:

• retail stores;
• hotels;
• leisure centres;
• and catering establishments.

Public authorities, banks and schools also publish their own calendars.

This means an office employee, a shop worker and a hotel employee may not have the same holiday entitlement, even when they work in the same city.

Cyprus Public Holidays in 2027

The table below shows the common public-authority reference calendar for 2027.

It is useful for business planning, but it should not be treated as an automatic paid holiday entitlement for every private-sector employee.

Verification status: Exact 2027 movable dates have been checked against the Central Bank of Cyprus calendar. The wider list follows the recurring official public-authority calendar used in the Republic of Cyprus.

Important Private-Sector Note

This table is a planning reference.

It does not mean every private-sector employee automatically receives all 15 dates as paid leave.

Employers should check the rules that apply to the employee’s sector and contract.

Cyprus Public Holidays 2027: Compact Calendar

Weekend Public Holidays in 2027

Four dates in the common public-authority calendar fall on a weekend.

Employers should not automatically add:

• Friday, April 30 as a substitute for Labour Day;
• Monday, August 16 as a substitute for Assumption Day;
• Monday, December 27 as a substitute for Christmas;
• or Tuesday, December 28 as a substitute for Boxing Day.

A substitute day may still be provided through:

• an employment contract;
• a collective agreement;
• a sector rule;
• company policy;
• or a discretionary benefit.

The correct approach depends on the employee.

Cyprus Bank Holidays in 2027

The Central Bank of Cyprus has published the official bank holiday calendar for 2027.

It states that the following are bank holidays:

• every Sunday;
• every Saturday for bank transactions;
• and the weekday dates shown below.

Weekend Dates Not Given a Separate Bank Holiday

The Central Bank’s official notice also records that:

The official calendar does not add separate weekday bank holidays for these dates.

Christmas Eve Is Not Listed as an Official Bank Holiday

Christmas Eve falls on Friday, December 24, 2027.

It is not included in the Central Bank of Cyprus’s official 2027 bank holiday calendar.

Businesses should not treat it as a guaranteed bank-closure day. However, individual banks may use shorter opening hours or earlier payment cut-off times during the Christmas period.

Employers should confirm important payroll, settlement and transfer deadlines directly with their bank.

Why the Bank Calendar Is Different

Banks use their own official operating calendar.

This produces two important differences in 2027:

Businesses that rely on:

• payroll transfers;
• supplier payments;
• card settlement;
• direct debits;
• international transfers;
• or financial reporting deadlines

should keep the bank holiday calendar separate from the employee holiday calendar.

Orthodox Easter in Cyprus in 2027

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

The main Easter dates are:

Easter Tuesday Is Not Universal

Tuesday, May 4 is an official bank holiday.

It is not automatically a paid public holiday for every private-sector employee.

A private employer should add Easter Tuesday only where it is provided by:

• the employment contract;
• the collective agreement;
• sector rules;
• or company policy.

Easter and Labour Day Overlap

Labour Day falls on Saturday, May 1, which is also Orthodox Holy Saturday.

This does not automatically create an additional Monday or Tuesday holiday for all employees.

The official bank closure on Tuesday, May 4 comes from the bank holiday calendar.

It should not be presented as a universal substitute for Labour Day.

Christmas Holidays in Cyprus in 2027

The Christmas period also needs careful planning.

Some employers may choose to close on December 27 or 28.

That can be a useful employee benefit.

However, it should be recorded as:

• a company holiday;
• a contractual holiday;
• an agreed substitute day;
• or annual leave.

It should not be presented as a universal statutory observed date.

Public Holiday Entitlement in the Private Sector

The most important rule for employers is simple:

Cyprus does not use one universal public holiday entitlement for every private-sector employee.

For many private businesses, holiday entitlement comes from the employment relationship itself.

Employers should check:

1. the written employment contract;
2. any collective agreement;
3. the employee handbook;
4. established workplace practice;
5. and any sector-specific legislation.

A holiday that appears on a government-office calendar may not automatically create a paid day off for every private employee.

At the same time, an employment contract may give the employee more generous rights than the standard public-authority calendar.

Holiday Rules by Employment Sector

This is why employers should not assign the same public holiday calendar to every person automatically.

Paid Holidays for Retail-Store Employees in 2027

Cyprus’s official labour guidance sets a specific list of paid holidays for employees in retail stores.

The 15 dates for 2027 are:

Retail Calendar Differences

The retail list is not identical to the common public-authority calendar.

It includes:

• January 2;
• Orthodox Easter Sunday.

It does not include:

• Orthodox Good Friday;
• Christmas Eve;
• Orthodox Easter Tuesday.

Employers should therefore create a dedicated retail holiday calendar instead of copying the public-authority or bank calendar.

Can Retail Stores Open on Public Holidays?

Some retail businesses may operate on particular holidays under the applicable shop rules.

The fact that a store is allowed to open does not remove the employee’s pay or compensation rights.

Official labour guidance states that holiday overtime for retail-store employees is compensated at a 1:2 rate.

Employers should also check:

• whether employee consent is required;
• permitted opening hours;
• overtime limits;
• any applicable order or decree;
• and the employee’s contract or collective agreement.

More generous terms should continue to apply where they have been agreed.

Hotels, Leisure Centres and Catering Establishments

Hotels, leisure centres and catering establishments operate under separate sector rules.

Their holiday calendar should not be copied from the standard office, bank or retail calendar.

Hotel Employees

Official labour guidance provides a separate list of paid holidays for hotel employees.

Where a hotel employee works on a holiday, the employee is entitled to:

• the normal daily wage;
• plus one additional daily wage.

This normally produces a total payment equal to two daily wages for the holiday work.

A collective agreement may provide more generous terms.

Leisure-Centre Employees

Official guidance states that holiday work for leisure-centre employees is compensated at a 1:2 rate.

Employers should check the current sector rules and any collective agreement before running payroll.

Catering Employees

Catering establishments also have sector-specific employment rules.

The correct holiday dates and pay arrangements may depend on:

• the applicable decree;
• a collective agreement;
• the type of establishment;
• and the employee’s agreed terms.

A restaurant, hotel and ordinary office should not automatically use the same holiday policy.

Working on a Public Holiday in Cyprus

There is no single public-holiday pay rate that can safely be applied to every employee in Cyprus.

The correct rate depends on the employee’s legal and contractual framework.

Employers should not promise universal double pay without checking which rules apply.

Equally, they should not treat holiday work as an ordinary shift where sector rules require a premium.

Public Holidays and Annual Leave

All employees in Cyprus are entitled to at least four weeks of paid annual leave.

The statutory minimum is normally:

Public holidays and annual leave should be recorded separately where the employee is entitled to the holiday.

For example, where an employee has a contractual paid holiday on Monday, March 15, that date should not normally also be deducted as annual leave.

However, the employer must first establish that the employee is entitled to that public holiday.

The answer can depend on:

• the employee’s contract;
• the employee’s sector;
• their work schedule;
• a collective agreement;
• and whether the date would normally be a working day.

Shift workers require individual treatment.

Shift Workers and Public Holidays

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

Businesses such as:

• hotels;
• restaurants;
• healthcare providers;
• security companies;
• transport services;
• leisure facilities;
• and continuous operations

may continue working.

Employers should record:

• the holiday calendar that applies;
• the employee’s normal shift;
• the hours worked;
• whether the date falls on a scheduled rest day;
• any overtime;
• and the required holiday premium or compensatory time.

A simple Monday-to-Friday calendar is not enough for a seven-day operation.

Public Holidays and Part-Time Employees

Part-time employees should not automatically be given a different public holiday list simply because they work fewer hours.

The practical effect of a holiday will depend on:

• whether the employee normally works that day;
• the employment agreement;
• the sector rules;
• and the method used to calculate holiday pay.

For example, a Monday public holiday may affect an employee who normally works Mondays differently from someone who works only Tuesday to Thursday.

Employers should use the employee’s actual schedule rather than applying a blanket deduction.

School Holidays Are Different

Cyprus’s school calendar includes many dates that are not general private-sector public holidays.

The official primary school calendar can include:

• January 30;
• a Christmas closure from December 23 to January 6;
• an extended Orthodox Easter closure;
• Ascension Day;
• Holy Spirit Day;
• June 11;
• the Archbishop’s name day;
• and the feast day of the local community or parish saint.

These are school closures.

They do not automatically give parents or other private-sector employees a paid day off.

Employers should keep:

• school holidays;
• employee public holidays;
• and annual leave

as separate calendar categories.

Long Weekends and Busy Leave Periods in 2027

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

The Easter period may create the most staffing pressure.

An employee who receives both the public-authority Easter dates and Easter Tuesday could be away from work for five consecutive days.

What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend?

There is no universal answer for every employee.

The employer should check:

1. whether the employee is entitled to the holiday;
2. whether the employee normally works on Saturday or Sunday;
3. whether the contract provides a substitute day;
4. whether a collective agreement applies;
5. and whether sector-specific rules provide compensation.

Do not assume that a Sunday holiday automatically moves to Monday.

Do not assume that a Saturday holiday automatically moves to Friday.

The Central Bank’s official 2027 calendar does not provide substitute weekday bank holidays for:

• Labour Day;
• Assumption Day;
• Christmas Day;
• or Boxing Day.

A Simple Way to Manage Cyprus Public Holidays

Keep one clear record of:

• each employee’s sector;
• the public holiday calendar included in their contract;
• bank holidays;
• retail holidays;
• hotel or catering-sector holidays;
• weekend dates;
• and individual working schedules.

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

You can keep:

• office holidays;
• bank holidays;
• retail holidays;
• sector-specific dates;
• and optional company holidays

separate.

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

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Practical Checklist for Employers

• Check the employee’s contract. Do not assume every private employee receives the public-authority calendar.
• Identify regulated sectors. Retail, hotels, leisure centres and catering have separate rules.
• Use the official bank calendar. Easter Tuesday is a bank holiday in 2027.
• Do not mark Christmas Eve as a bank holiday. It is absent from the Central Bank’s official list.
• Do not create automatic substitutes. May 1, August 15, December 25 and December 26 fall on weekends.
• Create a separate retail calendar. Retail employees have their own 15-day paid holiday list.
• Check holiday-work pay. The correct premium depends on the sector and agreement.
• Keep public holidays separate from annual leave.
• Use actual work schedules. Part-time and shift employees may need different treatment.
• Keep school closures separate. They are not employee public holidays.
• Plan for Easter early. Banks close through Tuesday, May 4.
• Review agreements annually. Collective agreements and company policies may provide more generous rights.

Key Points for Employers

• Cyprus does not have one universal private-sector holiday entitlement.
• The common public-authority reference calendar contains 15 dates in 2027.
• Eleven of those dates fall on weekdays.
• Labour Day, Assumption Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on weekends.
• There is no universal substitute weekday for those weekend dates.
• Banks have an official 2027 calendar published by the Central Bank of Cyprus.
• Orthodox Easter Tuesday on May 4 is a bank holiday.
• Christmas Eve is not listed as a bank holiday.
• Retail-store employees have a separate 15-day paid holiday list.
• Good Friday and Christmas Eve are not included in that retail list.
• Hotel, leisure-centre and catering employees have separate sector rules.
• Holiday-work pay is not identical for every employee.
• Annual leave is at least 20 working days for a five-day week or 24 for a six-day week.
• School holidays should not be copied into a private employer’s holiday calendar.

FAQ

How Many Public Holidays Are There in Cyprus in 2027?

There is no single number that applies to every employee.

The common public-authority calendar contains 15 dates.

The Central Bank publishes a separate bank holiday calendar.

Retail-store employees have a specific list of 15 paid holidays.

Private-sector entitlement otherwise depends on contracts, collective agreements and sector rules.

What Are the Main Cyprus Public Holidays in 2027?

The common dates include:

• New Year’s Day;
• Epiphany;
• Green Monday;
• Greek Independence Day;
• Cyprus National Day;
• Orthodox Good Friday;
• Labour Day;
• Orthodox Easter Monday;
• Whit Monday;
• Assumption Day;
• Cyprus Independence Day;
• Greek National Day;
• Christmas Eve;
• Christmas Day;
• Boxing Day.

Not every private employee is automatically entitled to all of them.

Is Green Monday a Public Holiday in Cyprus?

Yes.

Green Monday falls on Monday, March 15, 2027.

It appears on public-authority, bank and retail-sector holiday calendars.

When Is Orthodox Easter in Cyprus in 2027?

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

Orthodox Good Friday is April 30.

Orthodox Easter Monday is May 3.

Banks also close on Orthodox Easter Tuesday, May 4.

Is Easter Tuesday a Public Holiday for Everyone?

No.

Tuesday, May 4 is an official bank holiday.

It is not automatically a paid day off for every private-sector employee.

The employee’s contract, sector rules and collective agreement should be checked.

Is Good Friday a Public Holiday in Cyprus?

Orthodox Good Friday falls on Friday, April 30, 2027.

It is a public-authority and bank holiday.

However, it is not one of the 15 paid holidays listed for retail-store employees.

Retail employers should follow the sector-specific list.

Is Labour Day Moved Because It Falls on Saturday?

Not automatically.

Labour Day falls on Saturday, May 1, 2027.

There is no universal Friday or Monday substitute.

An agreement or company policy can provide another day.

Is August 16 a Public Holiday in 2027?

Not automatically.

Assumption Day falls on Sunday, August 15.

The official Central Bank calendar does not list Monday, August 16 as a substitute bank holiday.

Other employees should check their agreement or sector rules.

Is Christmas Eve a Public Holiday?

Christmas Eve falls on Friday, December 24, 2027.

It is commonly included in public-authority calendars.

It is not listed as an official Central Bank holiday.

It is also not part of the statutory 15-day retail-store holiday list.

Are December 27 and 28 Public Holidays?

Not universally.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on Saturday and Sunday.

The Central Bank’s official calendar does not list Monday, December 27 or Tuesday, December 28 as substitute bank holidays.

An employer may still provide one or both dates as a company benefit.

Do All Private-Sector Employees Get Paid Public Holidays?

No universal list applies to every private employee.

The answer depends on:

• the employment contract;
• a collective agreement;
• company practice;
• and sector-specific legislation.

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

There is no one rate for every employee.

Retail and leisure-sector guidance uses a 1:2 holiday compensation rate.

A hotel employee working on a holiday receives the normal daily wage plus one additional daily wage.

Other private-sector employees should check the contract or collective agreement.

Do Public Holidays Reduce Annual Leave?

Where the employee is entitled to a paid public holiday, it should normally be recorded separately from annual leave.

Employers should check the employee’s sector, contract and normal working schedule.

How Much Annual Leave Do Employees Receive in Cyprus?

The statutory minimum is normally:

• 20 working days for employees working five days per week;
• 24 working days for employees working six days per week.

A contract or collective agreement can provide more.

Are School Holidays Public Holidays for Parents?

No.

The school calendar contains additional closure dates.

These do not automatically create paid leave for parents or other private-sector employees.

Should Every Employee Use the Bank Holiday Calendar?

No.

The bank calendar is designed for banks and bank transactions.

It is useful for payroll and payment planning, but it is not automatically the correct employee holiday calendar.

Further Reading

• Central Bank of Cyprus — Bank Holidays 2027
• Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission — Public Holidays
• Cyprus Ministry of Labour — Terms of Employment
• Cyprus Department of Labour Relations — Public Holiday FAQs
• Cyprus Department of Labour Relations — Minimum Paid Annual Holidays
• Cyprus Ministry of Education — Primary School Holidays