Georgian Labor Code Article 30Leave & time

Georgian public holidays 2026 — full calendar and labor-law impact

Also known as: Georgia public holidays 2026, Georgian bank holidays, Georgia national holidays, საქართველოს უქმე დღეები 2026

Georgia has 17 statutory public holidays in 2026 under Article 30 of the Labor Code. Employees are entitled to paid time off; work performed on a public holiday must be paid at double the normal rate, or substituted with another paid day off if the employee agrees.

Public holidays in Georgia are set by the Labor Code (Article 30) and the Law on Holidays. Most fall on fixed Gregorian dates, with a few floating religious dates (Orthodox Easter, Easter Monday) that shift annually. When a holiday falls on a weekend, no automatic Monday substitution applies — the day is simply lost for that year. Employers planning around the calendar should treat each year's dates explicitly rather than assuming weekend roll-over.

Full 2026 public holiday list

January 1 (Thursday) — New Year's Day
January 2 (Friday) — New Year's Holiday
January 7 (Wednesday) — Orthodox Christmas
January 19 (Monday) — Orthodox Epiphany
March 3 (Tuesday) — Mother's Day
March 8 (Sunday) — International Women's Day
April 9 (Thursday) — National Unity Day (Day of Restoration of Independence, 1991)
April 10 (Friday) — Orthodox Good Friday
April 11 (Saturday) — Orthodox Holy Saturday
April 12 (Sunday) — Orthodox Easter
April 13 (Monday) — Easter Monday
May 9 (Saturday) — Victory Day
May 12 (Tuesday) — St. Andrew's Day (Day of the Holy Apostle)
May 26 (Tuesday) — Independence Day
August 28 (Friday) — Mariamoba (Day of the Virgin Mary)
October 14 (Wednesday) — Mtskhetoba (Svetitskhovloba)
November 23 (Monday) — St. George's Day (Giorgoba)

How public holidays affect pay and work

Article 30 entitles employees to paid time off on each public holiday — the day is treated as a normal working day for compensation purposes. If business operations require work to be performed on a public holiday, the employer must compensate the employee at double the normal hourly rate, OR provide an equivalent paid day off later if the employee agrees in writing.

When a holiday falls on a weekend

Unlike the UK, Ireland, and several other systems, Georgia does NOT automatically substitute a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday to the following Monday. The day is simply lost. In 2026, this affects March 8 (International Women's Day, Sunday), April 11 (Holy Saturday, Saturday), April 12 (Orthodox Easter, Sunday), and May 9 (Victory Day, Saturday). Plan around these losses when forecasting working-day counts.

Interaction with annual leave

Public holidays falling during an employee's annual leave do NOT count as leave days — they're added to the leave entitlement, so the employee still gets their full statutory leave plus the holiday. This is especially relevant when planning long leave around April (Orthodox Easter cluster of 4 consecutive days) or January (New Year + Christmas cluster).

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays are there in Georgia in 2026?

17 statutory public holidays under Article 30. Four fall on weekends in 2026 (no Monday substitution applies), so the effective working-day count of paid holidays is 13.

Are employees paid for public holidays?

Yes. Article 30 treats public holidays as paid time off. Employees receive their normal compensation without working.

What if I need an employee to work on a public holiday?

Work on a public holiday must be paid at double the normal hourly rate, OR substituted with an equivalent paid day off later if the employee agrees in writing.

Do public holidays count against annual leave?

No. Public holidays falling during an employee's annual leave do NOT count as leave days — they extend the leave by the equivalent number of days. The employee gets their full statutory leave plus the holiday.

What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend?

Unlike the UK or US, Georgia does NOT automatically move weekend holidays to the following Monday. The day is simply lost for that year. In 2026, this affects 4 of the 17 holidays.