The central government's 2027 holiday list is out. It has 17 holidays for offices in Delhi and New Delhi, starting with Republic Day on Tuesday 26 January and ending with Christmas on Saturday 25 December. Diwali is on Friday 29 October 2027. Still to come in 2026: Dussehra on 20 October, Diwali on 8 November, Guru Nanak's Birthday on 24 November and Christmas on 25 December. Bank holidays are different in every state, so check the RBI list for your city. The next income tax dates are 15 December 2026 (advance tax), 31 December 2026 (belated returns) and 15 March 2027 (last advance tax instalment).
Last checked 17 October 2026 against the DoPT holiday memoranda for 2026 and 2027, the RBI holiday list, the Income Tax e-filing tax calendar, Passport Seva, MoRTH, Parivahan and IRDAI.
Central government holidays 2027
These are the holidays the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) fixed for central government administrative offices in Delhi and New Delhi, in its office memorandum of 16 July 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Republic Day | 26 January 2027 | Tuesday |
| Id-ul-Fitr | 10 March 2027 | Wednesday |
| Holi | 23 March 2027 | Tuesday |
| Good Friday | 26 March 2027 | Friday |
| Ram Navami | 15 April 2027 | Thursday |
| Mahavir Jayanti | 19 April 2027 | Monday |
| Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | 17 May 2027 | Monday |
| Buddha Purnima | 20 May 2027 | Thursday |
| Muharram | 16 June 2027 | Wednesday |
| Independence Day | 15 August 2027 | Sunday |
| Milad-un-Nabi or Id-e-Milad (Prophet Mohammad's Birthday) | 15 August 2027 | Sunday |
| Janmashtami (Vaishnav) | 25 August 2027 | Wednesday |
| Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday | 2 October 2027 | Saturday |
| Dussehra (Vijaya Dashmi) | 9 October 2027 | Saturday |
| Diwali (Deepavali) | 29 October 2027 | Friday |
| Guru Nanak's Birthday | 14 November 2027 | Sunday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2027 | Saturday |
Source: DoPT O.M. No. 12/2/2023-JCA dated 16 July 2026, Annexure I. Restricted holidays are a separate list (Annexure II), and offices outside Delhi follow a slightly different list, explained below.
Some things worth knowing before you plan leave:
- Six of the 17 fall on a weekend. Independence Day and Milad-un-Nabi share Sunday 15 August, and Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra, Guru Nanak's Birthday and Christmas fall on a Saturday or Sunday. The memorandum says no substitute holiday is given when a holiday falls on a weekly off, or when two festivals fall on the same day.
- Four make a long weekend for offices that work Monday to Friday: Good Friday (26 March), Mahavir Jayanti (19 April), Bakrid (17 May) and Diwali (29 October).
- Moon-based dates can move. For Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Muharram and Id-e-Milad, the government may change the date at short notice once the moon is sighted. The memorandum says such changes can be announced through PIB, TV, radio or newspapers.
Offices outside Delhi, and restricted holidays
Central government offices outside Delhi observe 14 compulsory holidays: Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Christmas, Dussehra, Diwali, Good Friday, Guru Nanak's Birthday, Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Mahavir Jayanti, Muharram and Id-e-Milad. The coordination committee in each state capital then picks 3 more from a list of 12, such as Holi, Onam, Pongal, Ganesh Chaturthi or Makar Sankranti. That is why a central government office in another state can have a slightly different list from Delhi's.
On top of that, every employee can take any 2 restricted holidays from a longer list. State government offices, schools and private companies publish their own lists, so check with yours.
Central government holidays left in 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Dussehra | 20 October 2026 | Tuesday |
| Diwali (Deepavali) | 8 November 2026 | Sunday |
| Guru Nanak's Birthday | 24 November 2026 | Tuesday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday |
Source: DoPT O.M. No. 12/2/2023-JCA dated 3 July 2025, Annexure I, offices in Delhi and New Delhi. The holidays from January to October 2026 have passed, so they are left out here.
How bank holidays work
Bank holidays aren't on the DoPT list. The memorandum itself says banks follow the instructions of the Department of Financial Services. In practice, bank holidays are declared as "holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act", and they differ from state to state. A festival can close banks in one city and not in the next.
The simplest check is the RBI holiday list. Pick the month and your city's RBI regional office, and it shows which days are bank holidays there. The RBI page also notes that all scheduled and non-scheduled banks are closed on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. We don't copy the lists here, because they are set city by city and there are more than 30 of them.
Income tax deadlines to March 2027
These are the dates left in this financial year from the Income Tax Department's official tax calendar that most often matter to households, salaried people and small businesses. The calendar lists many more forms for companies and funds.
| Date | What is due | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 31 October 2026 | TDS statements for July to September (Form 138 for salary, Form 140 for other payments) | Employers and others who deduct tax |
| 21 November 2026 | Income tax return for AY 2026-27 when your accounts must be audited (moved from 31 October by CBDT Circular 07/2026) | Businesses and professionals with a tax audit, and companies |
| 15 December 2026 | Third advance tax instalment for tax year 2026-27 | Anyone who has to pay advance tax |
| 31 December 2026 | Belated income tax return for AY 2026-27, if you missed your due date | Anyone who hasn't filed yet |
| 31 January 2027 | TDS statements for October to December (Form 138 and Form 140) | Employers and others who deduct tax |
| 15 March 2027 | Fourth and last advance tax instalment for tax year 2026-27, and the single instalment for the presumptive income scheme | Anyone who has to pay advance tax |
| 31 March 2027 | Revised income tax return for AY 2026-27 | Anyone who needs to correct a return already filed |
Source: Income Tax e-filing portal, tax calendar 2026-27. The calendar says any change notified by the CBDT overrides it, so check it again close to a date.
One thing is new this year. The Income-tax Act, 2025 now applies, and it uses the term "tax year" (2026-27 is the year from April 2026 to March 2027). Returns for the year that ended in March 2026 still appear under the old 1961 Act as assessment year 2026-27. The due dates for filing returns for tax year 2026-27 will appear in the 2027-28 calendar, and we will add them when they do.
GST return dates apply to registered businesses and depend on the return and filing scheme, so we don't list them here. The GST portal shows the dates for your registration.
Document renewal dates people forget
Holidays come round every year whether you plan for them or not. Expiry dates don't announce themselves. These are the general rules for the documents that most often lapse without anyone noticing.
| Document | How long it lasts | When to renew |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Adults: generally 10 years. Children: 5 years or until 18, whichever comes first; at 15 to 18 you can choose a 10-year passport instead. | Passport Seva advises applying for a re-issue up to a year before expiry. Many embassies want 6 months to a year of validity left before they issue a visa, so apply early. |
| Driving licence (private vehicles) | Depends on your age when it was issued or renewed: under 30, until you turn 40; 30 to 49, 10 years; 50 to 54, until you turn 60; 55 and over, 5 years. | Up to one year before expiry, or within one year after. More than a year after it lapses, you may have to pass the driving test again. |
| Vehicle insurance | A new private car's third party cover runs 3 years (5 years for a new two-wheeler); own damage cover runs 1 year. After that, most policies are yearly. | IRDAI suggests contacting your insurer at least 15 days before the policy ends. |
| PUC certificate | The end date is printed on each certificate. | Get a fresh test at an authorised centre before that date. You can look up your latest certificate on the Parivahan PUC portal. |
| Registration certificate (RC), private car | 15 years from the date of issue. | Apply in Form 25 not more than 60 days before it expires. |
Sources: Passport Seva FAQ; Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 (sections 14 and 15); IRDAI policyholder FAQ on motor insurance; Parivahan. Transport vehicles, state rules and older documents can differ, so confirm with your RTO or insurer.
For what to carry in the car, which digital copies count and what to do when one has lapsed, see car documents in India.
For the full list of documents a household should keep, see the important documents checklist.
Calendar dates repeat. Expiry dates don't.
Calendar dates repeat every year. Your documents don't remind you when they expire. DocIt does. We make DocIt, so read this part with that in mind.
- Save the document: scan or import your passport, licence, insurance policy or PUC certificate. DocIt reads it and fills in details such as the expiry date for you to check, or you type the date in.
- See the status: each document shows Valid, Expiring or Renew now.
- Get reminded: once you turn reminders on, your phone reminds you 30 days, 7 days and 1 day before the expiry date. No sign-in needed.
- Private: your files are encrypted on this phone, with an app lock using your fingerprint or PIN. No sign-up and no ads.
The honest part: DocIt doesn't add holidays or tax deadlines anywhere, and it doesn't put anything in your calendar. Its reminders are for the expiry dates of documents you have saved.
DocIt is free on Google Play in India, on Android only.
Questions
Is the 2027 holiday list for central government offices out?
Yes. The Department of Personnel and Training issued it in an office memorandum dated 16 July 2026. It lists 17 holidays for central government offices in Delhi and New Delhi, plus a separate list of restricted holidays. India Post forwarded it to its offices on 8 September 2026.
How many holidays are there in a year in India?
For central government administrative offices it is 17. In Delhi and New Delhi those are the 17 on the list above. Outside Delhi, offices observe 14 compulsory holidays and 3 more chosen by the coordination committee in each state capital. Each employee can also take 2 restricted holidays. Central government industrial and commercial establishments observe up to 16. State governments, schools, banks and private employers publish their own lists.
What is a restricted holiday?
A day off that each central government employee may choose. Every year DoPT publishes a list of restricted holidays, such as New Year's Day, Makar Sankranti and Raksha Bandhan, and each employee can take any two of them.
Is tomorrow a bank holiday?
Check the RBI holiday list for your city. Bank holidays are declared state by state, so a day can be a holiday in Kolkata and a working day in Mumbai. Banks are also closed on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.
When is Diwali in 2026 and 2027?
For central government offices, Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026 and Friday 29 October 2027. The 2027 memorandum allows offices in a state to take Naraka Chaturdasi as the holiday instead, if that is the day the state government declares for Diwali.
What are the remaining advance tax dates for tax year 2026-27?
According to the Income Tax Department's tax calendar, the third instalment is due on 15 December 2026 and the fourth and last on 15 March 2027.
What is the last date for a belated return for AY 2026-27?
31 December 2026, according to the tax calendar on the Income Tax e-filing portal. A revised return for the same year can be filed until 31 March 2027.
Sources
All checked on 17 October 2026.
- DoPT O.M. No. 12/2/2023-JCA dated 16 July 2026: holidays in central government offices during 2027, as forwarded by the Department of Posts on 8 September 2026 (PDF)
- Survey of India circular of 6 January 2026 repeating the 2026 gazetted holidays from DoPT O.M. No. 12/2/2023-JCA dated 3 July 2025 (PDF, Hindi)
- Reserve Bank of India: holiday matrix, bank holidays by city
- Income Tax Department e-filing portal: tax calendar 2026-27
- GST portal
- Passport Seva: FAQs, validity due to expire
- The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, Gazette of India (PDF)
- IRDAI Policyholder: motor insurance FAQs
- Parivahan: renewal of registration certificate
- Parivahan PUC portal