Public holidays in Kazakhstan, 2026
Kazakhstan observes 13 nationwide public holidays in 2026. After weekends and those holidays are removed, the working year comes to 254 days.
Every public holiday in 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, 1 Jan | Thursday | New Year's Day Жаңа жыл |
Nationwide |
| Fri, 2 Jan | Friday | New Year's Day Жаңа жыл |
Nationwide |
| Sun, 8 Mar | Sunday Weekend | International Women's Day Халықаралық әйелдер күні |
Nationwide |
| Sat, 21 Mar | Saturday Weekend | Nauryz Meyramy Наурыз мейрамы |
Nationwide |
| Sun, 22 Mar | Sunday Weekend | Nauryz Meyramy Наурыз мейрамы |
Nationwide |
| Mon, 23 Mar | Monday | Nauryz Meyramy Наурыз мейрамы |
Nationwide |
| Fri, 1 May | Friday | Kazakhstan People's Unity Day Қазақстан халқының |
Nationwide |
| Thu, 7 May | Thursday | Defender of the Fatherland Day Отан Қорғаушы күні |
Nationwide |
| Sat, 9 May | Saturday Weekend | Great Patriotic War Against Fascism Victory Day Жеңіс күні |
Nationwide |
| Mon, 6 Jul | Monday | Capital City Day Астана күні |
Nationwide |
| Sun, 30 Aug | Sunday Weekend | Constitution Day Конституция күні |
Nationwide |
| Sun, 25 Oct | Sunday Weekend | Republic Day Республика күні |
Nationwide |
| Wed, 16 Dec | Wednesday | Independence Day Тәуелсіздік күні |
Nationwide |
Working days month by month
| Month | Calendar days | Weekend | Holidays | Working days | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 9 | 2 | 20 | 160 |
| February | 28 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 160 |
| March | 31 | 9 | 1 | 21 | 168 |
| April | 30 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 176 |
| May | 31 | 10 | 2 | 19 | 152 |
| June | 30 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 176 |
| July | 31 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 176 |
| August | 31 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 168 |
| September | 30 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 176 |
| October | 31 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 176 |
| November | 30 | 9 | 0 | 21 | 168 |
| December | 31 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 176 |
| Year | 365 | 104 | 7 | 254 | 2,032 |
Reading these figures
The working day count treats Saturday and Sunday as the weekend, which is the standard working week in Kazakhstan. Only nationwide holidays are deducted; a date observed in one region alone still counts as a working day here, because a national figure that moved with regional calendars would describe nobody accurately.
6 of this year's public holidays fall on a weekend and therefore add no time away from work: International Women's Day (8 Mar), Nauryz Meyramy (21 Mar), Nauryz Meyramy (22 Mar), Great Patriotic War Against Fascism Victory Day (9 May), Constitution Day (30 Aug), Republic Day (25 Oct). Whether these are compensated with a substitute day depends on national rules rather than on the calendar, so confirm before planning around them.
The longest working month is April at 22 days; the shortest is May at 19. That spread of 3 days matters for anything billed or accrued monthly, which is why payroll and capacity plans that assume an even year drift by the end of it. The thinnest quarter is Q1, carrying 61 working days across January, February, March.
Compared with 2025, which held 254 working days, 2026 is identical in length.
Against the 204 countries covered here for 2026, Kazakhstan's 13 nationwide holidays put it above the median of 12, around the 64th percentile. The range across all countries this year runs from 3 to 49.
The holidays produce 4 breaks of three consecutive non-working days or more. The longest runs 4 days, from 1 January 2026 to 4 January 2026, built around New Year's Day. A further 1 working day is stranded between a holiday and a weekend, where one day of leave buys a break of four days or more. The full breakdown is here.
3 of this year's holidays sit on a different calendar date than in 2025: New Year's Day, Nauryz Meyramy, Nauryz Meyramy. Dates that move cannot be carried forward from last year's planning spreadsheet, which is the most common way a holiday is missed.