What Are The Public Holidays in Central African Republic in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Central African Republic (2026)

Below is an overview of the main nationwide public holidays in the Central African Republic for 2026. Always cross-check with the official government calendar closer to the date, as some observances can shift or be confirmed annually.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, in the Central African Republic, public holidays that fall on an employee's normal working day are generally treated as paid days off, in line with common practice in francophone African labour regimes and local employment standards. Employees keep their normal base pay for the day without being required to work, unless their contract or a collective agreement clearly provides otherwise and still respects minimum protections.

Where a public holiday falls on a Sunday, it is typically observed on the following Monday so that employees still benefit from a full paid rest day. If a holiday falls on a non-working day for a particular employee (for example, a regular rest day other than Sunday), there is usually no additional paid day off unless a contract or company policy grants more generous terms.

Part-time employees are usually entitled to paid public holidays on a pro-rated basis when the holiday falls on a day they would normally work. If your operations require some staff to work on a public holiday, they should receive either premium pay, a compensatory rest day, or both, according to their contract, collective agreement, or internal policy, provided that these arrangements do not fall below statutory minimums once confirmed by local counsel.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday entitlements in the Central African Republic can expose your company to labour inspections, administrative penalties, and potential court claims. While the exact fine levels and procedures are set out in national labour legislation and related regulations, non-compliance can lead to orders to pay back wages, penalties, and, in more serious or repeated cases, additional sanctions.

Enforcement is typically handled by labour authorities and labour inspectors, who can review payroll records, working time schedules, and contracts to verify that public holiday pay and rest rules are being followed. Employees may also bring individual claims for unpaid holiday wages or for being required to work on a public holiday without appropriate compensation.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to provide a substitute rest day when a holiday is worked, and not applying consistent rules to part-time or shift workers. To reduce risk, you should document your holiday policy clearly, align it with local law, and keep accurate records of who worked on each public holiday and how they were compensated.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Public holidays in the Central African Republic generally count as rest days when they fall on a normal working day, which means hours worked on those days are often treated more protectively than regular working time. Although specific overtime thresholds and premium rates must be confirmed against the current Labour Code and any applicable collective agreements, it is common in the region for work on public holidays to attract higher pay rates or compensatory rest.

In practice, many employers treat any hours worked on a public holiday as overtime, even if the employee has not exceeded their usual weekly hours, and apply a premium rate for those hours. Where a public holiday is observed on a Monday because it fell on a Sunday, the Monday is typically treated as the paid holiday for overtime and premium-pay purposes.

Because overtime and holiday work rules can change and may depend on sector-specific regulations, you should verify the applicable rates and thresholds with local legal counsel or a trusted payroll partner. Building clear internal rules on when holiday work is allowed, how it is authorised, and how it is paid will help you avoid disputes and unexpected liabilities.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Navigating public holidays, paid leave, and overtime rules in the Central African Republic can be challenging, especially if your HR and payroll teams are based in another country. Playroll helps you hire, pay, and manage talent in the Central African Republic while staying aligned with local labour standards.

With Playroll, you can rely on in-country expertise to interpret public holiday calendars, apply the right pay rules when employees work on a holiday, and keep contracts and policies up to date as regulations evolve. Our platform centralises employment data, automates payroll calculations, and gives you clear visibility into leave balances and holiday costs across your global team.

Whether you are onboarding your first employee in Bangui or scaling a distributed team across multiple African markets, Playroll helps you reduce compliance risk and administrative overhead so you can focus on building your business. If you need to confirm the latest public holiday rules or structure a compliant benefits package in the Central African Republic, our team and tools are designed to support you end to end.