Dominican Republic Public Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for Dominican Republic and start planning to make the most of your time off.
National holidays are governed under the Labor Code, Law 16-92, confirmed in 1999. This is an update to the law that was first established in 1954.
Law 16-92 establishes all 12 national holidays and gives the government of the Dominican Republic the authority to create one-time national holidays based on need. Currently, the government has issued two one-time holidays during election years to allow the population better access to voting.
Under the Labor Code, employees are guaranteed a non-working day on all national holidays. However, if the employee is paid for the national holiday is based on their individual working contracts. Employers are not required to provide pay for non-working holidays unless they offer it as part of their benefit packages.
Law 139-37 of the Labor Code, established in June of 1997, states that any holiday that is not religious or patriotic in nature can be moved to the following Monday for celebration. Only two holidays in the Dominican Republic fall under this category.
While they are not recognised as national holidays, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are often celebrated in the Dominican Republic. Most businesses close at noon on these days are remain closed through the next day for the holiday.