What Are The Public Holidays in Kazakhstan in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Kazakhstan (2026)

Kazakhstan sets public holidays at the national level, and most are non-working paid days for employees. Use the table below to plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Kazakhstan-based team in 2026.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Kazakhstan’s labour legislation generally treats public holidays as paid non-working days for employees, unless the nature of the work requires continuous operations. Employees who are not required to work on a public holiday are entitled to retain their average daily earnings for that day, and you should not reduce monthly salaries because a public holiday falls within the pay period.

If a public holiday falls on a weekend, Kazakhstan typically designates a weekday as an observed non-working day, and employees are entitled to the same paid day off on that substitute day. These rules apply nationwide rather than by region, so your obligations are consistent across Kazakhstan, subject to any specific sectoral agreements or collective bargaining terms.

Part-time employees are usually entitled to paid public holidays on days they would normally work. If a public holiday falls on a day that is not part of their regular schedule, there is usually no additional entitlement, but you should check individual contracts and any collective agreements for more generous terms.

Where you require employees to work on a public holiday, work is generally treated as work on a non-working day and must be compensated at an enhanced rate or with additional rest time in line with the Labour Code. In practice, this often means at least double pay for hours worked on a public holiday, or the employee’s agreement to receive another day off instead, but you should confirm the exact formula with local legal counsel or your payroll provider.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to comply with Kazakhstan’s public holiday rules can expose your company to administrative liability. Labour inspectors and other competent authorities can review whether employees received the correct paid days off, premium pay for work on holidays, and accurate time records.

Non-compliance can result in administrative fines that vary depending on the severity of the breach, the size of the employer, and whether it is a repeat offence. In addition to fines, you may be ordered to pay arrears in wages, premium pay for holiday work, and compensation for any unlawful denial of rest days. Persistent or serious violations can also increase the risk of labour disputes, inspections, and reputational damage.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to grant substitute days when holidays fall on weekends, misclassifying holiday work as regular overtime, and not documenting employee consent where required. Keeping clear records of schedules, hours worked, and holiday pay calculations is essential to demonstrate compliance if inspected.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Kazakhstan, public holidays are treated as non-working days, so any work performed on these days is subject to special rules. Hours worked on a public holiday are generally compensated at a higher rate than ordinary hours, regardless of whether the employee has exceeded their normal weekly working time. This means that holiday work is not just regular overtime – it is premium work on a non-working day.

Overtime limits and consent requirements under the Labour Code still apply, and you should avoid scheduling holiday work as a routine practice. Where employees work both overtime and on a public holiday, they may be entitled to cumulative enhancements, such as premium pay for the holiday and additional pay for overtime, depending on how your contracts and internal policies are drafted.

To stay compliant, you should clearly distinguish in your timekeeping system between regular hours, overtime on working days, and hours worked on public holidays. This makes it easier to apply the correct multipliers and to show labour inspectors that you are respecting both overtime thresholds and holiday protections.

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Managing Kazakhstan's public holidays and leave rules doesn’t have to be complex. Playroll keeps you 100% compliant by automatically tracking local holidays, observed days, and pay requirements –  so your team is paid correctly and on time, every time.

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a growing team, Playroll lets you employ talent without setting up a local entity. We handle compliant contracts, benefits, and payroll in one platform, so you can reduce compliance risk and focus on growing your business while we take care of the heavy-lifting in the background. Book a chat with our team to get started.