Public holidays and days off
in Czechia 2027

In the Czech Republic, the sales ban on designated holidays applies to stores over 200 m² — this is a key difference from Slovakia, where there is no area threshold.

This means large supermarkets will be closed, while small shops, kiosks, and convenience stores usually remain open. Pharmacies, gas stations, train stations, and airports also operate.

Practical conclusion: you won't be left without purchases, but it's better to do your big shopping the day before — small stores have a narrower selection and usually higher prices. Each date in the calendar above is marked separately.

For working on a holiday, an employee is entitled to their salary plus compensation — either a supplement or paid time off. The specific mechanism is determined by labor law and your employment contract.

Replacing the supplement with time off requires the agreement of both parties, not a unilateral decision by the employer. If you are simply told 'you will work on the holiday, and you will take time off later' — this is a reason to clarify the terms in writing.

Check the collective agreement separately, if your employer has one: it may establish conditions more favorable than the legal minimum, and the actual rate for a holiday shift is often hidden there.

In the Czech Republic, a distinction is made between public holidays (státní svátky), related to the country's history, and other holidays (ostatní svátky) — mostly religious dates.

For an employee, the difference is mostly legal: both categories are usually non-working days, and the rules for payment for work on these days are the same. Therefore, in the calendar above, we indicate the actual status of each date, not the formal category.

For example, October 28 is the Day of the Establishment of Independent Czechoslovakia, a public holiday, while December 24 (Christmas Eve) belongs to another category, although for most people both days are equally days off.

The most advantageous dates are those falling on a Tuesday or Thursday: by taking one day of vacation, you get four days off in a row. These 'bridge' holidays are immediately visible in the calendar above.

But you are not the only one thinking about these dates. Tickets to Ukraine for long weekends sell out quickly, accommodation becomes more expensive, and queues at the border grow. If you are planning a trip, book in advance.

Some holidays are movable (Easter and related dates change every year), so next year's calendar cannot be copied from the current one. We update the dates after their official publication.

Public institutions are closed on holidays — this applies to both migration departments and social security offices. If your document submission deadline is approaching, consider the holidays in advance: they do not automatically extend the deadline.

Polyclinics are usually closed, but on-call services and pharmacies are open; you can find the nearest pharmacy in the SÚKL database. Ambulance (155) and 112 operate at all times.

Public transport usually runs on a weekend schedule on holidays — less frequently than on weekdays. This is precisely the detail that causes people to be late: the schedule changes, even though the calendar day looks ordinary.