What is open on public holidays in Cyprus: shops, banks and offices

In short

Who it applies to

Anyone heading to a shop, a bank or a government office on a holiday. Each has its own list of closed days: shops follow the shops law, banks the bank holidays law, offices the civil service regulations.

What it costs

A holiday costs the shopper nothing. A shop assistant who works on a holiday by consent is paid at least double by the shop.

How long it takes

An ordinary shop must close on 11 holidays. On Good Friday and Holy Saturday it opens from 5:00 to 18:00, on Christmas Eve and 31 December until 18:00. Throughout December it may open every day, Sundays included, until 20:00.

Where to apply

Bakeries, pastry shops, kiosks and shops in hotels, ports and airports may open round the clock every day, holidays included. In tourist areas during the season the hours and holidays are set by an order of the Minister of Labour.

If your case differs

Banks close on the 14 common holidays and on Easter Tuesday, government offices on the same 14 holidays and on 24 December. Pharmacies on duty work on holidays — the list for each day is on our pharmacies-on-duty page.

Your case

Deadlines and conditions

• by law an ordinary shop is closed on 11 days a year: 1, 2 and 6 January, 1 April, Easter Sunday and Monday, 1 May, Whit Monday, 15 August, 25 and 26 DecemberLaw 155(I)/2006 art. 23: 1 and 2 January, 6 January, 1 April, Easter Sunday and Monday, 1 May, Whit Monday, 15 August, 25 and 26 December.
• on 5 holidays an ordinary shop may open: Green Monday, 25 March, Good Friday, 1 and 28 OctoberThese holidays are absent from art. 23 of Law 155(I)/2006, although for shop employees they are paid holidays under art. 16 (except Good Friday).
• on Good Friday and Holy Saturday shops open from 5:00 to 18:00 — in 2026 that is 10 and 11 April, in 2027 30 April and 1 May, in 2028 14 and 15 AprilLaw 155(I)/2006 art. 20(δ)(ii); in the 10 days before Easter, apart from these two, until 20:00 every day (art. 20(δ)(i)).
• in 2027 1 May coincides with Holy Saturday — and shops are closed that dayLaw 155(I)/2006 art. 20(δ)(iii): 1 May within the ten days before Easter «θα τηρείται ως αργία».
• from 1 to 31 December a shop may open every day, Sundays included, until 20:00, and on Christmas Eve and 31 December until 18:00Law 155(I)/2006 art. 20(γ): Christmas hours from 1 to 31 December, except Christmas Eve and 31 December — those until 18:00.
• bakeries, pastry shops, kiosks, car rental and shops in hotels, ports and airports may open 24 hours a day, every dayLaw 155(I)/2006 art. 21(α).
• banks have 15 holidays: the 14 common ones plus Easter Tuesday — 14 April 2026, 4 May 2027 and 18 April 2028Law 13(I)/1996 art. 5(γ)–(ιζ); Easter Tuesday is art. 5(ι).
• government offices, citizen service centres (ΚΕΠ) and district offices included, are closed on the 14 common holidays and on 24 DecemberΚ.Δ.Π. 98/1991 reg. 41(2)(α) as amended by Κ.Δ.Π. 306/1994.
• an ordinary shop is closed on Sundays, while bakeries and kiosks may open all 7 days a weekLaw 155(I)/2006 art. 20(α)(iii) and (β)(iii) — Sunday closed; art. 21(α) — round the clock Monday to Sunday.

Sources

• The Shops Law, 155(I)/2006www.cylaw.orgArticle 20 — ordinary, Easter and Christmas hours; article 21 — shops with special hours; article 23 — the 11 days of compulsory closure.
• The Bank Holidays Law, 13(I)/1996www.cylaw.orgArticle 5 — the list of days banks are closed.
• Central Bank of Cyprus: working hours and bank holidayswww.centralbank.cyThe lists of bank holidays for 2026, 2027 and 2028.
• Civil Service Regulations amendment, Κ.Δ.Π. 306/1994www.cylaw.org24 December added to the days government offices are closed.