Brazil Publishes 2026 Federal Holiday Calendar With 10 Holidays and 9 Optional Leave Days

Overview

• The Ministry of Management and Innovation published the 2026 schedule in the Diário Oficial, listing 10 national holidays and nine pontos facultativos for federal administration.
• Leaders must ensure essential public services remain available, and federal bodies are barred from anticipating or postponing optional leave or adopting local pontos outside specific exceptions.
• The norm allows observance of a state’s data magna and a municipality’s centenary dates, permits up to four municipal religious holidays (including Good Friday), and details compensation for approved religious observance days.
• Carnival on February 16–17 is designated as optional leave and Ash Wednesday on February 18 is optional leave until 14:00, and these designations do not automatically bind private employers.
• Nine of the ten national holidays fall on weekdays, and regional calendars already issued by the Federal District and states such as Bahia and Rio de Janeiro expand local long‑weekend possibilities under the federal framework.