Public Holidays

Discover upcoming public holiday dates for Democratic Republic of the Congo and start planning to make the most of your time off.

2026 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Thu	New Year's Day
4 Jan	Sun	Martyrs' Day
16 Jan	Fri	Heroes' Day (Laurent Kabila)
17 Jan	Sat	Heroes' Day (Patrice Lumumba)
6 Apr	Mon	Kimbangu Day
1 May	Fri	Labour Day
17 May	Sun	Liberation Day
30 Jun	Tue	Independence Day
1 Aug	Sat	Parents' Day
25 Dec	Fri	Christmas Day

2027 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Fri	New Year's Day
4 Jan	Mon	Martyrs' Day
16 Jan	Sat	Heroes' Day (Laurent Kabila)
17 Jan	Sun	Heroes' Day (Patrice Lumumba)
6 Apr	Tue	Kimbangu Day
1 May	Sat	Labour Day
17 May	Mon	Liberation Day
30 Jun	Wed	Independence Day
31 Jul	Sat	Parents' Day Holiday
1 Aug	Sun	Parents' Day
25 Dec	Sat	Christmas Day

2028 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Sat	New Year's Day
4 Jan	Tue	Martyrs' Day
16 Jan	Sun	Heroes' Day (Laurent Kabila)
17 Jan	Mon	Heroes' Day (Patrice Lumumba)
6 Apr	Thu	Kimbangu Day
1 May	Mon	Labour Day
17 May	Wed	Liberation Day
30 Jun	Fri	Independence Day
1 Aug	Tue	Parents' Day
25 Dec	Mon	Christmas Day

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) has eight national holidays each year. Some of these holidays are two and three day celebrations. The length of the holiday celebration is announced by the Ministry of Labor at the end of each year for the following year.

Officially, the holidays in D.R.C. are regulated by Ordinance 71-236 officiated on December 31, 1972. However, this Ordinance has been changed several times over the last few decades. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has undergone many regime changes, including a change in name (previously Zaire) since this official document was released. The current government releases the information for public holidays through their Ministry of Labor. It is published in the Official Journal.

Employers, at this time, are required to pay holiday pay on nationally recognised holidays and provide a day off. However, it should be noted that this is for only one day of any multi-day celebration. Employers are cautioned i n this area that new or one-time holidays do occur in this area often and usually with only a day or two of notice. Employers must acknowledge national holidays, even when they are given on such short notice. These notices are always made by the Ministry of Labor.