Under the Law on State and Other Holidays in the Republic of Serbia, New Year’s Day, as a public holiday, is celebrated as a non-working holiday on 1 and 2 January. The first day of Christmas (7 January) is also a non-working day as a religious holiday.

On state and religious holidays celebrated in the Republic of Serbia, state and other authorities, companies, and other entities performing business activities or services do not operate, except on Victory Day, which is observed as a working day.

Companies and entrepreneurs whose business activities require uninterrupted operation may work on state and religious holidays. In such cases, as employers, they are required to provide their employees with increased remuneration for work on a public holiday, amounting to 110%.

Since 3 and 4 January 2026 fall on a weekend, for most businesses the first working day in 2026 will be 5 January.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia has issued a recommendation that employers allow employees not to work on Christmas Eve (24 December for Catholic Christians and 6 January for Orthodox Christians). This is a non-binding recommendation—employers may choose whether or not to adopt it.

Employers who adopt the recommendation may:

1. allow employees not to work on the mentioned days; or

2. pay increased remuneration to employees who must remain at work due to operational requirements, in line with pay for work on a state or religious holiday.

We also remind that employees of the Orthodox Christian faith are entitled to take leave on the first day of their family patron saint’s day (Slava), while employees of the Catholic faith are entitled to take leave on the first day of Christmas according to their calendar (25 December).