Leave Laws
Last updated on May 7, 2026.
Paid Time Off (PTO) in Russia
Vacation Leave Quota
28 calendar days = 20 working days
Regular employees in Russia are entitled to 28 calendar days of basic annual leave, including weekends, which is approximately 20 working days.
Employees engaged in specific types of work, those with particular specialties, or those belonging to categories of particular favor or privilege are eligible for extended basic annual leave. The length of both the basic and extended annual leave is measured in calendar days, without a set upper limit. Employees with a fixed-term contract for seasonal work are also entitled to vacation—about two days for each month worked.
Longer Vacation Leave
Extended basic annual leave, with more vacation days, is granted to certain categories of employees, such as:
At least 30 days: Employees with disabilities,
42–56 days: Teachers,
48 days: Doctors of Science,
36 days: Candidates of Science,
30 days: Judges, prosecutors, and Investigative Committee employees.
There are some other categories that are also entitled to longer vacation leave, and all this is defined and determined following the Code (Кодекс) and additional federal laws.
Eligibility
In their first year of employment, an employee becomes eligible for leave after working continuously for six months at the company. However, they may take paid leave even before completing six months if both an employer and an employee agree.
However, only employees working under an employment contract for a entire calendar year have a right to a full vacation entitlement of 28 days.
Taking a Vacation
Vacation days may be split into two segments; each must be at least 14 days. Any public holidays occurring during the vacation period are not counted as part of the vacation days and are unpaid.
Annual leave is called Отпуск in Russian.
Carry Over
Carryover of vacation days, also known as rollover or brought forward, is allowed only in exceptional cases. Vacation should be taken within 12 months following the end of the work year for which it is given. However, in special circumstances where taking leave in the present work year might negatively impact the organization’s standard activities, it is permitted to postpone vacation days to the following work year.
Payout
An employee receives his or her average earnings while on vacation. If an employee’s vacation is more than 28 calendar days, they can choose monetary compensation for the extra days, provided they submit a written request.
Payment of Unused Annual Leave Upon Termination
Upon termination, an employee receives payment for any unused annual leave or has the option to use their remaining vacation days, during which they will be compensated at their standard rate of pay. This demands a written request from the employee. The final day of the leave is regarded as the day of dismissal. This is not allowed in cases of dismissal due to misconduct.
Sick Leave in Russia
Up to 12 months.
Employees in Russia have the right to take sick leave in cases of injury or illness. Sick days may be taken both for their own health needs or to provide care for an ill or injured child or close family member.
Sick Leave for an Employee’s Own Health
Generally, employees are entitled to a standard sick leave of 15 days for their own diseases or injuries that are not severe. If an employee’s illness or injury lasts for 16 days or more, a medical board decides whether and how long sick leave should be extended, up to a maximum of 12 months.
The employee is required to provide a certificate to the employer, although this may be done after the end of sick leave.
Payout
For the initial 3 days of absence because of illness, the employer is liable for payment. Following that, the employee is eligible for social security benefits, including a temporary incapacity allowance that the Social Insurance Fund of Russia pays for with insurance premiums from the employer.
The payment for sick days varies from 60% to 100% of the employee’s salary.
Family Care Leave
An employee who is considered the caregiver of a sick child or a close relative is allowed to take leave in order to help or regularly look after them.
Employees are also entitled to 5 days of leave per month in order to care for a disabled child under 18 years old. Parents, guardians, or adoptive parents of a disabled child may take this leave.
Payout
A caregiver is also eligible to receive a temporary incapacity allowance while on leave related to family care.
Maternity and Paternity
Maternity Leave in Russia
140 fully paid days
A female pregnant employee in Russia receives 140 days of fully paid maternity leave.
This leave is split into
- Prenatal leave of 70 days (which is 84 days in the case of multiple births)
and
- Postnatal leave of 70 days (which is 110 days in cases of multiple births and 86 days in cases of complications)
A pregnant female employee is entitled to take her vacation, either before or after maternity leave, without having to complete six successive months of service.
Payout
A female employee on maternity leave is entitled to 100% of her average salary in the 2 years prior to the leave, up to a specified maximum. This payment is provided by Russian social security.
Paternity Leave Russia
5 unpaid days
Paid paternity leave is not a statutory right of employees in Russia. However, an employee who has become a father is eligible for up to 5 unpaid days of paternity leave.
Bereavement Leave in Russia
5 paid days
An employer is required to provide up to 5 days of paid leave for an employee suffering the death of an immediate family member.
Jury Duty Leave in Russia
Employers must give leave for jury duty, with compensation generally provided by the state. However, jury trials are not frequent and generally reserved for high-level criminal proceedings in specific courts.
Military Leave in Russia
14 unpaid days
An employee who is a spouse or a parent of an active or inactive member of the armed forces and who has died due to a disease or injury sustained during their military service must be provided with up to 14 days of unpaid leave.
Voting Leave in Russia
Online data is unavailable; please check official legal materials or offline sources for information.
Public Holidays in Russia
8 official public holidays plus additional holidays
Russia observes 8 public holidays annually. New Year’s holidays span over 5 days, and Orthodox Christmas spans over 2 days. In addition to these, there are five more additional holidays.
Russia observes a whole holiday week from New Year (January 1) to Christmas (January 7). Being Christian Orthodox, Russian religious holidays are celebrated according to the Julian calendar.
A complete list of official holidays celebrated in Russia:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 8 | New Year’s Holidays |
| January 7 | Orthodox Christmas |
| February 23 | Defender of Fatherland Day |
| March 8 | International Women’s Day |
| May 1 | Spring and Labor Day |
| May 9 | Victory Day (Victory over Nazism in World War II) |
| June 12 | Day of Russia |
| November 4 | National Unity Day |
There are additional holidays and additional working days each year declared by the government; check out number 6 in our listed sources.
Sources
- Local Laws & Regulations, https://www.atlashxm.com/en/countries/russia
- Payroll and Benefits Guide Russia, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/russia/
- Definitive Guide to Hiring in Russia, https://www.globalexpansion.com/countrypedia/russia
- Vacation Leave in Russia (in Russian), https://www.banki.ru/news/daytheme/?id=10975124
- Procedure for Calculating Vacation (in Russian), https://www.garant.ru/actual/otpusk/479408/
- Public Holidays in Russia (Bank of Russia), https://www.cbr.ru/eng/other/holidays/
Check out our Leave Laws page to learn more about laws in various countries.
This material is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For current and accurate guidance, please consult legal counsel in your jurisdiction.
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