Spain’s 2026 work calendar: national and regional public holidays, and how to prepare 2027
Spain’s 2026 work calendar was fixed in the Official State Gazette (BOE) of 28 October 2025 by the Resolution of 17 October 2025 of the Directorate-General for Labour, which publishes the list of public holidays at national and regional level and for the cities of Ceuta and Melilla. At this point in the year it is worth keeping at hand for two reasons: the last-quarter holidays are still ahead, and they are the ones that most affect rosters and outstanding leave, and in a few weeks the 2027 list will be published, which the company has to carry over into its own work calendar before the year starts. Here are the 2026 holidays with their weekday, what each region may change, what the Workers’ Statute requires and how to manage it without spreadsheets.
How many holidays there are and who sets them
Article 37.2 of the Workers’ Statute sets a maximum of fourteen public holidays a year, paid and non-recoverable, of which two are local. The other twelve break down as follows:
- National holidays that cannot be replaced, observed throughout Spain: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Labour Day, National Day, Immaculate Conception and Christmas Day.
- National holidays the regions may replace with their own: Epiphany, Maundy Thursday, the Monday transfer of holidays falling on a Sunday (All Saints’ Day and Constitution Day in 2026), and the choice between Saint Joseph and Saint James.
- Each region’s own holidays, up to the twelve.
- Two local holidays, set by each town council and published in its provincial or regional gazette.
When a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the region may move it to the following Monday. In 2026 this happens with 1 November and 6 December, which is why 2 November and 7 December appear in the table as possible holidays.
National holidays in 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thursday | New Year’s Day | National, all of Spain |
| 6 January | Tuesday | Epiphany | National, replaceable by the region |
| 19 March | Thursday | Saint Joseph | Only in regions that choose it |
| 2 April | Thursday | Maundy Thursday | National, replaceable by the region |
| 3 April | Friday | Good Friday | National, all of Spain |
| 6 April | Monday | Easter Monday | Only in some regions |
| 1 May | Friday | Labour Day | National, all of Spain |
| 25 July | Saturday | Saint James | Only in regions that choose it |
| 15 August | Saturday | Assumption of Mary | National, all of Spain |
| 12 October | Monday | National Day of Spain | National, all of Spain |
| 2 November | Monday | Transfer of All Saints’ Day (1 November, Sunday) | Only in regions that move it |
| 7 December | Monday | Transfer of Constitution Day (6 December, Sunday) | Only in regions that move it |
| 8 December | Tuesday | Immaculate Conception | National, all of Spain |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day | National, all of Spain |
Source: Resolution of 17 October 2025 of the Directorate-General for Labour (BOE no. 259, 28 October 2025). We checked the weekdays against the 2026 calendar.
Two features define the year. Two national holidays fall on a Saturday, 15 August and, where observed, 25 July, and Saturdays are not made up unless the collective agreement says otherwise. And the December long weekend is long in the regions that move Constitution Day to Monday 7: from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8.
Regional holidays: what each region sets
Each region completes its twelve holidays with its own day and the replacements it chooses. Some examples of 2026 regional days, checked in the resolution: 28 February, Saturday, in Andalusia; 23 April, Thursday, in Aragon and in Castile and León; 2 May, Saturday, in the Community of Madrid; 30 May, Saturday, in the Canary Islands; 9 June, Tuesday, in the Region of Murcia and in La Rioja; 25 July, Saturday, in Galicia and in the Basque Country; 28 July, Tuesday, in Cantabria; 8 September, Tuesday, in Asturias and in Extremadura; 11 September, Friday, in Catalonia; 9 October, Friday, in the Valencian Community. The full detail, with each region’s replacements and the island holidays of the Canaries, is in the resolution’s own table, and each municipality’s two local holidays are published in its provincial or regional gazette.
If your company has sites in several regions, each site has its own calendar. It is the situation where most mistakes are made when calculating leave and hours.
What remains of 2026 and how to close the year
From mid-September the last-quarter holidays remain: Monday 12 October throughout Spain, Monday 2 November where All Saints’ Day is moved, Monday 7 December where Constitution Day is moved, Tuesday 8 December and Friday 25 December, plus each site’s regional and local holidays. It is the time to:
- Review outstanding leave. Annual leave is taken within the calendar year, with the exceptions we explain in whether holidays carry over from one year to the next. With the December holidays ahead, it pays to settle now who is off when.
- Fit shifts around the long weekends. In retail, hospitality and services the October and December long weekends concentrate demand and absences at the same time.
- Check the annual hours count. If your agreement sets annual working hours, the last quarter is where the excess or shortfall of hours to be regularised shows up.
How to draw up the company work calendar
Article 34.6 of the Workers’ Statute requires the company to draw up the work calendar every year and to display a copy in a visible place at each workplace. Not displaying it is a minor infringement under the Law on Infringements and Penalties in the Social Order. The calendar must include:
- The national, regional and two local holidays of each site.
- The annual and weekly working hours set by the agreement and their distribution: schedules, shifts and, where the agreement allows it, irregular distribution.
- Weekly rest periods and holiday periods, or at least the rules for setting them, with the minimum two months’ notice required by article 38.
- Personal or discretionary days where the agreement grants them.
- Special working days: summer intensive hours, eves of holidays, company closures.
It should be consulted with the workers’ legal representatives where they exist, as agreements establish, and communicated to staff before the year begins. Our guide on how to plan a company holiday calendar explains how to spread leave over that calendar, and the one on holiday days per month worked how to calculate it for joiners and leavers.
How to prepare the 2027 work calendar
The list of public holidays for 2027 will be published in the BOE, as every year, between October and November 2026, and local holidays will appear in the provincial and regional gazettes until the end of the year. To reach January with the calendar on display:
- Note the BOE publication date and carry the holidays over to each site as soon as it appears.
- Check which 2027 national holidays fall at the weekend. 1 January 2027 is a Friday, so the year starts with a long weekend.
- Check whether your agreement changes annual hours in 2027; in many sectors the 37.5-hour week is negotiated agreement by agreement, as we explain in what changes with the 37.5-hour week.
- Set the leave rules and company closures in advance, and publish them together with the calendar.
How LapsoWork helps
In LapsoWork the work calendar is not a PDF on the noticeboard: it is the basis on which leave, absences, shifts and hours are calculated for each employee. The account supports several sites with different calendars and agreements, so a regional holiday at one site does not deduct leave at another; the leave and absence module deducts days against each person’s calendar, and the shift module marks holidays on the roster so coverage is planned with them in view. All from €2 per employee per month, with no commitment, as you can see on our pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays are there in Spain in 2026?
Fourteen at most per worker: twelve set by the State and the regions, of which nine are national in 2026 (some replaceable by each region), and two local ones set by each town council. The official list is in the Resolution of 17 October 2025 of the Directorate-General for Labour, published in the BOE on 28 October 2025.
Are holidays that fall on a Saturday made up?
No, unless the collective agreement or a company agreement provides for it. The Workers’ Statute sets fourteen paid, non-recoverable holidays but does not require compensating those that coincide with the weekly rest day. In 2026, 15 August and, where observed, 25 July fall on a Saturday, as do some regional holidays.
Is a work calendar mandatory in a Spanish company?
Yes. Article 34.6 of the Workers’ Statute requires drawing it up every year and displaying a copy in a visible place at each workplace. Failing to do so is a minor infringement that the Labour Inspectorate can penalise.
Which holidays remain in 2026 from September?
Monday 12 October throughout Spain; Monday 2 November in regions that move All Saints’ Day; Monday 7 December in those that move Constitution Day; Tuesday 8 December and Friday 25 December throughout Spain; plus each site’s regional holidays and two local ones.
When is the 2027 work calendar published?
The Directorate-General for Labour publishes the following year’s list of public holidays in the BOE usually between October and November. Local holidays are approved by town councils and published in the provincial or regional gazettes over the last quarter.
Conclusion
Spain’s 2026 work calendar has fourteen holidays per worker, with two national ones on a Saturday and a long December weekend in much of the country, and it requires every company to draw up and display its own calendar per site. With the last quarter ahead and the 2027 calendar about to be published, it is a good time to settle leave, fit shifts and get the system ready for next year. If you want the calendar to be the basis of your leave, shifts and hours instead of one more spreadsheet, try LapsoWork free for 30 days.