Public Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for Rwanda and start planning to make the most of your time off.
2026 Public Holidays
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Thu | New Year's Day |
| 2 Jan | Fri | New Year Holiday |
| 1 Feb | Sun | National Heroes Day |
| 2 Feb | Mon | National Heroes Day Holiday |
| 20 Mar | Fri | Eid al-Fitr |
| 3 Apr | Fri | Good Friday |
| 6 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday |
| 7 Apr | Tue | Tutsi Genocide Memorial Day |
| 1 May | Fri | Labour Day |
| 27 May | Wed | Eid al-Adha |
| 1 Jul | Wed | Independence Day |
| 4 Jul | Sat | Liberation Day |
| 6 Jul | Mon | Liberation Day Holiday |
| 7 Aug | Fri | Umuganura |
| 15 Aug | Sat | Assumption Day |
| 17 Aug | Mon | Assumption Day Holiday |
| 25 Dec | Fri | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec | Sat | Boxing Day |
| 28 Dec | Mon | Boxing Day Holiday |
| Visit gov.rw for the original release. | ||
2027 Public Holidays
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Fri | New Year's Day |
| 4 Jan | Mon | New Year Holiday |
| 1 Feb | Mon | National Heroes Day |
| 9 Mar | Tue | Eid al-Fitr |
| 26 Mar | Fri | Good Friday |
| 29 Mar | Mon | Easter Monday |
| 7 Apr | Wed | Tutsi Genocide Memorial Day |
| 1 May | Sat | Labour Day |
| 16 May | Sun | Eid al-Adha |
| 17 May | Mon | Eid al-Adha Holiday |
| 1 Jul | Thu | Independence Day |
| 4 Jul | Sun | Liberation Day |
| 5 Jul | Mon | Liberation Day Holiday |
| 6 Aug | Fri | Umuganura |
| 15 Aug | Sun | Assumption Day |
| 16 Aug | Mon | Assumption Day Holiday |
| 25 Dec | Sat | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec | Sun | Boxing Day |
| 27 Dec | Mon | Christmas Holiday |
| The dates in this table are an estimate. We will update this page once the official public holiday dates for 2027 are released. | ||
2028 Public Holidays
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Sat | New Year's Day |
| 2 Jan | Sun | New Year Holiday |
| 1 Feb | Tue | National Heroes Day |
| 26 Feb | Sat | Eid al-Fitr |
| 7 Apr | Fri | Tutsi Genocide Memorial Day |
| 14 Apr | Fri | Good Friday |
| 17 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday |
| 1 May | Mon | Labour Day |
| 5 May | Fri | Eid al-Adha |
| 1 Jul | Sat | Independence Day |
| 4 Jul | Tue | Liberation Day |
| 4 Aug | Fri | Umuganura |
| 15 Aug | Tue | Assumption Day |
| 25 Dec | Mon | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec | Tue | Boxing Day |
| The dates in this table are an estimate. We will update this page once the official public holiday dates for 2028 are released. | ||
The President of Rwanda has been given the authority to establish national holidays and to deem which religious holidays are honoured on a national level. All official holidays that are celebrated in Rwanda are regulated by the Labour Code, with the latest revision occurring November 30, 2001.
The Labour Code also allows the President of Rwanda to establish special one-time or new holidays by Presidential Decree. The president has used this power on few occasions.
Under the Labour Code, all employees are entitled to have a day off for a nationally declared holiday. If the holiday occurs on a rest day, which is Sunday by government decree, the national holiday will be celebrated on the following day.
Employees that cannot take the day off due to their position, such as public works, the employee is entitled to a different day off with pay for the holiday.
