Timor-Leste Public Holidays 2026–2027 & Festivals

Timor-Leste has 18 national public holidays a year: 14 on fixed dates (such as 20 May, Restoration of Independence Day, and 28 November, Proclamation of Independence Day) and 4 that move (Good Friday, Corpus Christi, Idul Fitri and Idul Adha). They are set by Law No. 10/2005, last amended in 2023, when 3 November, National Women’s Day, became a public holiday. Government offices, banks and schools close on these days, and November and December are especially busy, with eight holidays between them.

Quick answers

Question	Answer
How many public holidays?	18: 14 fixed-date and 4 movable
Which law sets them?	Law No. 10/2005, amended by Law No. 3/2016 and Law No. 10/2023
Newest holiday	3 November, National Women’s Day (added in 2023)
Biggest national days	20 May (Restoration of Independence) and 28 November (Proclamation of Independence)
Busiest holiday months	November (5 holidays) and December (4 holidays)
Who sets the movable dates?	The government, each year, by official order
Do holidays apply to private businesses?	Yes, the law covers both public and private sector work
What closes?	Government offices, banks, schools and many businesses

The legal framework

Public holidays are set by Law No. 10/2005 of 10 August on national holidays and official commemorative dates. The law applies to all work in the public and private sectors. Workers get the day off with full pay, and anyone who has to work on a holiday is entitled to compensation. Shift workers and staff who keep essential public services running are exempt.

The list has been amended twice:

Law No. 3/2016 of 25 May added 3 March (Veterans’ Day), renamed 7 December as Memorial Day and moved National Heroes Day to 31 December, in memory of resistance leader Nicolau Lobato, who was killed in combat on that date in 1978.
Law No. 10/2023 of 5 April made 3 November, National Women’s Day, a public holiday. The date marks the death of national heroine Maria Tapó. The same law added 4 July, Day of Persons with Disabilities, as an official commemorative date.

As of the most recent government orders in 2026, the law is still cited as amended by these two laws only.

Fixed-date public holidays

Date	Holiday	What it commemorates	2026	2027
1 January	New Year’s Day	Start of the year	Thu	Fri
3 March	Veterans’ Day	The 1981 national conference at Laline, which reorganised the resistance forces	Tue	Wed
1 May	World Labour Day	Workers	Fri	Sat
20 May	Restoration of Independence Day	Independence restored on 20 May 2002	Wed	Thu
30 August	Popular Consultation Day	The 1999 UN-run referendum in which Timorese voted for independence	Sun	Mon
1 November	All Saints’ Day	Catholic feast	Sun	Mon
2 November	All Souls’ Day	Catholic day of the dead; families visit cemeteries	Mon	Tue
3 November	National Women’s Day	The role of women and heroine Maria Tapó	Tue	Wed
12 November	National Youth Day	Anniversary of the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre in Dili	Thu	Fri
28 November	Proclamation of Independence Day	Independence proclaimed on 28 November 1975	Sat	Sun
7 December	Memorial Day	Those who resisted the Indonesian invasion of 7 December 1975	Mon	Tue
8 December	Immaculate Conception	Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of Timor-Leste	Tue	Wed
25 December	Christmas Day	Christian feast	Fri	Sat
31 December	National Heroes Day	National heroes, including Nicolau Lobato (killed 31 December 1978)	Thu	Fri

The law has no rule for moving a holiday that falls on a weekend. Instead, the government sometimes grants public servants an extra day off (tolerância de ponto) next to an important holiday: for example, the afternoon of Holy Thursday and Easter Monday in 2026, and Monday 19 May in 2025. These extra days apply only to government staff, but they can still affect public services. For the history behind these dates, see our Timor-Leste history timeline.

Movable public holidays in 2026 and 2027

The law says the government fixes the exact dates of the four movable holidays each year. For Idul Fitri and Idul Adha, the government follows the dates indicated by the Islamic community, which depend on the sighting of the moon, so the final date can change by a day.

Holiday	2026	2027 (expected)
Idul Fitri (end of Ramadan)	Friday 20 March	Around 9–10 March; check the official notice
Good Friday	Friday 3 April	Friday 26 March
Idul Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)	Wednesday 27 May	Around 16–17 May; check the official notice
Corpus Christi	Thursday 4 June	Thursday 27 May

The 2026 dates are those listed by the Singapore Embassy in Dili, and the government’s own Easter order confirms Good Friday on 3 April 2026. Good Friday and Corpus Christi follow the Easter calendar, so the 2027 dates are fixed. The 2027 Islamic dates are estimates until the government publishes its notice.

Commemorative days (not public holidays)

These official dates are marked with events, but they are not days off. The government can still give public servants time off on them.

Date	Commemorative day
1 June	International Children’s Day
4 July	Day of Persons with Disabilities
20 August	FALINTIL Day (armed forces of the resistance)
10 December	International Human Rights Day
Varies	Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday and Ascension Day

Holy Week is one of the biggest religious events of the year in this mostly Catholic country, with processions and church services across the country.

What is closed on public holidays

Government offices close, including immigration and other public services. If you need a visa extension or other paperwork, avoid the days around a holiday.
Banks close. Get cash before long weekends and the November and December holiday clusters. See money and currency.
Schools close.
Shops and restaurants: many stay open, particularly in Dili, but opening hours are shorter and some close completely, as on Sundays.
Essential services such as hospitals, police and emergency lines keep working. Keep the emergency numbers to hand.

How holidays affect travel

Ferries: APORTIL sailings can be moved or cancelled on public holidays, and the Atauro ferry is busier because Dili residents head to the island. Confirm with the port authority APORTIL before you go, and see the Dili to Atauro ferry guide.
Accommodation: guesthouses on Atauro and in popular spots fill up on long weekends. Book ahead on our accommodation pages.
Flights: international flights follow their own schedules. Check with your airline.
Big national days: on 20 May and 28 November, official ceremonies take place in Dili, so expect crowds and traffic around the venues.

Holidays also overlap with the seasons. Most of the November and December holidays fall as the rains return, so check Timor-Leste weather by month when you plan.

Festivals and events for travellers

Only events confirmed by official sources are listed. Dates change from year to year, so check before you book.

Event	When	Where	Notes
Holy Week and Senhor Morto	Easter week (3 April in 2026)	Nationwide; Senhor Morto in Pante Macassar	The official tourism site lists the Good Friday Senhor Morto celebration in Oecusse
Restoration of Independence Day	20 May	Dili and nationwide	Official ceremonies and celebrations
Tasifest Music & Cultural Festival	29 May in 2026	Tasitolu, Dili	Music and culture festival listed by the official tourism site
Dili International Marathon	August (8 August in 2026)	Dili	Organised by the Presidency of the Republic and the government
Immaculate Conception	8 December	Dili	Masses at the cathedral for the country’s patroness
Harvest ceremonies	March (2026 dates)	Kamanasa (Covalima), Lore (Lautém)	The Sau Batar corn harvest and Meci ceremonies, listed by the official tourism site

Tour de Timor: the mountain-bike race has not run regularly in recent years. In November 2025 the President asked for it to be revived in August 2026, but no confirmed race dates had been published as of October 2026. Check with the organisers.