What Are The Public Holidays in Angola in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Angola (2026)

Angola recognises a set of nationwide public holidays that your company must factor into scheduling, payroll and staffing plans. The table below lists the main national public holidays for 2026, including observed days when a holiday falls on a Sunday.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Angolan labour law, public holidays are generally treated as paid days of rest for employees with a valid employment contract, provided the holiday falls on a normal working day for that employee. Full‑time employees are typically entitled to their normal daily pay without being required to work, and part‑time employees are entitled to paid leave on public holidays that fall on days they would ordinarily work.

Public holidays are national in scope, so the same core list applies across Angola rather than by province or municipality. Where a public holiday falls on a Sunday, practice and legislation provide that the following Monday is usually treated as the observed holiday for employment purposes, meaning employees should receive a paid day off on the Monday instead.

If your business requires employees to work on a public holiday, they are generally entitled to both their normal pay for the day and additional compensation for work performed on the holiday. The exact premium rate and conditions can depend on the applicable collective bargaining agreement or individual contract, but holiday work is typically treated at least as overtime or work on a mandatory rest day, attracting enhanced pay and, in some cases, compensatory time off. Because interpretations can vary, you should confirm the applicable rate in your sector and ensure your contracts and policies clearly reflect it.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday rights in Angola can expose your company to administrative fines and labour inspections. The Ministry of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security is the main enforcement authority and can investigate complaints from employees, unions or other stakeholders about unpaid holidays or unlawful scheduling on public holidays.

Where inspectors find non‑compliance, they can impose monetary penalties that scale with the seriousness and duration of the breach, the size of the employer and whether there are repeat offences. In addition to fines, employers can be ordered to rectify underpayments, including back pay for unpaid or underpaid public holidays and associated social security contributions.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as ordinary working days without paying the correct premium, failing to recognise the observed Monday when a holiday falls on a Sunday, and applying different rules to part‑time or fixed‑term staff without a legal basis. To reduce risk, you should keep clear records of work schedules, holiday calendars, payslips and any agreements that modify standard holiday arrangements, and ensure managers understand that public holiday rights are mandatory and cannot be waived informally.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Angola, public holidays interact with overtime rules because work performed on a statutory holiday is generally treated as an exception to normal working time. Hours worked on a public holiday usually count as overtime or as work on a mandatory rest day, even if the employee has not exceeded the standard weekly working‑time limit.

As a result, employees who work on a public holiday are typically entitled to a premium rate above their base hourly wage. While the exact percentage uplift can depend on the Labour Law provisions, collective agreements and sectoral practice, holiday work is commonly remunerated at a higher rate than ordinary overtime, reflecting the loss of a guaranteed rest day. In some cases, employees may also be entitled to compensatory rest in addition to the premium pay.

For workforce planning, you should treat public holiday staffing as an exception that triggers enhanced cost. Track hours worked on holidays separately in your timekeeping system, ensure your payroll rules apply the correct premium, and confirm that holiday work does not push employees over maximum daily or weekly limits. Where there is any ambiguity in how a specific holiday affects overtime thresholds, the safest approach is to apply the more protective interpretation in favour of the employee and document your rationale.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Navigating Angolan public holiday rules across a distributed team can be challenging, especially when you are coordinating schedules, overtime and premium pay from another country. Playroll helps you stay compliant by combining local legal expertise with automated workflows that keep your holiday and leave practices aligned with Angolan law.

When you hire in Angola through Playroll, our in‑country experts maintain an up‑to‑date calendar of national public holidays, including observed Mondays when holidays fall on Sundays. Your employees’ contracts, payslips and time‑off records are structured to reflect local requirements, so paid public holidays, holiday work premiums and any compensatory rest are handled consistently and transparently.

Playroll’s platform lets you see, at a glance, which Angolan holidays will affect your operations, how many paid days off your team is entitled to, and what additional costs you should expect if you schedule work on those days. We apply the correct statutory rules and prevailing practice to each employee profile, whether full‑time or part‑time, and automatically factor public holidays into payroll calculations.

Instead of tracking changing regulations and interpreting legal texts yourself, you can rely on Playroll to monitor updates to Angolan labour law and adjust your employment documentation and processes accordingly. That means fewer compliance risks, fewer manual corrections and a smoother experience for your Angolan team members, who see that their public holiday rights are respected and paid correctly.