Bank Holidays 2026, When Are Banks Closed in India?

Indian banks shut on some national holidays, state specific holidays, all Sundays and the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. The exact number of closure days will depend on the location of the branch – for example, a bank in Mumbai and a bank in Kolkata will have some holidays, but not all.

This page provides an explanation of how Indian bank holidays are structured, and provides a list of the holidays that are generally observed throughout the country in 2026. Use the detailed resources linked throughout this page for state-specific holidays, Saturday schedules or calendar for a specific bank. 

How Bank Holidays Work in India

The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, is the act under which bank holidays are declared. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) releases a list of holidays known as Holiday Matrix by regional centres of RBI across India. Additionally, state governments can also declare further holidays for banks in their respective states.

This does not imply that all the bank holidays in India are the same. They can be divided into three groups:

All banks have been closed throughout the country. This status is given to only three holidays, namely Republic Day (26th January), Independence Day (15th August), and Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti (2nd October). Nationwide all Sundays and all 2nd/4th Saturdays are also closed.

Some of the top observed holidays are the ones where banks are closed at most of the RBI regional centres and in most states but not all. They include festivals such as Diwali, Dussehra, Christmas, Good Friday and Eid, which are widely celebrated and most bank customers will know that their branch will be closed on the particular day or festival, but not everyone will be aware of it.

State and regional holidays are only applicable in certain states and/or at certain RBI centres. These include regional festivals, state formation days, and local commemorations. A holiday in Kerala can be not a holiday in Rajasthan and vice versa.

The state-wise bank holidays page will give you that information if you need to know the bank holidays for your state. 

Bank Holidays Commonly Observed Across India in 2026

The following holidays are observed at most or all RBI regional centres. If a holiday is listed here, bank branches in most parts of India will be closed on that date. However, confirm with your state's holiday list or your bank's calendar if you need certainty for a specific location.

*Islamic holiday dates are as currently notified and may shift by one day based on actual moon sighting.

Weekend overlaps in 2026: Two holidays fall on a Saturday that would otherwise be a working day, Id-ul-Fitr (21 March, 3rd Saturday) and Independence Day (15 August, 3rd Saturday). Banks are closed on these dates for the holiday, not for the Saturday rule. Diwali (8 November) falls on a Sunday, banks are already closed for the weekly off.

This is not the complete list for every state. States like West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Bihar, and others observe additional holidays (Durga Puja, Onam, Bihu, Chhath Puja, and others) that do not appear here because they are regional. Check the state-wise bank holiday calendar for your location's full list.

The Saturday Rule, A Quick Summary

All Saturdays are not bank holidays. The following schedule applies:

• 2nd Saturday of each month: bank holiday

• 4th Saturday of each month: bank holiday

• 1st, 3rd, & 5th Saturdays: regular working day

Since 1 September 2015, the 2nd and 4th Saturdays have been declared as bank holidays by the Central Government through the Gazette Notification S.O. 2285 under the Negotiable Instruments Act, Section 25.

A working Saturday (1st, 3rd or 5th) may be a bank holiday in case an additional gazetted or state holiday falls on the same date, which occurs in case of Independence Day (15 August) and Id-ul-Fitr (21 March) in 2026.

For the full list of Saturday holidays in 2026 with a total of 24 dates, a decision flow to check if any particular Saturday is a bank holiday, and also a list of all months having a 5th Saturday, please refer to the page: Saturday Bank Holidays.

Sunday Closures

All bank branches are closed on Sundays. This is a standard weekly off and is separate from the Saturday rule. There are 52 Sundays in 2026.

If a gazetted holiday falls on a Sunday (as Diwali does on 8 November 2026), the bank is simply closed, the Sunday and the holiday overlap, and there is no automatic compensatory closure on the following Monday unless specifically notified.

Month-by-Month Overview

This is a compact summary. Each month links to its detailed page where available.

For detailed monthly calendars with state-specific information, see the individual monthly holiday pages.

How Many Days Are Banks Closed in 2026?

The total depends on where the bank is located. Here is the general framework:

The precise number for your location depends on which state and regional holidays apply. States with more regional festivals (West Bengal during Durga Puja season, for example) tend to have more bank closure days than states with fewer regional observances.

What Works When the Branch Is Closed

The closure of the branch does not imply the closure of all the banking activities. There are several electronic modes which are operational all the time irrespective of whether the bank branch is open or closed.

Round the clock throughout the year:

UPi transactions are available round the clock on a 24x365 basis. The opening or closing of the branch is not relevant for conducting transactions through UPI.

NEFT transfers are available round the clock since 16 December 2019, with transactions settled in 48 half-hourly settlements during the course of the day, on all days including holidays. NEFT was made round the clock through RBI Circular RBI/2019-20/111.

RTGS transfers are available round the clock since 14 December 2020, through RBI Circular RBI/2020-21/70. There is some period when end of day processing takes place, but practically speaking, RTGS transfer is available round the clock.

IMPS is available 24x7 round the clock on holidays as well, according to NPCI.

ATM is a self-operating machine and works irrespective of branch timings. Cash availability will depend upon the cash refill process.

Mobile and internet banking are available round the clock, based on the maintenance schedules of the banks.

Unavailable if branches are closed:

Counter-based services, deposit and withdrawal of cash at the counter, demand draft issuance, cheque submission, locker services and document-related services need the branch to be operational.

CTS clearing process for cheque works on working days.

NACH auto debits like EMIs, SIPs, and other recurring mandates are processed on working days. If a particular debit is due on a holiday or 2nd/4th Saturday, it will happen on the following working day.

Bank Holidays vs Post Office Holidays

Bank holidays and post office holidays are under different jurisdictions and are two separate lists.

Bank holidays are fixed under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, and announced by RBI through Holiday Matrix. Post office holidays are fixed under the central government holiday list announced by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), since India Post is a central government department.

Although many holidays coincide (Republic Day, Independence Day, and other national holidays are present on both the lists), the two holiday lists may differ in respect of state and regional holidays. It is not always the case that if your bank is closed on a particular day, the post office is also closed, and vice versa.

For the post office holiday list, refer to the Post Office Holidays 2026 page.

How to Verify Your Bank's Holiday Schedule

The list provided in this page above is the generic list. Branch-level confirmation can be obtained through the following channels:

RBI Holiday Matrix: The list of holidays by Reserve Bank of India is published at rbi.org.in under "Holiday Matrix" depending upon the regional centre to which your branch belongs. This is the main official list of banking holidays.

Website of your bank: Many banks have published their list of branch holidays in their official website. In case of SBI bank, refer to the page SBI Bank Holidays.

Notifications by state government: State governments provide holiday notifications that are relevant to the banks operating in their jurisdiction.

Branch confirmation: For a specific visit, if your business is urgent in nature then you must contact the concerned branch to get confirmation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are bank holidays in India?
A: Bank holidays are the days when bank branches remain shut for customer activities. These days are notified in accordance with the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. Bank holidays in India consist of national holidays, regional or state-specific holidays, all Sundays and the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month.

Q: Are bank holidays the same in all states?
A: No. Only three national holidays - Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti – remain common across all states. After that, each state will have its own list of regional holidays or festivals. For instance, a bank in Chennai will remain closed during the festival of Pongal while a bank in Delhi will remain open and vice versa.

Q: Are banks closed on all Saturdays?
A: No. On the contrary, banks are closed only on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month while the 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays are working Saturdays. To know about Saturday bank holidays visit our dedicated page.

Q: Are banks open on Sunday?
A: No. All Sundays are bank holidays throughout the country.

Q: What happens when a holiday occurs on Saturday?
A: If the holiday comes on the 2nd or 4th Saturday of the month then the bank is already closed due to the Saturday rule. But if the holiday comes on the 1st, 3rd or 5th Saturday (which is a working Saturday), the bank remains closed on that holiday. Both Independence Day (15 August) and Id-ul-Fitr (21 March) fall on the 3rd Saturday of 2026.

Q: Can I perform transactions via UPI when the bank is closed?
A: Yes, UPI works throughout the year without any pause. There is no restriction based on holidays as far as UPI transactions are concerned.

Q: Can I transfer money via NEFT or RTGS on bank holidays?
A: Yes, NEFT and RTGS are operational round the clock from December 2019 and December 2020 respectively.

Q: Are ATMs operational on bank holidays?
A: Yes. ATMs operate irrespective of whether the branch remains shut on bank holidays or not.

Q: How do I know which holiday is in my state?
A: Check the state-wise bank holiday calendar and find out the holidays specific to your state.

Q: Do all bank branches follow the same schedule?
A: The Saturday rule and national holidays are followed uniformly across all the states. But state-level holidays are applicable to all the banks of that particular state. However, branch-wise operating hours on working Saturdays may vary. You can check the timings of your branch.

Q: Are bank holidays and post office holidays same?
A: No. While banks follow the RBI bank holiday framework in accordance with the NI Act, the post offices follow the central government holiday calendar notified by the DoPT. There is a lot of similarity between the two calendars but not completely.