Jamaica bank holidays 2026 and 2027
Jamaica has 13 bank or public holidays listed here between November 2026 and December 2027. Over the year-end peak (1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027) the dates to plan around are: Fri 25 Dec 2026 (Christmas Day), Sat 26 Dec 2026 (Boxing Day), Fri 1 Jan 2027 (New Year's Day).
Currency: JMD · Time zone: America/Jamaica · Subscribe to this calendar (.ics)
Why this matters for prefunding
When Jamaica banks or payment rails close, a top-up sent to a local payout partner may not land until the next business day. Remittance demand often rises around the same holidays. Fund the corridor before the closure, sized for the closed days plus your normal top-up lead time. Check your corridor runway.
Holiday calendar
| Date | Holiday | Type | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | public holiday | Confirmed | On the Jamaica Stock Exchange list of 2026 public holidays. Friday. |
| Sat 26 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day | public holiday | Confirmed | Falls on a Saturday, a weekend day. The Holidays (Public General) Act moves Boxing Day only when Christmas falls on a Sunday, so no Monday holiday follows. |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | public holiday | Confirmed | In the Schedule to the Holidays (Public General) Act. Friday. |
| Wed 10 Feb 2027 | Ash Wednesday | public holiday | Confirmed | In the Schedule to the Holidays (Public General) Act. Wednesday. |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday | public holiday | Confirmed | Friday. |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday | public holiday | Confirmed | In the Schedule to the Holidays (Public General) Act. Monday, so banks are closed from Friday 26 to Monday 29 March. |
| Mon 24 May 2027 | National Labour Day (observed) | observed/substitute day | Confirmed | Paragraph 4 of the Schedule to the Act: when 23 May falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the holiday is the following Monday. 23 May 2027 is a Sunday. Monday. |
| Mon 2 Aug 2027 | Emancipation Day (observed) | observed/substitute day | Confirmed | The Act moves Emancipation Day to the following Monday when 1 August falls on a Sunday. Monday, four days before Independence Day. |
| Fri 6 Aug 2027 | Independence Day | public holiday | Confirmed | In the Schedule to the Holidays (Public General) Act. Friday. |
| Mon 18 Oct 2027 | National Heroes' Day | public holiday | Confirmed | Third Monday in October under the Schedule to the Holidays (Public General) Act. Monday. |
| Sat 25 Dec 2027 | Christmas Day | public holiday | Confirmed | Falls on a Saturday, a weekend day. |
| Sun 26 Dec 2027 | Boxing Day | public holiday | Confirmed | Falls on a Sunday, a weekend day. |
| Mon 27 Dec 2027 | Boxing Day holiday (by ministerial appointment) | public holiday | Expected | The Act has no Monday rule when Boxing Day falls on a Sunday after a Saturday Christmas. In 2010 and 2021, with the same calendar, the Minister of Labour appointed Monday 27 December a public general holiday under the Act. Monday. |
Expected: the date depends on an annual declaration or moon sighting.
Payment rails and operating hours
| Rail | Operator | Hours | Runs on holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| JamClear-RTGS | Bank of Jamaica | Large-value and time-critical payments between institutions with accounts at the Bank of Jamaica. Scotiabank Jamaica: start 08:00 and cut-off 14:30 for same-day credit, with no minimum amount; instructions sent after cut-off, on weekends or on public holidays are processed on the next business day. | no source |
| Automated Clearing House (ACH) | Automated Payments Limited, operated by J.E.T.S. Limited; settled at Bank of Jamaica | Deferred net settlement of cheques, direct debits and direct credits. Credits can take up to 24 hours (Scotiabank Jamaica). | unknown source |
What to watch
Highest-risk window: Christmas 2027. Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 December, and the Act gives no Monday holiday; with the same calendar in 2010 and 2021 the Minister appointed Monday 27 December a holiday, announced on 24 December 2010 and 13 December 2021. Easter 2027 closes banks from Friday 26 to Monday 29 March. In 2027 Labour Day moves to Monday 24 May and Emancipation Day to Monday 2 August; the Act moves Emancipation Day and Independence Day only from a Sunday, so in 2026 a Saturday Emancipation Day was not moved, while Labour Day moves from either weekend day. Year-end 2026 is short: only Friday 25 December and Friday 1 January close banks. JamClear-RTGS and the ACH run on business days, and RTGS instructions sent on holidays wait for the next business day.
Other calendars
Sources
- The Holidays (Public General) Act · Ministry of Justice, Laws of Jamaica
- Observance of National Labour Day 2026 · Jamaica Information Service
- Public Holidays (2024 to 2026) · Jamaica Stock Exchange
- Boxing Day to be observed on Monday, December 27 (2021) · Jamaica Observer
- Monday, December 27 is a Public Holiday (2010) · Jamaica Information Service
- Payment Systems · Bank of Jamaica
- RTGS · Scotiabank Jamaica
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