Leave policy in Spain

If you’re looking to hire remote talent in Spain, it’s important to understand how local labor laws affect leave policy. In Spain, employees are entitled to a certain number of days off each year for vacations, as well as other paid time off, including maternity leave, sick leave, and childcare leave.

Employers onboarding Spanish employees must adhere to these laws. While this might seem like a complex and time-consuming task, partnering with Payoneer Workforce Management may assist your business in staying compliant. 

Continue reading to learn more about leave policies in Spain.

Vacation leave policy in Spain

Vacation leave policy in Spain is fairly generous compared to other countries, so it’s important to know how much paid time off your employees can legally take each year.

As laid out in Article 38 of the Workers’ Statute, employees in Spain have an annual paid time off (PTO) entitlement of 30 calendar days. This allowance typically includes weekends, which means that Spanish vacation leave equates to 23 working days per year for every employee. 

Public holidays

When it comes to leave policy in Spain, the rules on public holidays vary based on sector and region.

Each year, most employees are entitled to up to 14 paid public holidays off work, which are given in addition to their regular vacation allowance. These 14 days include 8 national public holidays, 4 provincial holidays, and 2 local holidays. 

The national public holidays in Spain are:

National Holiday	Date
New Year’s Day (Año Nuevo)	January 1st
Epiphany (Día de Reyes)	January 6th
Good Friday (Viernes Santo)	Date changes each year
Labor Day (Día del Trabajador)	May 1st
Assumption of Mary (Asunción de la Virgen)	August 15th
National Day of Spain (Fiesta Nacional de España)	October 12th
All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos)	November 1st
Constitution Day (Día de la Constitución)	December 6th
Immaculate Conception	December 8th
Christmas Day (Navidad)	December 25th

Sick leave

In Spain, employees are entitled to paid sick leave if they are unwell and unable to work for more than 3 days. The first 3 days are unpaid, from the 4th to 15th day, it’s the employer’s responsibility to pay the employee 60% of their normal wage.

If the employee is still unwell after 16 days, they receive 75% of their normal wages, paid to them by the Spanish social security system. 

Employees in Spain can receive paid sick leave for up to 365 days, with the potential for extension beyond this period.

Maternity leave

Maternity leave in Spain is regulated by two main legislations: The Workers’ Statute and the Organic Law for the Effective Equality of Women and Men. 

Maternity leave policy in Spain entitles new mothers to 19 weeks of paid leave, during which they receive 100% of their normal base wage paid to them by the Spanish social security system.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that, in Spain, only the first 6 weeks of maternity leave must be taken immediately after birth. Mothers may then use their remaining 13 weeks of paid leave at any time within the first 12 months of the child’s life.

Following 19 weeks of maternity leave, new mothers also have the option to take further unpaid leave. In Spain, employees can apply for excedencia sin sueldo (unpaid parental leave) for up to 3 years following the birth of a child.

Parental leave

Spain is very inclusive in its parental leave policies. Rather than offering shorter paternity leave options for new fathers, Spanish parental leave laws mean that male employees can take the same amount of paid leave from their roles after the birth of their child as female employees.

This means that new fathers can also take 19 weeks of paid leave at 100% of their normal wage to care for their new baby.

Adoption leave

When an employee adopts or fosters a child in Spain, they are eligible for paid leave from their job. Similar to maternity leave in Spain, parents who adopt or foster a child can take up to 19 weeks of paid leave at 100% of their normal wage. This leave allowance is paid in full by the Spanish social security system.

Other types of leave in Spain

Here are some other common types of employee leave in Spain.

Wedding leave

When an employee gets married, they are entitled to 15 days of paid leave from their role.

Moving day leave

According to the leave policy in Spain, employees can take at least 1 day of paid leave from their job when they move homes.

Bereavement leave

Employees in Spain are entitled to a minimum of 2 days of paid leave or 4 days (if travel is required) after the death of a close family member.

Care leave

Employees in Spain can take care leave when they need time off to support a sick or disabled family member. This leave is generally unpaid, but it gives workers the flexibility to respond to urgent caregiving needs.

Compassionate leave

Compassionate leave allows employees to take up to four days off when serious personal circumstances arise. This leave is designed to give workers time to manage sensitive or urgent situations.

Jury duty leave

Employees summoned for jury duty or court appearances may take leave for as long as required. This leave is usually paid, depending on the employer’s policies and legal requirements.

Union leave

Union leave enables employees to participate in union-related activities or meetings, as governed by law or collective agreements. It is typically unpaid unless specified otherwise in the employment agreement.

Unpaid parental/childcare leave

Spain provides unpaid parental leave of up to 32 weeks, which parents can take anytime during the first three years of their child’s life. This leave can be shared between both parents or taken entirely by one.

Breastfeeding leave

Employees are entitled to one hour of paid breastfeeding leave per workday, or two half-hour breaks, until the baby reaches nine months old. They may also reduce their working day by 30 minutes or accumulate this time into full days if allowed by company policy.

Accident or illness of a family member

If a spouse, partner, close relative, or cohabiting dependent experiences an accident, serious illness, hospitalization, or requires at‑home recovery, employees may take up to five working days of leave to care for them.

Prenatal, adoption, or foster‑care preparation leave

Employees may take paid time off during working hours for prenatal checkups, adoption preparation meetings, or mandatory foster‑care assessments. This ensures they can meet medical and legal requirements related to family expansion.

Remunerated permits

Spanish labor law provides additional paid leave for specific life events such as marriage, relocation, unavoidable public duties, childbirth‑related procedures, and certain family emergencies. The duration depends on the nature of the event, as outlined in the Workers’ Statute.

Unpaid leave (Permisos sin sueldo)

Employees who have worked for at least one year may request up to one month of unpaid leave annually. This may be split into two periods of 15 days each, though employers may limit availability depending on staffing needs.

Explore Payoneer Workforce Management in Spain

Hiring employees overseas can be challenging to navigate when you’re unfamiliar with local leave policies. But don’t let that stop you from hiring top talent from across the globe.

Payoneer Workforce Management helps streamline onboarding, payroll, taxes, benefits, timesheets, and other related tasks, without setting up a local entity.

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FAQs

1) How much annual leave do you get in Spain?

Annual leave in Spain for employees in most sectors is 30 calendar days. This equates to 23 working days per year, in addition to public holidays.

2) How long is paid maternity leave in Spain?

Maternity leave in Spain at full pay lasts for 19 weeks. After this, a new mother may claim unpaid leave in Spain up to 12 months after the birth of her child.

3) How is maternity pay calculated in Spain?

In Spain, maternity pay is paid by the Spanish social security system. New mothers receive 100% of their normal wage for up to 16 weeks of maternity leave.