Sunday Shopping Ban in Poland: The 2026 Trading Sundays and What Stays Open

Visitors planning weekend shopping in Warsaw should know that Poland bans most retail trade on Sundays and public holidays. The restriction, in force since 1 March 2018, covers sales and related work in shops, with exceptions set out in the law. The National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) enforces it.

Trading Sundays in 2026

The law allows general trade on selected Sundays. In 2026 those are, per PIP: 25 January, 29 March (the Sunday before Easter, which falls on 5 April), 26 April, 28 June, 30 August, and 6, 13 and 20 December - three consecutive Sundays before Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve (Thursday 24 December 2026) is a statutory day free from work since 2025. PIP notes that work - and therefore trade - that day is allowed only in the legally excepted categories, so treat Christmas Eve like a Sunday when planning shopping.

What stays open every Sunday

The ban does not apply to, among others: petrol stations, pharmacies and pharmacy points, veterinary clinics, and shops operating in hotels. Shops where the owner, a natural person, sells personally and on their own account without employees are also exempt, as are bakeries, patisseries and ice-cream shops whose main business is selling their own products, and venues where catering dominates. Online shops, vending machines and the sale of flowers and candles near cemeteries are likewise outside the ban. Restaurants, cafés, museums and most tourist attractions are not covered and keep their own hours.

Practical tips for Warsaw

Large shopping centres such as Złote Tarasy or Westfield Arkadia close on non-trading Sundays, so plan groceries and gifts for Saturday or one of the eight open Sundays. Convenience stores run personally by their owners and petrol-station shops remain a fallback, and Żabka-style online delivery continues to operate.