Article 139 lists 17 non-working days, four of which move with Orthodox Easter: Good Friday, Easter Monday and the two days of Rusalii.
Good Friday on 30 April, Labour Day on 1 May and Easter on 2 and 3 May 2027 make one long weekend from Friday to Monday.
Order 3194/2026 lets each county pick a week between 15 February and 7 March 2027. Bucharest chose 22 to 27 February.
Public holidays in Romania: the short answer
Romania has 17 public holidays on which employees do not work, listed in Article 139 of the Labour Code. Most are fixed dates. Four move every year with Orthodox Easter: Good Friday, Easter Monday and the two days of Pentecost (Rusalii). In 2027, Orthodox Easter falls on 2 May, so Good Friday, 1 May and Easter Monday make one long weekend from 30 April to 3 May.
On a public holiday, public offices, the land register, tax offices and most notaries are closed, and banks treat it as a non-banking day. Shops, restaurants, pharmacies and hospitals may stay open, because the law allows work where the activity cannot stop, with time off or extra pay for the staff. School holidays are set separately, by an order of the Minister of Education: for 2026/27, Order 3194/2026.
In plain words: put the 17 holidays and the school holidays in one calendar, and never plan a signing, a bank transfer or a document deadline on the days around them.
The history behind the holidays and their effect on a property deal are in our article on faith, holidays and business in Romania. This article is the practical calendar for people who live here.
The 17 holidays: what Article 139 says
The Labour Code, in its consolidated form, lists these days:
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year | 1 and 2 January |
| Epiphany (Boboteaza) | 6 January |
| Saint John the Baptist (Sfântul Ion) | 7 January |
| Union of the Romanian Principalities | 24 January |
| Good Friday | the last Friday before Easter |
| Easter | first and second day |
| Labour Day | 1 May |
| Children's Day | 1 June |
| Pentecost (Rusalii) | first and second day |
| Dormition of the Mother of God | 15 August |
| Saint Andrew, protector of Romania | 30 November |
| National Day | 1 December |
| Christmas | first and second day (25 and 26 December) |
Three more rules in Article 139:
- Other Christian faiths. For employees who belong to a recognised Christian denomination, Good Friday, Easter and Pentecost are given on the dates their own church celebrates them (Art. 139(2^1)).
- Non-Christian faiths. Members of recognised non-Christian faiths get two days off for each of three annual religious holidays declared by their faith, on days other than the public holidays (Art. 139(1) and (3)).
- Bridge days for the public sector. By 15 January each year, the government may decide that working days next to a holiday are days off for public-sector staff, to be made up later (Art. 139(4)). A public office can therefore be closed on a day that is not on the list. Check the decision each January.
The calendar: what is left of 2026, and 2027
Orthodox Easter was on 12 April 2026 and falls on 2 May 2027. The weekdays below are calculated from the dates in the law.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 30 November 2026 | Monday | Saint Andrew |
| 1 December 2026 | Tuesday | National Day |
| 25 and 26 December 2026 | Friday and Saturday | Christmas |
| 1 and 2 January 2027 | Friday and Saturday | New Year |
| 6 and 7 January 2027 | Wednesday and Thursday | Epiphany and Saint John |
| 24 January 2027 | Sunday | Union Day |
| 30 April 2027 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 1 May 2027 | Saturday | Labour Day |
| 2 and 3 May 2027 | Sunday and Monday | Easter |
| 1 June 2027 | Tuesday | Children's Day |
| 20 and 21 June 2027 | Sunday and Monday | Pentecost |
| 15 August 2027 | Sunday | Dormition |
| 30 November and 1 December 2027 | Tuesday and Wednesday | Saint Andrew and National Day |
| 25 and 26 December 2027 | Saturday and Sunday | Christmas |
The long stretches to plan around: 28 November to 1 December 2026, 25 December 2026 to 7 January 2027, and 30 April to 3 May 2027.
The school year 2026/27
The structure of the school year was set by Order 3194/2026 of the Minister of Education, published in Monitorul Oficial no. 126. Classes run from 7 September 2026 to 18 June 2027, in five modules:
Never plan a signing, a transfer or a deadline on the days around a holiday.
| Period | Dates |
|---|---|
| Module 1 | 7 September to 23 October 2026 |
| Autumn holiday | 24 October to 1 November 2026 |
| Module 2 | 2 November to 22 December 2026 |
| Winter holiday | 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027 |
| Module 3 | 11 January to February 2027 (end date set by each county) |
| February holiday ("mobile week") | one week between 15 February and 7 March 2027, set by each county |
| Module 4 | from the end of the February holiday to 23 April 2027 |
| Spring holiday | 24 April to 4 May 2027 |
| Module 5 | 5 May to 18 June 2027 |
| Summer holiday | 19 June to 5 September 2027 |
For Bucharest and Ilfov: the Bucharest School Inspectorate set the February holiday for 22 to 27 February 2027, as Edupedu reported. A national list published by Euronews România puts Ilfov in the same week, 22 to 28 February 2027. Confirm with your child's school.
Final-year pupils finish earlier: 11 June 2027 for the 8th grade and 4 June 2027 for the 12th grade. Public holidays that fall in term time, such as 30 November, 1 December and 1 June, are also days without classes. Private and international schools set their own calendars; see our guide to kindergartens and schools in north Bucharest.
What closes, and what stays open
| Service | On a public holiday |
|---|---|
| Town hall, tax office, land register, trade register | Closed |
| Notaries | Most offices closed; the public registries they rely on are closed anyway |
| Banks | Non-banking day: branches closed, interbank transfers in lei wait for the next banking day, and the BNR publishes no reference exchange rate |
| Shops and supermarkets | The law allows them to open; hours often change around Christmas, New Year and Easter, so check each store |
| Pharmacies and hospitals | Emergency departments work; pharmacies on duty stay open |
| Public transport | Runs, often on a holiday timetable; check the operator |
| Schools and kindergartens | Closed |
Under Articles 140 and 141 of the Labour Code, the holiday rule does not apply where the activity cannot be interrupted, and health units and food retail have special schedules. Employees who work on a holiday get equivalent time off within the next 30 days or, if that is not possible, a bonus of at least 100% of their base pay for that work (Art. 142).
That last rule also applies if you employ someone at home. Our article on household staff in Romania covers the contract.
Notaries, banks and deadlines
Three practical consequences:
- Documents that count working days get longer. The land register extract a notary orders before a signing is valid for 10 working days (Law 7/1996). Around Christmas or Easter, 10 working days can be three weeks. Our guide to the land register extract explains it.
- Deadlines that end on a holiday move. Under Article 2554 of the Civil Code, if the last day of a term is a non-working day, the term ends at the end of the next working day. But a contract can count calendar days, and holidays inside the period still count. Read the clause.
- Money takes longer. A transfer started on the day before a holiday may arrive after it. If a payment has a fixed date, send it a few banking days early and ask your bank about its holiday schedule.
A checklist for the year
- Put the 17 holidays and the school holidays into one shared family calendar.
- In January, check whether the government has set bridge days for the public sector.
- Before booking a notary, a bank appointment or a town hall visit, check that the days before and after are working days.
- For payments with a deadline, send them at least three banking days early around long weekends.
- Ask your child's school for its exact February holiday and any school-specific days off.
- If you employ household staff, agree in writing how holidays are compensated.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Romania have?
Seventeen non-working days under Article 139 of the Labour Code, counting each day of the two-day holidays. Members of recognised non-Christian faiths also get two days off for each of three religious holidays of their faith.
When is Orthodox Easter in 2027?
On 2 May 2027. Good Friday is 30 April and Easter Monday 3 May, so with 1 May the holiday runs from Friday to Monday.
When are the school holidays in Bucharest in 2026/27?
Autumn holiday 24 October to 1 November 2026, winter holiday 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, February holiday 22 to 27 February 2027 in Bucharest, spring holiday 24 April to 4 May 2027, and summer holiday from 19 June 2027.
Are banks open on public holidays in Romania?
No. Public holidays are non-banking days: branches are closed, interbank transfers in lei are settled on the next banking day, and the National Bank does not publish an exchange rate.
Do shops close on public holidays?
Not necessarily. The Labour Code allows work where the activity cannot be interrupted and in food retail, with time off or extra pay for staff. Opening hours often change around Christmas, New Year and Easter, so check the store.
The bottom line
Romania stops 17 days a year, and the school year adds five holidays of its own. Most of the friction for a resident comes not from the holiday itself but from the days around it: registries that close, extracts that count working days, transfers that wait. One calendar on the fridge solves most of it.
If you are planning a purchase or a move to Romania and want a timeline that does not collide with a holiday, book a 30-minute call with me. If you are transferring money for it, read our guide to transferring money to Romania first.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: Labour Code (Law 53/2003, republished), consolidated form, Art. 139–143 (legislatie.just.ro) · Edupedu: Order 3194/2026 on the structure of the 2026/27 school year, Monitorul Oficial no. 126 · Edupedu: ISMB sets the February 2027 holiday for Bucharest · Euronews România: 2026/27 holidays by county · Civil Code, Art. 2554 (notari.pro) · Law 7/1996 on cadastre and land registration
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Dates are correct as of 22 October 2026; bridge days for 2027 had not been set. Check with your notary, bank and school before fixing important dates.
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This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
