Public Holidays in New Zealand in 2026
Complete list of official public holidays and observances
Managing staff leave around these holidays?
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Official Public Holidays
13 holidays in New Zealand for 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day | Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|
|
New Year's Day
New Year’s Day is a public holiday in New Zealand on January 1 each year.
|
January 01 | Thursday | Nationwide |
|
Day after New Year's Day
January 2 is a public holiday known as the Day after New Year’s Day in New Zealand
|
January 02 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Waitangi Day
On February 6 every year, New Zealanders celebrate Waitangi Day, a national holiday to commemorat...
|
February 06 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Good Friday
Good Friday is two days before Easter Sunday and is a public holiday in New Zealand.
|
April 03 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is a public holiday in New Zealand.
|
April 06 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day commemorates Australians and New Zealanders fighting in World War I.
|
April 25 | Saturday | Nationwide |
|
Day off for ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day commemorates Australians and New Zealanders fighting in World War I.
|
April 27 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
King's Birthday
The King’s birthday is an annual public holiday in New Zealand on the first Monday of June.
|
June 01 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
Matariki
Matariki is a national holiday in New Zealand
|
July 10 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Labour Day
Labour Day is a nationwide public holiday in New Zealand on the fourth Monday in October each year.
|
October 26 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
Christmas Day
Christmas Day is a public holiday in New Zealand on December 25 each year.
|
December 25 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Boxing Day
Boxing Day, annually observed on December 26, is a public holiday in New Zealand.
|
December 26 | Saturday | Nationwide |
|
Day off for Boxing Day
Boxing Day, annually observed on December 26, is a public holiday in New Zealand.
|
December 28 | Monday | Nationwide |
Legal Notice: This information is for guidance only and should not be considered legal advice. Always validate with local authorities or legal practitioners in New Zealand.
Why HR Teams Choose Leavetrack
Everything you need for seamless leave management
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Automatic Public Holiday Import
- All public holidays for New Zealand and 180+ other countries automatically loaded. No manual data entry required.
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Save 5+ Hours Per Week
- Eliminate manual leave calculations and reduce administrative overhead by up to 80%.
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Compliance Made Easy
- Built-in compliance tracking ensures you meet local employment laws and holiday entitlements.
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Team Visibility
- Everyone sees who's off when, preventing scheduling conflicts and ensuring adequate coverage.
Trusted by HR teams worldwide
"With a team of over 50 employees, keeping track of absences and holidays using a paper based system used to be time consuming and prone to errors. Since introducing Leavetrack, the whole process has become a lot simpler and easier."
How It Works
Simple, powerful leave management in four steps
Employees Request Leave
Simple, intuitive interface lets employees request time off in seconds. Public holidays are automatically excluded from calculations.
- Book leave in under 30 seconds
- See available leave balance instantly
- Mobile-friendly for on-the-go requests
Managers Approve Instantly
Managers see all request details including conflicts with public holidays and other team members' leave.
- Approve/reject directly from email
- See team coverage at a glance
- Complete audit trail of decisions
Plan Team Coverage
Beautiful visual calendar shows exactly who's off when, including public holidays, so you can plan optimal team coverage.
- Color-coded wall chart
- Filter by department or team
- Spot conflicts before they happen
Generate Reports
Comprehensive reporting gives you insights into leave patterns, costs, and compliance - all exportable to Excel.
- Full audit trail of all leave
- Export to CSV for further analysis
- Track entitlements and accruals
Ready to streamline your leave management?
Join hundreds of HR teams who've eliminated spreadsheet chaos and saved hours every week with Leavetrack.
About Public Holidays in New Zealand
Public holidays in New Zealand are designated days when employees are entitled to take a day off work with pay. These holidays are established by the Holidays Act 2003 and include significant dates such as New Year's Day, Waitangi Day, and Christmas Day. In total, New Zealand observes 11 public holidays each year, and if a public holiday falls on a weekend, it is typically observed on the following Monday. Understanding public holidays is crucial for effective absence management and staff leave planning, ensuring that businesses can maintain productivity while respecting employees' rights to time off. For more detailed information on public holidays in New Zealand, you can visit the official government website: Employment New Zealand - Public Holidays.