What Are The Public Holidays in Somalia in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Somalia (2026)

Somalia’s public holidays are a mix of fixed national days and Islamic religious holidays that follow the lunar calendar. Islamic dates below are based on commonly used astronomical estimates for 2026 and may shift by a day depending on local moon‑sighting.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, in practice employers in Somalia are generally expected to provide paid leave on nationally recognised public holidays for full‑time employees, especially in formal, contracted employment. However, Somalia does not have a single, consistently enforced national labour code, and detailed rules can differ between regions and between public and private sectors, so you should always check any applicable local labour regulations and collective agreements.

Where a public holiday falls on a Friday – the main weekly rest day – many employers treat the Friday as the rest day and do not grant an additional weekday off, although some organisations will move the holiday to the nearest working day. If a holiday falls on a weekend day that is not normally worked, there is no universal legal requirement to provide a substitute day, but some employers do so as a matter of policy.

Part‑time employees typically receive public holiday pay on a pro‑rata basis if the holiday falls on a day they would normally work. Casual workers and day labourers are often only paid for hours actually worked, so if they do not work on a public holiday they may not receive pay unless a contract or company policy says otherwise.

If employees are required to work on a public holiday, it is common practice in formal employment to provide either premium pay or a paid day off in lieu, even though specific national rates are not clearly codified. To stay competitive and reduce risk, many international employers in Somalia align with regional best practice by treating public holidays as fully paid rest days and compensating any holiday work with both premium pay and time off in lieu.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Because Somalia’s legal and institutional framework is fragmented, penalties for non‑compliance with public holiday obligations are not as clearly defined or consistently enforced as in many other countries. In areas under the Federal Government of Somalia, labour disputes can be raised with local labour offices or courts, and employers may face orders to pay back‑pay, damages, or other remedies if they have breached contractual or statutory holiday entitlements.

In Somaliland and other semi‑autonomous regions, local labour laws and enforcement bodies may apply, and employers can face administrative sanctions, fines, or court‑ordered compensation where public holiday rights are recognised in law or contract. International organisations and NGOs may also be subject to donor or internal compliance reviews if they fail to honour stated holiday and leave policies.

Common employer mistakes include failing to specify public holiday rules in contracts, applying different treatment to similar employees without justification, not recording hours worked on holidays, and overlooking regional holidays such as Somaliland’s 26 June Independence Day. To reduce risk, your company should document its holiday policy clearly, align it with the strictest applicable local standard, and keep accurate records of attendance and pay.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Somalia does not have a single, detailed national statute that sets uniform overtime thresholds and premium rates for public holidays across all regions. In practice, many employers treat work performed on public holidays as exceptional and compensate it at a higher rate than normal hours, often mirroring regional norms such as 150%–200% of the basic hourly rate, plus a compensatory rest day where possible.

Because formal legal guidance is limited, your safest approach is to define clear internal rules in your employment contracts and policies. These typically cover whether public holiday hours count toward weekly overtime thresholds, what premium rate applies, and whether employees receive time off in lieu. For example, you might state that any hours worked on a public holiday are paid at 200% and are excluded from normal overtime calculations, or that they count toward weekly overtime but still attract a holiday premium.

Whatever model you choose, apply it consistently, communicate it in writing, and make sure your payroll system can distinguish between regular hours, overtime, and public holiday work. This will help you avoid disputes and demonstrate good‑faith compliance if a claim arises.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Navigating public holidays in Somalia can be challenging, especially when you are hiring across different regions with varying practices and limited formal guidance. Playroll helps you cut through the complexity so your team gets the right leave and pay, every time.

With Playroll, you can hire employees or contractors in Somalia without setting up a local entity, while we handle compliant contracts, payroll, and time‑off rules in line with local expectations. Our platform keeps track of national and regional holidays, flags upcoming non‑working days for your team, and helps you apply consistent policies for paid holidays, overtime, and time off in lieu.

You stay in control of the business decisions – who you hire, how you structure roles, and how generous you want your benefits to be – while we take care of the operational details and help you benchmark against local norms. That means fewer compliance surprises, smoother workforce planning around Eid and national days, and a better employee experience for your Somalia‑based team.

If you are expanding into Somalia or already have team members on the ground, Playroll gives you a single, reliable source of truth for public holidays, leave, and payroll so you can focus on growing your business, not decoding local regulations.