Public Holidays in Poland 2026 — Full List

Yes. Under the Polish Labour Code, if your employer cannot grant you a substitute day off within the same billing period for work performed on a public holiday, you are entitled to an additional 100% pay supplement on top of your normal hourly rate — effectively double pay. The substitute day off must be provided within the same billing period (usually the same month or work schedule period). If the employer fails to provide either the day off or the extra pay, this constitutes a violation of labour law that can be reported to the State Labour Inspectorate (PIP). The rule applies to all employees on umowa o pracę.

No. In Poland, only Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are statutory public holidays. Easter Saturday (Wielka Sobota) is not a public holiday — it is a regular working day for most employees, though many Poles take annual leave on that day to have a 4-day Easter weekend. Easter Sunday in 2026 falls on 5 April (Sunday) and Easter Monday on 6 April (Monday). Since Easter Sunday is already a non-working Sunday for most workers, the practical public holiday impact is primarily Easter Monday on 6 April 2026.

Yes. Constitution Day (3 May) falls on a Sunday in 2026. Under Polish labour law, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday (which is already a non-working day for most employees), the employee is entitled to an additional day off within the same billing period. Employers typically grant this as Monday 4 May off (creating a long weekend), though the specific substitute day can be agreed with the employer. Check your employment contract and internal regulations for how your employer handles this. For shift workers whose scheduled working day happens to be Sunday 3 May, the public holiday compensates that day directly.

The answer varies by shop type and the specific holiday. Poland's Sunday trading restrictions (zakaz handlu w niedziele) also apply to most public holidays, meaning that large supermarkets, hypermarkets and most retail chains are closed. However, certain exemptions apply: petrol stations, bakeries selling their own products, pharmacies, florists, press kiosks, and shops at airports and railway stations may open. Żabka franchise stores have a special status and many remain open. Restaurants, cafés and some smaller shops may open at the owner's discretion. On Christmas Day (25 December) and Easter Sunday, most businesses are closed. Always check in advance for the specific holiday.

In Polish, both concepts are covered by the term "święto" or "dzień wolny od pracy." There is no separate "bank holiday" category distinct from public holidays as exists in the UK system. The 13 statutory holidays listed in Polish law are the days on which employees are entitled to leave and most businesses (including banks) close. Some of these are religious in origin (Easter, Christmas, Assumption, All Saints), and some are secular national days (Constitution Day, Independence Day, Labour Day). All 13 carry the same legal weight in terms of employment rights.

Some Polish employers voluntarily grant "bridge" days (dni mostowe) when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday — for example, granting the Monday or Friday off to create a 4-day weekend. These are not legally required; they are a benefit offered at the employer's discretion (or by collective agreement). In practice, many larger companies do offer bridge days as part of their employee benefits, particularly for holidays falling mid-week. In 2026, Corpus Christi on Thursday 4 June creates a natural opportunity for employers to grant Friday 5 June as a bridge day. Check your employment contract or ask HR.

Assumption of Mary and Armed Forces Day (15 August) falls on a Saturday in 2026. For most employees who do not work Saturdays as part of their normal schedule, this means they are entitled to a substitute day off during the same billing period (typically August 2026). The employer designates which day to take — often a Friday earlier in the month or an agreed day. For shift workers or employees whose normal schedule includes Saturday shifts, the public holiday compensates the Saturday directly. Employers should communicate the substitute day arrangement to employees well in advance.

Yes. Public holidays are paid days off — employees receive their normal salary for holiday days without using their annual leave allowance. If you work a fixed monthly salary, your pay is not reduced for public holidays. If you work on an hourly basis (stawka godzinowa), you are still entitled to pay for the public holiday day even though you did not work — the calculation is based on your average daily earnings. For employees on umowy zlecenie (civil law contracts), the situation depends on the specific contract terms — the Labour Code protections for public holiday pay apply only to umowa o pracę employees.

Yes, in certain circumstances. There is no absolute legal prohibition on working on public holidays in Poland. Employers in essential services, healthcare, hospitality, security, utilities and 24/7 operations can and do require work on public holidays. If required to work on a public holiday, the employee is entitled to compensation (substitute day off or 100% pay supplement as described above). Religious objections to working on specific holidays are not automatic grounds for refusal under Polish labour law, though employers with diverse workforces often try to accommodate such requests through leave arrangements. Discuss with your employer and HR department if you have specific religious requirements.

The total number of working days in Poland in 2026 depends on how the public holidays fall relative to weekdays. In 2026, there are 365 days total: 52 full weeks (104 weekend days), and 13 public holidays. Subtracting weekends (104 days) and public holidays that fall on weekdays (not on weekends), the approximate number of working days in 2026 is around 251–253 days, depending on how weekend-falling holidays are counted. Use the working days calculator at Liczbnik.pl to calculate the exact number of working days for any specific period in 2026, automatically accounting for all Polish public holidays.