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Is today a public holiday in Egypt?
Upcoming Holidays & Bank Closures in Egypt
Approaching central clearing pauses and statutory non-working days under Egyptian Labor Law No. 12 of 2003 & CBE Directives.
Leave Optimization
Strategic calendar bridges to maximize consecutive days off.
Banking & Settlement Guides
Payment rails, trading hours, and financial holiday calendars.
How Public Holidays Work in Egypt
Public holidays in the Arab Republic of Egypt are governed by Egyptian Labor Law No. 12 of 2003 alongside official decrees issued by the Prime Minister's Office. Egypt observes a Friday to Saturday weekly weekend, with Sunday functioning as a normal working business day.
Cabinet Holiday Postponement
Under Egyptian Cabinet policy, any official mid-week public holiday falling on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Sunday is systematically shifted to the following Thursday by ministerial decree. This provides citizens with a continuous three-day weekend.
Article 52 Overtime Rules
Article 52 of Labor Law No. 12 guarantees employees fully paid time off on designated official holidays. If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, they are legally entitled to receive double their basic wage (200% pay).
CBE RTGS & The Egyptian Exchange
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) pauses interbank clearing via RTGS during statutory bank holidays. The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) halts securities trading. Instant retail transfers via the InstaPay (IPN) network operate 24/7.
National and Religious Celebrations
Egypt observes secular and national anniversaries—such as 6th of October / Armed Forces Day and Revolution Day (July 23)—alongside historic Coptic celebrations like Sham El Nessim (Spring Festival) and Islamic holidays (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha).
Official Primary Sources
Last verified: September 2026Labour Law No. 12, Thursday Rollovers & CBE Settlement Rails
In the Arab Republic of Egypt, official public holidays are regulated under Labour Law No. 12 of 2003 (Article 52) and executive decrees issued by the Prime Minister. Egypt observes approximately 15 statutory public holidays per year, spanning national civil commemorations, Coptic Christian observances, and Islamic lunar holidays.
The Cabinet's Thursday Rollover Convention
Under established Egyptian Cabinet convention, whenever a statutory civic or religious public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the Prime Minister typically issues an official decree transferring the observed holiday to the following Thursday. This administrative practice creates an unbroken three-day weekend (Thursday through Saturday) for public-sector personnel, schools, and the banking system, while minimizing mid-week commercial interruption.
Labour Law 12 Article 52: The Triple Pay Formula
Under Article 52 of Labour Law No. 12 of 2003, workers are legally entitled to fully paid leave on statutory holidays decreed by the Ministry of Manpower. If operational necessity requires an employee to work on an official holiday, the employer must compensate the employee with:
- Their standard wage for the day; plus
- A statutory wage supplement of twice their daily wage (200% overtime premium).
This creates an effective triple pay (300% total compensation) mandate for holiday shifts, unless an alternative compensatory rest day is provided pursuant to applicable collective agreements.
Banking Clearing Rails: CBE EG-RTGS vs. InstaPay 24/7
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) coordinates national financial clearing:
- Wholesale Rails (EG-RTGS): The Egyptian Real-Time Gross Settlement system, interbank cheque clearing, and corporate automated clearing houses (EG-ACH) close on official bank holidays declared by CBE circulars.
- Instant Payments (InstaPay / IPN): Operating over the National Instant Payment Network, InstaPay functions 24/7/365. Account-to-account bank transfers and mobile wallet transactions clear in seconds throughout religious holidays and extended Cabinet long weekends. Calculate operational windows using our Working Days Calculator.
The Egyptian Exchange (EGX Trading Calendar)
The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) adheres strictly to the CBE banking calendar. The exchange suspends all equity, bond, and fund trading on gazetted national holidays and official Thursday substitute days decreed by the Prime Minister.
Egypt Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)
When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Egypt, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:
| Operational System / Mandate | Egypt Statutory Rule & Holiday Settlement Schedule |
|---|---|
| Wholesale RTGS & Wire Settlement | Central Bank of Egypt CBE RTGS & EGP Clearing (Operates Sun–Thu; closed on Fri–Sat weekends and Thursday-shifted holidays) |
| Batch ACH, Payroll & Check Clearing | EG-ACH Batch Direct Credit/Debit & Cheque Clearing (Paused on CBE bank holidays including Jan 1 / Jul 1 fiscal closures) |
| 24/7 Instant Retail Payment Rail | InstaPay Egypt (IPN) (Operates 24/7/365 instantaneously across all Egyptian banks up to EGP 70,000/tx) |
| Securities Exchange (The Egyptian Exchange (EGX)) | The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) trades Sunday–Thursday and follows CBE and Prime Ministerial holiday shift decrees |
| Statutory Holiday Premium Pay | 200% additional wage on top of regular daily pay (300% total) under Egyptian Labour Law No. 12 of 2003 Article 52 |
| Minimum Paid Annual Leave | 21 working days paid annual leave after 1 year, rising to 30 days after 10 years or age 50 (Labour Law Art. 47) |
Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Egypt
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 Egypt should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities:
| Holiday Observance | 2026 Date | 2027 Date | Legal Scope | 2026 Leave & Bridge Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coptic Christmas Day | 2026-01-07 (Wed) | 2027-01-07 (Thu) | Official National Holiday | Standard midweek observance |
| Revolution Day / Police Day | 2026-01-25 (Sun) | 2027-01-25 (Mon) | Official National Holiday | Falls on weekend — check statutory rollover rule above |
| Eid al-Fitr Eve | 2026-03-19 (Thu) | 2027-03-10 (Wed) | Religious Public Holiday | Book Friday off for a 4-day bridge break (1 PTO day) |
| Eid al-Fitr (Day 1) | 2026-03-20 (Fri) | 2027-03-10 (Wed) | Religious Public Holiday | Natural 3-day long weekend (0 PTO days needed) |
| Eid al-Fitr (Day 2) | 2026-03-21 (Sat) | 2027-03-10 (Wed) | Religious Public Holiday | Falls on weekend — check statutory rollover rule above |
| Eid al-Fitr (Day 3) | 2026-03-22 (Sun) | 2027-03-10 (Wed) | Religious Public Holiday | Falls on weekend — check statutory rollover rule above |
Frequently Asked Questions: Egypt Public Holidays
Why are mid-week holidays in Egypt frequently moved to Thursday?
By executive decree of the Egyptian Prime Minister, mid-week statutory holidays (such as Tuesdays or Wednesdays) are routinely shifted to the following Thursday to prevent mid-week productivity pauses and provide unbroken three-day weekends.
How much extra pay is an employee entitled to for working on an Egyptian holiday?
Under Article 52 of Labour Law No. 12 of 2003, employees working on an official holiday are entitled to their normal daily wage plus double their wage as a cash supplement, amounting to triple pay (300% total).
Is Coptic Christmas an official public holiday across all of Egypt?
Yes. Coptic Christmas (celebrated annually on 7 January) is a nationwide statutory public holiday for both public and private sectors across Egypt, codified by presidential decree.
Do bank transfers and InstaPay work during Egyptian public holidays?
While bank branches and CBE RTGS clearing halt on public holidays, the InstaPay network functions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, processing instant account-to-account interbank transfers without delay.
Does Egypt operate a Friday–Saturday or Saturday–Sunday weekend?
Egypt operates a standard Friday and Saturday weekend across government ministries, schools, banks, and capital markets. When holidays land on a Friday, no automatic Sunday rollover is granted.
How do instant retail payments vs. interbank wire transfers work on public holidays in Egypt?
In Egypt, wholesale interbank settlement and batch clearing (Central Bank of Egypt CBE RTGS & EGP Clearing and EG-ACH Batch Direct Credit/Debit & Cheque Clearing) pause on official weekday bank holidays, meaning standard payroll files, checks, and high-value wires settle on the next business day (T+1). However, domestic real-time retail payment rails (InstaPay Egypt) continue operating 24/7/365.
How many total public holidays and working days does Egypt have in 2026 and 2027?
Our verified Egypt calendar tracks 20 scheduled holiday and observance entries in 2026 and 23 entries in 2027 under Egyptian Labor Law No. 12 of 2003 & CBE Directives. Use the interactive Working Days Calculator above on this page to compute exact net business days between any two dates in Egypt for 2026 or 2027.
Coordinating Operations Across the Middle East? Cross-reference holiday calendars between Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia using the Holiday Overlap Finder, or model holiday vacation blocks with the 2026 PTO Maximizer.
Egypt 2026–2027 Public Holiday Calendar
Official public holidays, weekday labels, and banking observances under Egyptian Labor Law No. 12 of 2003 & CBE Directives
Workplace & Holiday Utilities
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Compare weekend holiday rollover rules, makeup workdays, and statutory overtime pay rates worldwide.
Compare 2026 vs. 2027 public holiday dates, Easter/Lunar shifts, and December 2027 rollovers.
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Simulate cross-border wire arrival value dates across central bank cutoffs and holiday halts.
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