Public holidays Morocco 2026: 15 dates and payroll rules

Public holidays Morocco 2026 number 15: 11 national holidays on fixed dates, including the new Unity Day on 31 October, and 4 religious holidays set by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs on the Hijri calendar: Eid al-Fitr on Friday 20 March, Eid al-Adha on Wednesday 27 May, 1 Muharram on Wednesday 17 June and Eid al-Mawlid on Tuesday 25 August 2026. In the civil service, both Eids and the Mawlid last two days, making 18 days off. Two holidays remain this year: Green March Day on Friday 6 November and Independence Day on Wednesday 18 November. Below is the full calendar, then the payroll rules: paid day off, working on a holiday, making up lost hours. Updated 4 November 2026.

In brief

• 15 holidays in 2026: 11 national and 4 religious.
• New in 2026: Unity Day (Aid al-Wahda) on 31 October, decreed on 4 November 2025.
• All 2026 religious dates were confirmed by the Ministry of Habous after the crescent moon sighting.
• A public holiday is a day off; monthly pay is not reduced (article 221 of the Labour Code).
• Working on a holiday entitles the employee, on top of the day’s pay, to an allowance equal to that pay (articles 224 and 226).
• No replacement day applies when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday.

Public holidays Morocco 2026 calendar

Two exceptional days off were also granted to central and local government: Monday 23 March (after Eid al-Fitr) and Friday 29 May (after Eid al-Adha). Banks also closed. They were not statutory holidays for private companies: the CGEM (the employers’ confederation) only recommended granting 29 May.

Public holidays Morocco 2026: the 11 national holidays

National holidays fall on the same date every year. Two were added recently:

• 14 January, Amazigh New Year: a paid holiday since 2024, in the public and private sectors, following decrees adopted by the Government Council on 23 November 2023.
• 31 October, Unity Day: declared a national holiday by the King on 4 November 2025, after the UN Security Council resolution on the Sahara. Implementing decrees adopted in January 2026 add it to the public and private lists. First edition on Saturday 31 October 2026.

1 January in the private sector

Decree n° 2-04-426 of 29 December 2004, which sets paid holidays in private companies, lists 11 January, 1 May, 30 July, 14 August, 20 and 21 August, 6 November, 18 November and the four religious holidays. 1 January does not appear, although it is a day off in the civil service. In practice, most companies give it as a paid day off; check your collective agreement, internal rules or established practice.

Religious public holidays Morocco 2026

Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, 1 Muharram and Eid al-Mawlid follow the Hijri calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Their date depends on the sighting of the crescent moon, announced the evening before by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. Astronomical forecasts can be a day out: for Eid al-Fitr 2026 they predicted Saturday 21 March, and the ministry set Friday 20 March.

Forecast dates for 2027

For planning, astronomical estimates for 2027, subject to the official announcement, are: Eid al-Fitr around Wednesday 10 March, Eid al-Adha around Monday 17 May (sometimes Sunday 16), 1 Muharram 1449 around Sunday 6 June and Eid al-Mawlid around Saturday 14 or Sunday 15 August. Only the Ministry of Habous announcement is binding.

One day or two for the Eids?

In the civil service, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Mawlid last two days. In the private sector, the 2004 decree names each holiday without stating a number of days, and readings differ: some lawyers consider only the feast day mandatory, others two days. Many companies grant the second day by agreement or practice. Write your rule into your internal regulations to avoid disputes.

Holiday pay: the Labour Code rules

The Labour Code (law 65-99) covers public holidays in articles 217 to 229.

• Mandatory rest (article 217): the employer may not have staff work on paid feast days and public holidays.
• Pay maintained (article 221): a monthly, fortnightly or weekly salary is not reduced because of a holiday off.
• Eligibility (article 219): the employee is entitled to the paid feast day if he worked just before it or for 13 days in the preceding month.
• Piece-rate workers (article 220): the allowance equals 1/26 of pay for the 26 working days before the holiday.
• Rotating rest (article 222): if the holiday falls on the employee’s rest day, the employer pays an allowance for that day.
• Continuous operations (articles 223 and 224): hotels, cafés, restaurants, food retail and continuous sites may operate; employees receive, on top of pay for the work done, an allowance equal to that pay.
• Compensatory rest (article 225): by agreement, this allowance may be replaced by a paid day off.
• Prohibited work (article 226): an employer who has staff work outside these cases must also pay an allowance equal to 100% of the day’s pay.
• Make-up hours (articles 227 and 228): lost hours may be made up within 30 days, up to 10 hours a day, after consulting delegates and informing the labour inspectorate in writing. They are paid at the normal rate.
• Penalty (article 230): a fine of 300 to 500 DH per employee concerned, capped at 20,000 DH.

A week containing a holiday is an incomplete week: hours worked outside the usual schedule become overtime (article 200). See our guide to overtime pay in Morocco.

Worked examples

As an illustration, take a hotel receptionist paid 7,640 DH gross a month, or 40 DH an hour on 191 hours. He works 8 hours on Wednesday 18 November 2026. His monthly salary stays at 7,640 DH and he receives an extra allowance of 8 × 40 = 320 DH, or a paid day off if agreed with the employer. Another case: a piece-rate worker who earned 6,760 DH over the 26 working days before the holiday receives 6,760 / 26 = 260 DH for the holiday off. The gross-to-net step is covered in our net salary calculation for Morocco.

Holidays falling on a weekend in 2026

In 2026, 11 January fell on a Sunday, the second day of Eid al-Fitr on a Saturday and Unity Day on a Saturday. The Code provides no replacement day: an employee whose rest day coincides gains no extra day off, unless on rotating rest (article 222).

Preparing payroll around public holidays Morocco 2026

Holidays change the count of paid days, overtime and leave: a holiday falling within annual leave extends the leave by one day (article 235). Counting rules are in our leave management Morocco guide, and payslip treatment in our Morocco payslip guide. Socium’s payroll software for Morocco includes the holiday calendar, applies the article 224 and 226 allowance to hours clocked on a holiday and updates religious holidays as soon as they are announced. For all employer obligations, see our payroll Morocco guide and our explainer on the Morocco labour code, or test your figures with the payroll simulators. The official statement on Unity Day is published on the national portal maroc.ma.

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays Morocco 2026 are there?

15 holidays: 11 national and 4 religious. In the civil service, that means 18 days off, because both Eids and the Mawlid last two days.

When was Eid al-Adha 2026 in Morocco?

Wednesday 27 May 2026, plus Thursday 28 May in the civil service, as announced by the Ministry of Habous on 17 May.

Is 31 October a public holiday in Morocco?

Yes, since 2026: it is Unity Day (Aid al-Wahda), a paid day off in both public and private sectors.

What are the next public holidays Morocco 2026?

Green March Day on Friday 6 November and Independence Day on Wednesday 18 November.

Is a worked public holiday paid double in Morocco?

Yes: the employee receives the day’s pay plus an equal allowance, or a paid compensatory day off if agreed with the employer.

Can the employer deduct a holiday from pay?

Not from a monthly salary: article 221 prohibits any reduction because of a holiday off.

Are public holidays Morocco 2026 that fell on a Sunday made up?

No. No text provides a replacement day, except an allowance for employees on rotating rest.

Are religious holiday dates final?

For 2026, yes: all were announced by the Ministry of Habous. For 2027, dates remain forecasts until the crescent is sighted.

Key takeaways

• Public holidays Morocco 2026: 15 holidays, including the new Unity Day on 31 October.
• 2026 religious holidays: 20 March, 27 May, 17 June and 25 August, per the Ministry of Habous.
• Holiday off: monthly pay maintained.
• Holiday worked: the day’s pay plus an equal allowance, or paid compensatory rest.
• No replacement day for a holiday falling on a weekend.

To apply the calendar and holiday allowances across your payroll automatically, book a Socium demo.