Working Days – Estonia
Estonia has 12 public holidays that apply uniformly throughout the country. For salaried employees, public holidays are non-working days for which regular pay is provided. Estonia does not operate a substitute day system.
Annual summary
| Other year | Working days | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 251 | |
| 2026 | 252 | |
| 2027 | 254 | |
| 2028 | 254 |
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Holiday rules and practice in Estonia
How public holidays work in Estonia, and what that means when you count working days.
- Standard work week
- Monday–Friday
- 40 hours per week
- Substitute days
- No
- A public holiday that falls on a weekend is not replaced, so it produces no extra day off.
- Regional variation
- No
- Public holidays apply uniformly across the whole country.
Bank holidays
Estonian law distinguishes riigipühad (public holidays) from the rahvuspüha, the national holiday on 24 February. Both are non-working days; there is no bank-holiday category.
Local terminology
| Working day | tööpäev |
|---|---|
| Public holiday | riigipüha |
| National holiday | rahvuspüha |
| Christmas Eve | jõululaupäev |
Worth knowing
- Under §46 of the Employment Contracts Act the working day is shortened by three hours before New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Victory Day and Christmas Eve. Those days are still working days and are counted as such here.
- Christmas Eve (24 December) is a full public holiday in Estonia, unlike in several neighbouring countries where it is only customary.
- Victory Day (23 June) and Midsummer Day (24 June) fall on consecutive dates every year, producing a dependable two-day break in June.
- There is no substitute-day system — a public holiday falling on a weekend is not replaced.
Frequently asked questions
Is an employee entitled to a coefficient or additional pay when working on a public holiday?
Estonia does not have a legally mandated system of coefficients or additional payments for work performed on public holidays. Supplementary terms may be negotiated at the contract level, but the minimum requirement is regular pay.
If a public holiday falls on a weekend, should it be marked as a substitute day?
No, Estonia does not operate a substitute day system. If a holiday falls on a weekend, the holidays remain as marked in the calendar, without modification to subsequent working days.
Are all 12 public holidays binding equally across the entire country?
Yes, Estonia does not have regional variations in public holidays. All 12 public holidays apply uniformly across the entire country and are binding for all employers and employees.
How should a public holiday falling on a weekend be handled if the company operates seven days a week?
The law does not provide for substitute days, so the employee is not required to work on weekends regardless of where the holiday falls. Specific arrangements regarding the observance of holidays must be outlined in the employment contract.
Does a part-time employee receive standard conditions for public holidays?
Yes, a part-time employee receives regular pay on public holidays according to the hours specified in their employment contract. Public holiday regulations apply equally to both full-time and part-time employees.