Saturday Bank Holidays 2026, Which Saturdays Are Banks Open or Closed?

In India, banks are not closed every Saturday. Branches close every 2nd Saturday and 4th Saturday of every month. The other bank branches are on regular working day hours on the other Saturdays (1st, 3rd and 5th).

All banks in the country (public, private, foreign, cooperative, regional rural banks) are covered by this rule. It has been in effect since 1 September 2015. 

The Saturday Banking Rule, How It Works

The Central Government declared the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month as public holidays for all banks in India. This was notified under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, through Gazette Notification S.O. 2285 dated 20 August 2015.

Here is what the rule means in practice:

Prior to this notification, various banks had unique weekly-off policies. Some received all Saturdays off, others worked on alternate Saturdays, some had a 5 day working week. With the notification in 2015, a single, uniform rule was introduced throughout the banking system.

A key factor: a 1st, 3rd or 5th Saturday is a working day in the Saturday rule but may be a bank holiday if another gazetted/bank holiday falls on that date. A separate holiday may be in effect on the Saturday days that the Saturday rule is in place. 

2026 Second and Fourth Saturday Schedule

These are the 24 Saturdays in 2026 when all bank branches across India will be closed under the 2nd/4th Saturday rule:

Every date and day-of-week in this table has been independently verified against the 2026 calendar.

Working Saturdays in 2026, When Banks Are Open

On the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays, bank branches are open and operate during their regular Saturday working hours. Four months in 2026 have a 5th Saturday:

These are normal working Saturdays. However, verify with your bank's branch information if you are visiting on a 5th Saturday, branch-level operating practices can occasionally vary for extended or special-purpose branches.

When a Holiday Falls on a Saturday

A bank branch could be closed on any Saturday due to either of two reasons.

Reason A: The 2nd/4th Saturday rule. 

All branches are closed both on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, even if there is no other holiday.

Reason B: An additional gazetted/State holiday. 

If a National holiday, state government holiday or festival holiday is on a Saturday, which is normally a working day (1st, 3rd, or 5th), the branch is closed for the said holiday.

There are two important holidays that will be on a working Saturday in 2026: 

*Id-ul-Fitr date is subject to actual moon sighting and may shift by a day.

If both a Saturday-rule closure and a separate holiday fall on the same date (for example, a festival on a 2nd Saturday), the branch is simply closed, there is no "double closure" or any practical difference for the customer. The branch is closed, and that is the only thing that matters for planning your visit.

No national holiday in 2026 falls on a 2nd or 4th Saturday. The overlaps above involve working Saturdays only.

How to Tell If Your Bank Is Open This Saturday

Do the following three steps:

Step 1: Is it the 2nd or 4th Saturday of the month? 

Count the number of Saturdays from the beginning of the month. If it is the 2nd or 4th one, the branch is closed. There is no need to review anything else.

Step 2: Are there any other holidays on that day? 

The branch is typically closed on the 8th Saturday, but open on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays. However, be sure to see if there is a national, state or regional holiday on that date. If it does, the branch will be closed during the holiday. 

Step 3: If in doubt, check with your bank. 

The hours of individual branches may vary from time to time, such as a branch in an office building that abides by the building's hours, or a specialized branch that has extended or reduced hours. The best confirmation is from your bank's official website or branch locator. 

Sunday vs Saturday, The Difference

There are exceptions on Sundays and Saturdays, and it is important to recognize this difference.

Sundays are a regular weekly holiday for banks. All Sundays are Holidays. This is a regular weekly off and is not subject to the notification on 2nd/4th Saturday.

All Saturdays are working days except for the 2nd and 4th Saturday which is a public holiday as per Gazette Notification under the NI Act. There is full working on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays.

As a total, banks will have 52 Sundays, 24 Saturday (2nd and 4th) holidays, and gazetted and state-level holidays on weekdays or working Saturdays in 2026. 

What Banking Services Are Available When the Branch Is Closed?

Although a closed branch doesn't imply that banking operations are halted completely. There are still several electronic channels in operation, which are open 7 days a week, except for 2nd/4th Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays.

Open 24/7, even during branches closing time:

UPI-based payments on apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm and BHIM are still working. UPI has been developed as a system that will run all the time, irrespective of the day of the year.

IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) can be accessed 24/7 including holidays. In this regard, the NPCI, which runs the system, confirms this.

NEFT transfers have been made available since 16 December 2019, and will take place on 48 half-hourly settlement batches throughout the year including on holidays. This was made possible through RBI Circular RBI/2019-20/111.

The RBI Circular RBI/2020-21/70 provides for the availability of RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) 24x7 from 14 December 2020. There is a short processing time between end of day and start of day settlement runs but in practice, the RTGS transfer can be made at any time.

ATMs are also self-service machines and are typically available at all times, even when the branch is closed. The availability of cash will depend on the schedules used to replenish.

Mobile banking and Internet banking services offered by your bank are usually available anytime, except that some banks may have maintenance periods.

Not available when branches are closed:

When the branch is closed, Over-the-Counter transactions (i.e. cash deposits and withdrawals at the counter, issuance of demands, access to lockers, opening of accounts and document related services) cannot be performed.

The Cheque clearing under Cheque Truncation System (CTS) is done only during working days. Cheque payment received prior to a 2nd/4th Saturday will go through on the following working day.

EMI deductions, SIP payments etc. (which are recurring payments) are deducted through NACH on working days. This would normally occur on the next working day if a NACH debit was scheduled for a 2nd or 4th Saturday. 

Can a Specific Bank or Branch Have a Different Schedule?

All banks in India follow the 2nd/4th Saturday rule. This gazette notification is for all banks.

There are some scenarios where it's possible that a particular branch's schedule will differ from the general rule, however:

Corporate branches are located within corporate campuses, airports, railway stations or government offices, and may have the same operating hours as the host facility, such as long hours on working Saturdays or closed during days the host facility is closed.

There may be special requirements for the operation of chests of currency and some special branches that differ from retail branches.

Banks may have different hours during the week on Saturday, and different hours on Saturday between different branches of the same bank. The half-day shops are on working Saturdays; others are full day. The timings of all the branches can be obtained from your bank's official branch locator or customer care line.

The overall rule: a branch is closed on a certain Saturday, the branch is closed that Saturday.The final word: if the branch is closed on a certain Saturday, then it will be closed on that Saturday. However, the specific hours on a working Saturday may vary, so if it is important, it's worth checking your branch's hours. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do banks shut down every Saturday?
A: Only the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month are public holidays for banks. The 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays are working days.

Q: Is the 1st Saturday a bank holiday?
A: No. The 1st Saturday is not a gazetted or state holiday, and is instead a regular working day for bank branches.

Q: Is there a bank holiday on Saturday 2nd?
A: Yes. According to Gazette Notification S.O. 2285 dated 20 August 2015, 2nd Saturday in each month is a public holiday for all banks in India.

Q: Do all the banks have a bank holiday on the 3rd Saturday?
A: No. The 3rd Saturday is a regular working day. If a separate holiday occurs on a 3rd Saturday (for instance, if Independence Day falls on 15 August 2026) then the branch will be closed for that day.

Q: Is the 4th Saturday a bank holiday?
A: Yes. This is under the same gazette notification as the 2nd Saturday and is a public holiday for all banks on the 4th Saturday of each month.

Q: Is the fifth Saturday a Bank holiday?
A: No. When a month has five Saturdays, the 5th Saturday is a regular working day.

Q: Do the banks stay open on Sunday?
A: No. Sundays are a regular bank holiday. This is in addition to the Saturday rule.

Q: If the festival is on a working Saturday what do you do?
A: Bank holidays are as follows: If a gazetted or state level holiday lands on a 1st, 3rd or 5th Saturday, the bank will be closed on that date. In 2026, Independence Day (15 August) falls on a 3rd Saturday, all banks will be closed.

Q: Will the UPI be available if the branch is not open?
A: Yes. UPI is available anytime, every day, without a bank branch open.

Q: Is it possible to transfer money in NEFT or RTGS on Saturdays?
A: Yes. Both NEFT and RTGS are now available 24x7, on all days including Saturdays and holidays. NEFT was made round the clock on 16 December 2019 and RTGS on 14 December 2020.

Q: Do branches have ATM machines that are open at night?
A: Yes. ATMs are automated machines that work around the clock, without the need for branch hours. Usually they work 24 hours a day, except cash availability is dependent on replenishment.

Q: Are all the bank branches open on Saturdays?
A: All banks follow the same closure rule: 2nd/4th Saturday. But hours on open Saturdays can vary from bank to branch. Some run during the day, others all day long. Please check the Saturday hours at your particular branch.