Cyprus public holidays 2026 and the school year, on one page
By Volha Bendzik, Relocation & living editor, mother of three in Cyprus schoolsVerified 20 September 2026 · 4 min readQuick answer
The Republic of Cyprus has 14 public holidays in 2026: 1 and 6 January, 23 February (Green Monday), 25 March, 1 April, 10 April (Orthodox Good Friday), 13 April (Easter Monday), 1 May, 1 June (Whit Monday), 15 August, 1 and 28 October, 25 and 26 December. Banks add Easter Tuesday, 14 April and stay open on Christmas Eve. Public schools start on 7 September 2026 (secondary) and 14 September 2026 (primary). A holiday that falls on a weekend is not moved to Monday. Verified 20 September 2026 against the Central Bank of Cyprus, CySEC and the Ministry of Education.
Wall calendar · A4 · 2 pages
Print it, stick it on the fridge, and stop checking your phone in August
Page 1 is the whole of 2026 as twelve month grids with every holiday and school break marked, plus the holiday table with who actually closes. Page 2 is the 2026-27 school year, the 2027 preview and the rules newcomers get wrong. No email needed; the PDF is free and public.
On this page
Which days are public holidays in Cyprus in 2026?
Fourteen days, of which four move with Orthodox Easter (12 April 2026). There is no single Public Holidays Act in Cyprus: the public-service list, the Central Bank's bank-holiday list and the Shops Law closure list overlap but are not identical, which is why the last column matters more than the name of the day.
| Date | Holiday | Who closes |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan | New Year's Day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Tue 6 Jan | Epiphany (Theophania) | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Mon 23 Feb | Green Monday · first day of Orthodox Lent; movable | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Wed 25 Mar | Greek Independence Day · national day; many shops open | Public services closed, Banks closed |
| Wed 1 Apr | Cyprus National Day (EOKA) | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Fri 10 Apr | Orthodox Good Friday · movable | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Mon 13 Apr | Orthodox Easter Monday · movable | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Tue 14 Apr | Easter Tuesday · banks only, instead of Christmas Eve | Banks closed |
| Fri 1 May | Labour Day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Mon 1 Jun | Whit Monday (Kataklysmos) · movable | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Sat 15 Aug | Assumption of the Virgin Mary · falls on a Saturday; no substitute day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Thu 1 Oct | Cyprus Independence Day · national day; many shops open | Public services closed, Banks closed |
| Wed 28 Oct | Ochi Day · national day; many shops open | Public services closed, Banks closed |
| Thu 24 Dec | Christmas Eve · offices close or close early; banks open; shops shut by 18:00 | Public services closed |
| Fri 25 Dec | Christmas Day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Sat 26 Dec | Boxing Day · falls on a Saturday; no substitute day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
Sources: Central Bank of Cyprus bank holidays 2026 (circular of 14 August 2025), CySEC public holidays 2026-2027, Deputy Ministry of Tourism movable-holidays table 2023-2027, MLSI Employment Guide (Shops Law closures). The Shops Law obliges general shops to close fully on nine days only, including 2 January, which is not a public holiday for anyone else.
When does the school year 2026-27 start and end in Cyprus?
Public schools run on two separate circulars, one for secondary (gymnasium, lyceum, technical schools) and one for primary, and their dates differ. The two things every newcomer parent misses: the two levels start a week apart, and secondary regular lessons end in May, with an exam period running into late June. All dates below are from the Ministry of Education announcement of 21 August 2026 and the two directorates' own tables.
| Period | Dates | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| First day of school, secondary | Mon 7 Sep 2026 | Gymnasium, lyceum, TESEK |
| First day of school, primary | Mon 14 Sep 2026 | Primary (dimotiko) and pre-primary |
| Teacher Day, school closed | Tue 8 Dec 2026 | Secondary only |
| Christmas break | 23 or 24 Dec 2026 to Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Primary from 23 Dec; secondary from 24 Dec |
| Teacher Day, school closed | Wed 10 Feb 2027 | Secondary only |
| Green Monday, school holiday | Mon 15 Mar 2027 | All levels |
| Easter break | Mon 26 Apr to Sun 9 May 2027 | All levels; both return Mon 10 May |
| Last regular lessons, lyceum and TESEK | Mon 10 May 2027 | Written exams follow to about 22 Jun; retakes 23-25 Jun |
| Last regular lessons, gymnasium | Fri 21 May 2027 | Exams and results to about 10 Jun; retakes 23-25 Jun |
| Ascension and Apostle Barnabas, school holiday | Thu 10 to Fri 11 Jun 2027 | School holidays only, not public holidays |
| Last day of school, primary | Wed 16 Jun 2027 | Primary; summer break 17 Jun to 10 Sep 2027 |
Sources: Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth circular ypp20307 (secondary, 18 August 2026); Directorate of Primary Education school-holidays table (2026-27). Private and international schools set their own calendars; check the school.
What are the Cyprus public holidays in 2027?
Orthodox Easter falls late in 2027, on 2 May, so the four movable days shift by three weeks. Four headline holidays land on a weekend with no substitute day: Labour Day, Assumption, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Dates marked ° are fixed-rule or Easter-derived and match the Ministry of Education's published 2026-27 circular; a year-specific public-service circular is not out yet.
| Date | Holiday | Who closes |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year's Day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Wed 6 Jan | Epiphany ° | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Mon 15 Mar | Green Monday · movable | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Thu 25 Mar | Greek Independence Day · national day; many shops open | Public services closed, Banks closed |
| Thu 1 Apr | Cyprus National Day (EOKA) | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Fri 30 Apr | Orthodox Good Friday · movable | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Sat 1 May | Labour Day ° · falls on a Saturday; no substitute day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Mon 3 May | Orthodox Easter Monday · movable | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Tue 4 May | Easter Tuesday † · banks only, if the 2026 rule is kept | Banks closed |
| Mon 21 Jun | Whit Monday (Kataklysmos) · movable | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Sun 15 Aug | Assumption of the Virgin Mary ° · falls on a Sunday; no substitute day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Fri 1 Oct | Cyprus Independence Day ° · national day; many shops open | Public services closed, Banks closed |
| Thu 28 Oct | Ochi Day · national day; many shops open | Public services closed, Banks closed |
| Fri 24 Dec | Christmas Eve ° · offices close or close early; banks open; shops shut by 18:00 | Public services closed |
| Sat 25 Dec | Christmas Day ° · falls on a Saturday; no substitute day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
| Sun 26 Dec | Boxing Day ° · falls on a Sunday; no substitute day | Public services, banks and most shops closed |
Movable dates for 2027 (Green Monday 15 March, Good Friday 30 April, Easter Monday 3 May, Whit Monday 21 June) appear in the Ministry of Education circular ypp20307 of 18 August 2026 and in the Deputy Ministry of Tourism table. This section is refreshed when the Central Bank publishes its 2027 list, normally in August.
Six rules newcomers get wrong
- A weekend holiday is not moved. If 15 August falls on a Saturday, the day is simply gone. The MLSI Employment Guide says a public holiday that coincides with a Saturday may not be observed; the Central Bank lists no substitute day either.
- Banks keep their own list. They close on Easter Tuesday and stay open on Christmas Eve, by explicit design. Plan cash and transfers around 14 April 2026, not 24 December.
- Christmas Eve is not a full holiday. Government offices close or close early, banks work, and general shops may open but must shut by 18:00.
- Shops close on nine days, not fourteen. The Shops Regulation Law obliges general shops to close fully on 1 and 2 January, 6 January, 1 April, Easter Monday, 1 May, Whit Monday, 15 August and 25-26 December. On the three national days many shops trade.
- Your paid day off depends on your contract. There is no single Cyprus law giving every private-sector employee every public holiday paid. Shops, recreation centres and hotels have dedicated laws; everyone else relies on the employment contract or a collective agreement. In practice nearly all employers observe the fourteen days, but read the contract.
- Kataklysmos is Whit Monday. The Festival of the Flood in Larnaca and the coastal towns is the long weekend around Pentecost Monday, 1 June 2026 and 21 June 2027.
Questions parents and newcomers ask
How many public holidays does Cyprus have in 2026?
When is Orthodox Easter in Cyprus in 2026 and 2027?
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in Cyprus?
When do schools start in Cyprus in September 2026?
If a Cyprus public holiday falls on a weekend, do I get the Monday off?
Are private-sector employees paid for public holidays in Cyprus?
Is 2 January a holiday in Cyprus?
Who can help with the rest of the year
The calendar is free and has no strings. If a date on it starts a task, these are the four places on this site that pick it up. Two are ours, one is a partner law firm and one is a sister company; each says so.
Choosing a school in Cyprus
Public, private and international schools, fees, enrolment and catchment, written from placing three children at three stages at once.
Free permit document check
Renewals cluster around the holidays. List your Yellow Slip or MEU documents in two minutes; an optional review is by Koufettas Law, our partner law firm.
Relocation concierge
Utilities, car registration, school placement and address setup, done with you. Operated by New to Cyprus; government fees always shown separately.
A car for the long weekends
Whit Monday and Green Monday are three-day weekends. Rentals in Cyprus, our sister company, publishes its prices openly; our car-rental guide explains the deposit and excess rules first.
Sources
- Central Bank of Cyprus, Bank Holidays 2026 (circular, 14 August 2025) (verified 20 Sep 2026)
- Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Public Holidays 2026-2027 (verified 20 Sep 2026)
- Deputy Ministry of Tourism, working hours and holidays, movable-holidays table 2023-2027 (verified 20 Sep 2026)
- Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, circular ypp20307: school year 2026-2027, secondary (verified 20 Sep 2026)
- Directorate of Primary Education, school holidays 2026-2027 (verified 20 Sep 2026)
- gov.cy, Ministry of Education announcement on the start of lessons 2026-2027 (21 August 2026) (verified 20 Sep 2026)
- Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Employment Guide (Shops Law closures, section 5.2) (verified 20 Sep 2026)
- Department of Labour Relations, working time and official holidays (verified 20 Sep 2026)
Republic of Cyprus only. Dates are verified against the sources listed on 20 September 2026 and refreshed when a new circular is published; the 2027 public-service list is expected in August 2027. Employment entitlements depend on your contract; this is general information, not legal advice.
Wall calendar · A4 · 2 pages
Page 1 is the whole of 2026 as twelve month grids with every holiday and school break marked, plus the holiday table with who actually closes. Page 2 is the 2026-27 school year, the 2027 preview and the rules newcomers get wrong. No email needed; the PDF is free and public.
PDF · 2 pages · A4 · free