What Are The Public Holidays in Estonia in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Estonia (2026)

Estonia recognises a set of nationwide public holidays that apply uniformly across the country. Use the table below to plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Estonian team in 2026.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Estonian labour law generally treats public holidays that fall on an employee's regular working day as paid days off, provided the employee would normally have worked that day. There is no distinction between national and regional holidays, as all listed public holidays apply nationwide. If a public holiday falls on a non-working day for the employee (for example, a weekend or a day they are not scheduled to work), there is usually no additional paid day off or substitute day.

Part-time employees are entitled to public holiday pay on the same basis as full-time staff, proportionate to their normal working schedule. If your company requires an employee to work on a public holiday, you must provide additional compensation. Under Estonian law, work on a public holiday is typically paid at double the employee's regular hourly rate, unless you agree in writing to provide equivalent time off in lieu with the employee's consent. Many employers combine both approaches by offering premium pay and an additional rest day as a retention and wellbeing measure.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to comply with public holiday rules in Estonia can lead to administrative liability. The Labour Inspectorate (Tööinspektsioon) oversees enforcement and can investigate complaints from employees about unpaid public holiday work or denial of holiday entitlements. Sanctions may include fines for the employer and, in more serious or repeated cases, for responsible individuals within the company.

Common mistakes include treating public holidays as normal working days without premium pay, misclassifying employees as independent contractors to avoid holiday obligations, and failing to document agreements on time off in lieu. Another frequent issue is inconsistent treatment of part-time or shift workers, where some are paid correctly for public holidays and others are not. To reduce risk, you should keep clear written policies, maintain accurate time and attendance records, and ensure payroll calculations reflect the higher pay rate or compensatory rest for work performed on public holidays.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Estonia, public holidays interact with working time and overtime rules rather than replacing them. If an employee works on a public holiday, those hours are usually paid at double rate as holiday work. Where hours on a public holiday exceed the employee's agreed normal working time, they may also count as overtime, which is subject to additional compensation or time off in lieu according to the Employment Contracts Act and any applicable collective agreement.

In practice, you should first determine whether the hours fall on a public holiday and apply the public holiday premium, then check whether the total weekly or reference-period hours exceed the standard working time. If they do, overtime rules may apply on top of the holiday premium, depending on the contract or collective agreement. Because interpretations can vary and collective agreements may set more generous terms, it is safest to review your local contracts and, where needed, obtain local legal advice to confirm how holiday work and overtime interact for your specific workforce.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Estonian public holidays across a distributed team can get complicated quickly, especially when you are juggling different schedules, part-time arrangements, and varying local practices. Playroll helps you stay compliant by building Estonia's public holiday calendar and labour rules directly into your employment and payroll workflows.

When you hire through Playroll in Estonia, we handle compliant employment contracts, ensure public holiday entitlements are correctly reflected, and automate the right pay rates when someone works on a public holiday. Your team members see clear payslips that distinguish regular hours, holiday hours, and any overtime or time off in lieu, while you get a single, consolidated view of costs.

Instead of tracking changing rules and dates yourself, you can rely on Playroll's in-country experts and technology to keep your policies, leave approvals, and payroll aligned with Estonian law. That means fewer compliance risks, less admin, and more time to focus on growing your global team.