What Are The Public Holidays in North Macedonia in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in North Macedonia (2026)

North Macedonia recognises a core set of nationwide public holidays, plus additional religious and ethnic‑community holidays that apply only to specific groups. Use this table to plan staffing, leave, and pay for your team in 2026.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, North Macedonian labour law generally requires employers to treat national public holidays as paid non‑working days for employees who would normally work on those days. Employees are entitled to their regular pay for the holiday, and you cannot unilaterally deduct annual leave or require them to “make up” the hours later.

Public holidays are set at national level, but some additional holidays apply only to specific religious groups or ethnic communities, such as certain Islamic, Catholic, or community‑specific observances. Employees who belong to those groups are typically entitled to paid leave on their respective holidays, while work can continue as normal for others.

When a public holiday falls on a weekend, North Macedonia usually observes it on the calendar date, and there is not always a substitute weekday. Many employers, especially those with international workforces, choose to offer a substitute rest day as a matter of policy, but this is a contractual benefit rather than a universal statutory rule. Part‑time employees are entitled to paid leave for public holidays that fall on days they are normally scheduled to work, pro‑rated in line with their usual hours.

If employees are required to work on a public holiday, they are generally entitled to both their regular holiday pay and an additional premium for the hours worked, or compensatory time off, according to the Labour Relations Law and any applicable collective agreement. You should document the approach clearly in contracts and internal policies, and ensure that any requirement to work on a holiday is justified by operational needs and agreed in advance where possible.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday rights in North Macedonia can expose your company to administrative fines, labour inspections, and employee claims. The State Labour Inspectorate is the main enforcement authority and can investigate complaints, review time‑and‑pay records, and order corrective measures if it finds violations.

Fines can apply both to the legal entity and to responsible managers if you deny employees their paid holiday, misclassify work performed on holidays as regular hours, or pressure staff to sign away statutory rights. Employees may also claim back pay for unpaid holiday work, premium rates, and related social contributions, and in some cases seek damages for unlawful treatment.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as part of annual leave, failing to apply higher pay for holiday work, and not tracking which employees are entitled to group‑specific religious holidays. To reduce risk, keep accurate schedules and payroll records, maintain clear written policies, and ensure local managers understand which holidays are mandatory for which employees.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In North Macedonia, work performed on a public holiday is usually treated as work under special conditions and is compensated at a higher rate than ordinary hours. This premium is separate from, and can be cumulative with, overtime pay if the employee’s total hours exceed the standard weekly or daily limits set by law or by a collective agreement.

In practice, this means that if an employee works on a public holiday, you typically owe them: their normal paid holiday entitlement, a premium rate for the hours worked on the holiday, and, where applicable, overtime pay if their total hours for the reference period exceed the statutory threshold. Collective agreements often specify the exact percentage uplift for holiday work and overtime, so you should always check the sector‑specific rules that apply to your entity.

To stay compliant, track holiday work separately in your timekeeping system, flag it for payroll, and ensure that any additional hours are correctly categorised as either holiday work, overtime, or both. Clear documentation helps you demonstrate compliance in the event of a labour inspection or employee dispute.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing North Macedonia’s mix of nationwide and group‑specific holidays can be tricky, especially if you are coordinating teams across multiple countries. Playroll helps you automate compliance so you can focus on running your business, not decoding local labour rules.

With Playroll, you can centralise employment contracts, apply the correct North Macedonian public holidays to each employee based on location and status, and ensure that paid leave and premium rates are calculated correctly. Our in‑country experts keep track of legal changes, collective agreements, and local practice, so your policies and payroll stay aligned with current requirements.

Playroll also makes it easy to manage remote and hybrid teams. You can set local calendars, define who is entitled to which religious or community‑specific holidays, and sync everything with your global HR and payroll systems. That means fewer manual adjustments, fewer errors, and a clear audit trail if you ever face a labour inspection or employee query.

If you are hiring in North Macedonia or expanding your existing team, Playroll can act as your global employment partner, handling compliant onboarding, contracts, leave management, and payroll in one platform. You get the peace of mind that every public holiday, overtime rule, and statutory entitlement is handled correctly, while your employees get a transparent, reliable experience.