What Are The Public Holidays in Libya in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Libya (2026)

Libya’s public holidays combine fixed national dates and Islamic religious observances that follow the lunar calendar. The Islamic dates below are based on current astronomical projections for 2026 and may shift by one day depending on official moon‑sighting announcements in Libya.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Libyan labor practice generally treats official public holidays as paid days off for employees when they fall on a normal working day, unless the employment contract or a collective agreement clearly provides more favorable terms. Public holidays listed by the Libyan authorities are national rather than regional, so your company should assume they apply across the country, although the exact number of days granted for religious holidays such as Eid al‑Fitr and Eid al‑Adha can vary slightly from year to year based on government announcements.

Where a public holiday falls on a weekend, many employers in Libya either grant the nearest working day as an observed holiday or provide an additional paid day off by agreement, but this is not always handled uniformly. You should check local regulations, any sector‑specific rules, and your own policies to confirm how observed days are handled for your Libyan workforce.

Part‑time employees are usually entitled to public holiday pay on a pro‑rated basis when the holiday falls on a day they would normally work. If your operations require staff to work on a public holiday, common practice is to provide the normal daily wage plus a premium or a paid day off in lieu, as set out in the employment contract, internal regulations, or any applicable collective agreement. Because detailed statutory rules and enforcement practice can change, you should obtain up‑to‑date local legal advice before finalizing your holiday policy.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Libyan labor law is enforced primarily by the Ministry of Labor and related inspection bodies, which can investigate complaints from employees about non‑payment of wages or denial of statutory leave. If your company fails to grant public holidays or does not pay employees correctly for those days, you may face orders to rectify the breach, pay back wages, and in some cases administrative fines or other sanctions under the labor code and related regulations.

In practice, disputes over holiday pay often arise where employers do not keep clear records of working time, do not specify holiday rules in contracts, or treat public holidays inconsistently between employees. These issues can escalate into claims before labor authorities or courts, with potential liability for unpaid wages, damages, and legal costs. Because official guidance and enforcement practice in Libya can evolve, the safest approach is to document your holiday policy clearly, align it with current local law, and seek local counsel when in doubt.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Libyan law generally limits normal working hours per day and per week, with work beyond those limits treated as overtime that must be compensated at a higher rate. When employees work on an official public holiday, that work is typically regarded as exceptional and should attract premium pay above the normal hourly rate, often combined with a compensatory rest day, depending on the contract, internal regulations, or any applicable collective agreement.

Because Islamic holidays and observed days can shift, you should track which days your Libyan employees actually work and how those days interact with your standard weekly schedule. If a public holiday falls within the normal workweek and staff are required to work, you should treat those hours as at least equivalent to overtime for pay purposes, even if the weekly total does not exceed the usual statutory threshold. Local legal advice is important here, as detailed percentages for overtime and holiday premiums can be set by regulation or by sector‑specific rules and may change over time.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Navigating Libyan public holidays can be tricky, especially when Islamic dates shift each year and official announcements come close to the holiday itself. Playroll helps your company stay ahead of these changes so your Libyan team is paid correctly and your operations keep running smoothly.

With Playroll, you can centralize your global leave and holiday rules while still respecting local Libyan requirements. Our platform keeps track of official public holidays, flags likely Eid and other religious dates, and updates your payroll calculations when the government confirms the final calendar. That means fewer manual adjustments, fewer errors, and a clear audit trail if authorities ever review your records.

Playroll’s in‑country experts monitor developments in Libyan labor law and can help you interpret how new regulations or government circulars affect your holiday and overtime policies. You stay in control of your workforce planning, while we handle the complexity of aligning contracts, payslips, and time‑off records with local expectations.

If you employ staff in Libya through an employer‑of‑record arrangement, Playroll can also take on the role of local employer, ensuring that public holiday entitlements, observed days, and any premium pay for holiday work are applied correctly and on time. That lets you focus on building your Libyan team and serving your customers, confident that your holiday compliance is covered.