Is today a public holiday in Czechia?

Zákon o státních svátcích, Retail Opening Rules & Financial Rails

In the Czech Republic, official public holidays are legislated under Act No. 245/2000 Coll. on Public Holidays, Other Holidays, Significant Days and Days of Rest. Czech law differentiates between statutory State Holidays (státní svátky, commemorating key historic milestones) and Other Holidays (ostatní svátky, marking traditional and religious feasts). Across both classifications, the Czech calendar features 13 distinct statutory non-working holidays per calendar year.

The Retail Trade Paradox: Act No. 223/2016 Coll.

One of the most distinctive commercial characteristics of the Czech holiday system is regulated by Act No. 223/2016 Coll. on Sales Hours in Retail and Wholesale. The statute legally prohibits retail establishments with a sales area exceeding 200 square meters from opening on select public holidays, while leaving others completely unrestricted:

• Stores Over 200 m² MUST CLOSE: 1 January (Restoration of the Czech State / New Year), Easter Monday, 8 May (Liberation Day), 28 September (St. Wenceslas / Czech Statehood Day), 28 October (Independent Czechoslovak State Day), 24 December (after 12:00 PM), 25 December (Christmas Day), and 26 December (St. Stephen's Day).
• Stores Over 200 m² MAY REMAIN OPEN: Good Friday (Velký pátek), 1 May (Labour Day), 5 July (Sts. Cyril and Methodius), 6 July (Jan Hus Day), and 17 November (Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day). On these five holidays, hypermarkets and shopping malls operate standard business hours.
• Exemptions: Pharmacies, petrol stations, grocery outlets located in hospitals, train stations, or Prague Václav Havel Airport, and stores with a sales area under 200 m² are exempt and may trade unrestricted on all holidays. Check our comprehensive operational breakdown in our What Stays Open on Public Holidays Guide.

The Strict 'No Rollover' Rule in Czech Law

Unlike Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions, the Czech Republic does not operate a substitute day off system (klouzavé svátky). Under statutory Czech jurisprudence and Czech National Bank guidelines, when an official holiday coincides with a Saturday or Sunday, the day off is absorbed by the weekend. The following Monday remains an ordinary business day.

In 2026, two holidays fall on weekends: Sts. Cyril and Methodius Day (Sunday, 5 July 2026) and the Second Day of Christmas (Saturday, 26 December 2026). Because no in-lieu days are granted, workers looking to extend their time off must rely on strategic annual leave planning. In 2026, Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day falls on Tuesday, 17 November; taking a single vacation day on Monday, 16 November creates an unbroken four-day bridge. Discover optimal bridge leave opportunities using our 2026 PTO Maximizer.

Labour Code (§ 115): Compensatory Leave vs. 100% Surcharge

Under Section 91 of the Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll., Zákoník práce), work on public holidays can only be ordered exceptionally in designated critical sectors (such as continuous manufacturing, healthcare, public transport, guarding, and repair work).

Under Section 115 of the Labour Code, statutory compensation for working on a public holiday follows a strict legal hierarchy:

1. Primary Statutory Remedy: The employee is entitled to paid compensatory time off (náhradní volno) equivalent to the hours worked, granted within three calendar months at their average earnings rate; or
2. Financial Surcharge by Mutual Agreement: If the employer and employee formally agree not to take compensatory leave, the employer must pay the employee their earned wage plus a mandatory statutory wage surcharge (příplatek za práci ve svátek) of at least 100% of average earnings for all hours worked.

If an employee misses standard scheduled work hours because a statutory holiday fell on their ordinary workday, their monthly salary cannot be reduced (or hourly workers receive wage compensation at their average earnings rate).

Banking Clearing Rails: ČNB CERTIS vs. Okamžité Platby 24/7

Wholesale interbank financial settlement across the Czech Republic is operated by the central bank, Česká národní banka (ČNB), via the CERTIS (Czech Express Real Time Interbank Gross Settlement System) network:

• Wholesale & Standard Batch Settlement: CERTIS halts standard interbank wholesale clearing and batch automated payments on all 13 statutory bank holidays. Traditional domestic direct debit and credit transfers submitted on a public holiday settle on the morning of the next operational business day. Calculate invoice deadlines and contract delivery dates using our Working Days Calculator.
• Instant Domestic Payments (Okamžité platby): Operated by domestic commercial banks (including Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Komerční banka, and Air Bank) through the ČNB instant payment infrastructure, Okamžité platby function 24/7/365. Transfers in Czech Koruna (CZK) up to regulatory caps clear within 2.5 seconds, even on Christmas, Easter Monday, and state holidays. The ČNB also accepts instant electronic payments for state taxes, court fees, and social security around the clock.

Prague Stock Exchange (Burza cenných papírů Praha - PSE)

The Prague Stock Exchange (PSE / BCPP) suspends all cash equity and bond market trading sessions on all 13 statutory non-working holidays. When a holiday falls on a weekend, the exchange operates normal trading sessions on the surrounding weekdays, maintaining standard trading hours from 09:00 to 16:20 CET.

Czechia Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Czechia, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Czechia

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in Czechia should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: