Public holidays

Costa Rica recognizes twelve official public holidays annually, during which most private sector employees are entitled to paid time off. These holidays include New Year's Day, the Feast of Saint Joseph, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Labour Day, the Annexation of Guanacaste, the Feast of the Assumption, Independence Day, All Souls' Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, employers typically grant the following Monday as a compensatory day off.

The regulation governing public holidays in Costa Rica is established under the Labour Code (Código de Trabajo), specifically Articles 127 and 128, which define the list of official holidays and employee entitlements. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social) oversees compliance and enforcement of these provisions.

Costa Rica has maintained its public holiday framework consistently, with no major statutory changes to the core list in recent years. However, the application of holiday compensation rules continues to evolve through administrative guidance and court interpretations regarding shift work and essential services.

Employers must ensure that employees working on public holidays receive appropriate compensation, typically at a rate of 100 percent of regular wages plus an additional day off, or double pay depending on the employment contract and industry. Payroll teams should maintain accurate records of holiday work and compensation, coordinate with human resources on scheduling to minimize holiday work where possible, and stay informed of any administrative updates from the Ministry of Labour regarding holiday observance rules and compensation calculations.