Ticino Public Holidays (cross-border guide)

Last updated: July 2026

By Frontaliere Ticino Editorial Team

Canton Ticino observes 15 official public holidays in 2026 — the 9 federal Swiss holidays plus 6 cantonal holidays specific to Ticino, the richest holiday calendar in Switzerland. For cross-border workers, these dates directly affect overtime calculations, pay for days worked on holidays (at least 1.25× rate), the 13th-month salary calculation, and whether the employer must pay for the holiday even if the worker is absent.

What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Switzerland? Unlike Italian law, Swiss law does NOT grant automatic recovery of holidays that fall on Saturday or Sunday — the worker simply loses the benefit of the day off. In 2026 this penalises frontalieri on three holidays: 1 August (National Day) and 15 August (Assumption) both fall on Saturday, and 1 November (All Saints) falls on Sunday. Only some sectoral CCL agreements (MEM industry, construction, healthcare) compensate with an extra vacation day.

Public holidays that fall on weekdays reduce the number of working days in that month, which can affect prorated salary calculations for monthly-paid workers, holiday entitlement accrual, and the distribution of the 13th month payment across the calendar year. Swiss law (CO art. 329) requires the employer to pay for the holiday even if the monthly-paid worker is absent, with exceptions for hourly-paid staff (Stundenlohn).

Cross-border workers should note that Italian public holidays do not automatically apply in Switzerland: if you are working in Ticino, the Swiss holiday calendar governs your schedule (lex loci laboris principle). Italian holidays like 25 April (Liberation Day), 2 June (Republic Day) and local patron saint days are regular working days in Ticino. However, Swiss law allows workers to take Italian national holidays as vacation days if agreed with the employer in writing.

For hourly-paid cross-border workers (Stundenlohn), public holidays have a direct financial impact: hours not worked on a holiday are generally compensated at the regular rate if the holiday falls on a normal working day. Monthly-paid workers receive their full salary regardless, but overtime worked on holidays must be paid at a minimum 125% rate under the Swiss Code of Obligations, and many CCL agreements in Ticino stipulate 150% (construction, MEM) or even 200% (healthcare, hospitality on Sunday holidays).

The 2026 calendar offers several attractive long weekends for cross-border workers optimising their vacation days: Easter (Good Friday 3 April + Easter Monday 6 April, 4 consecutive days with zero vacation days used), Ascension (Thursday 14 May, bridging Friday 15 May for 4 days), Corpus Christi (Thursday 4 June, bridging Friday 5 June), and Immaculate Conception (Tuesday 8 December, bridging Monday 7 December). With careful planning a frontalier can obtain up to 25-28 days of effective holiday using only 15-17 vacation days.

Planning around the Swiss and Italian holiday calendars is essential for frontalieri families with children in Italian schools. Italian schools observe approximately 12 additional closure days not aligned with Swiss holidays, including Carnevale, patron saint days, and regional holidays. Conversely, Swiss holidays like Ascension Thursday, Corpus Christi and Whit Monday are regular school days in Italy, requiring careful coordination of childcare arrangements.