Public holidays

Spain observes fourteen national public holidays annually, during which employees are entitled to rest and compensation. These holidays include New Year's Day, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Maundy Thursday, Labour Day, Saint Joseph's Day, National Day (Hispanic Day), Assumption Day, Saint James's Day, All Saints' Day, Constitution Day, Immaculate Conception, and Christmas Day. On these dates, most businesses close and employees receive their regular wages without working.

The Spanish labour framework governing public holidays is established under the Workers' Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores) and supplemented by Royal Decrees that designate specific dates each year. The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration oversees the official calendar of national holidays.

Spain's public holiday system includes both fixed national holidays and moveable religious observances. Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Maundy Thursday shift annually based on the Easter calendar, while others remain on consistent dates. Additionally, Spain's seventeen autonomous communities may designate up to three additional regional holidays, meaning the total number of paid days off varies by location. For example, Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia each observe distinct regional celebrations alongside national ones.

Employers must grant employees paid time off on all designated national holidays. If business operations require work on a public holiday, employers must provide compensatory time off or additional remuneration as specified in collective agreements or employment contracts. Payroll teams should verify the applicable regional holidays for each employee's location and ensure proper wage calculations and time-off records are maintained throughout the year.