What Are The Public Holidays in Rwanda in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Rwanda (2026)

Rwanda has a clear nationwide calendar of public holidays that applies to most employees across the country. Use the table below to plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Rwanda-based team in 2026.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Rwandan labour law generally requires employers to treat official public holidays as paid days off for employees who would normally work on those days. The statutory list of public holidays is national, so you do not need to manage regional variations, but you should always check the latest government notices for any changes or additional one-off holidays.

When a public holiday falls on a weekend, the government typically declares the following working day as a day off in lieu. In practice, this means your employees are usually entitled to a paid day off on the observed weekday, not just the calendar date. Part-time employees are normally entitled to paid public holidays on a pro-rata basis if the holiday falls on a day they would ordinarily work.

If your business needs some employees to work on a public holiday, they are generally entitled to both their normal pay for the day and additional compensation for working on a holiday, often in the form of premium pay or time off in lieu, as set out in the employment contract, collective agreement, or internal policies. Because specific rates can vary, you should document your approach clearly and ensure it is at least as favourable as the minimum standards set by Rwandan law.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failing to respect public holiday rights in Rwanda can expose your company to administrative sanctions and potential civil claims. Labour inspectors and other competent authorities can investigate complaints, review your time and pay records, and order corrective action where they find non-compliance.

Penalties can include fines for each violation, back payment of wages and holiday pay owed to affected employees, and in serious or repeated cases, additional sanctions under Rwandan labour and social security legislation. Employees may also bring claims for unpaid wages or wrongful denial of leave, which can lead to further financial and reputational risk for your organisation.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to provide a substitute day off when a holiday is officially observed on a weekday, and not applying the agreed premium pay or compensatory rest when employees work on a public holiday. Keeping accurate attendance and payroll records and aligning your internal policies with current Rwandan law is the safest approach.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Rwanda, public holidays interact with normal working time and overtime rules. Hours worked on a public holiday are typically treated as exceptional and should attract a higher rate of pay or compensatory rest, in addition to the employee’s regular entitlement for the day. While the exact premium rate can depend on the Labour Code, collective agreements, or individual contracts, it is common practice to apply a higher multiplier than for ordinary overtime on a regular working day.

Overtime thresholds are usually calculated based on standard weekly working hours. If an employee works on a public holiday and this pushes their total hours above the statutory weekly limit, those excess hours should be treated as overtime and compensated accordingly. To stay compliant, you should track hours worked on public holidays separately, apply the correct premium or time off in lieu, and ensure that any overtime caps or rest-period requirements in Rwandan law are respected.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Rwanda’s public holidays, observed days, and overtime rules can be challenging when you are coordinating teams across multiple countries. Playroll helps you stay compliant by keeping track of local holiday calendars, ensuring contracts and payslips reflect Rwandan labour standards, and updating your obligations when the government announces new or shifted holidays.

With Playroll, you can onboard Rwanda-based employees quickly, automate statutory holiday pay, and apply the right premium rates or time off in lieu when staff work on public holidays. Our platform centralises employment data so you always know who is entitled to what, and when. That means fewer manual calculations, fewer compliance risks, and a smoother experience for your Rwanda team.

Whether you are hiring your first employee in Kigali or scaling a larger Rwanda operation, Playroll gives you a single, reliable source of truth for leave, holidays, and payroll. You focus on building your team – we handle the complexity of staying compliant in Rwanda and beyond.