Public holidays and closures

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. It helps you avoid turning up at a closed office, a shut shop or a missed appointment.

Start with "How Spain's national, regional and local holidays fit together". It explains the three levels and why your calendar is your own. After that, the articles cover finding your town's local holidays, long weekends and holidays that move, what closes on a holiday, planning around August, Christmas and Easter, how deadlines are counted, and arriving during a holiday period.

Key rules

• Deadlines in days: Official deadlines counted in days skip Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and a deadline ending on a non-working day moves to the next working day.
• Local holidays: Each town has two local holidays a year, proposed by the town council and approved by the regional government.
• August deadlines: August counts as a working month for official deadlines, so they keep running, while most court deadlines pause.
• Regional differences: Regions choose their own extra days, so a friend in another region can have a different list.
• Holidays: Treat a public holiday like a Sunday: most shops, banks and offices are closed and local transport runs reduced.

Public holidays and closures: the whole process, step by step

• Learn the three holiday levels and check your region's calendar (How Spain's national, regional and local holidays fit together): Before you plan anything for the year

• Find your town's two local holidays (Finding your town's two local holidays (fiestas locales)): Each autumn: councils propose them by September–October, and the regional bulletin usually publishes next year's list between October and December

• Spot long weekends and holidays that fall on a Sunday (Long weekends (puentes) and holidays that move): Once the national and regional lists for next year are out, usually from October

• Check what will be closed on each holiday (What closes on a Spanish public holiday): A few days before any holiday that falls on a weekday

• Book appointments, trades and paperwork around the slow periods (Planning around August, Christmas and Easter slowdowns): Well before August and the period from 24 December to 6 January, when appointments are scarce and many small trades close for two to four weeks

• Count official deadlines correctly (Do official deadlines still run on holidays and in August?): From the day after you are notified: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are skipped, and August still counts

• File online if a deadline falls on a holiday (Do official deadlines still run on holidays and in August?): Any day: the online registry works 24 hours, but a filing on a non-working day counts as made on the next working day

• Plan your arrival around closed or slow offices, landlords and utilities (Arriving in Spain during August, Christmas or Easter): Before you travel: allow one to three weeks extra for signing a lease and for internet installation if you arrive in late August or around Christmas

Public holidays and closures: questions that cross several articles

Why is my holiday list different from a friend's in another region?

Your list differs because each community adds its own days to the national holidays, and each town adds two local holidays. For example, Holy Thursday is a holiday in most communities but not in Catalonia or Valencia. Read "How Spain's national, regional and local holidays fit together", then "Finding your town's two local holidays (fiestas locales)".

What happens when a holiday falls on a Sunday?

When a holiday falls on a Sunday, each community decides whether to move it to Monday or to swap in another date. The choice appears in that community's own calendar. Read "Long weekends (puentes) and holidays that move" to see how this affects your plans.

Will banks, shops and post offices be shut on a local holiday?

Yes, banks and Correos post offices in your town close on its local holidays, as well as on national and regional ones. Most small shops close too, while tourist-zone shops, bakeries and petrol stations often stay open, and online banking keeps working. Read "What closes on a Spanish public holiday" for the detail.

Does a holiday change when I can get an office appointment?

Yes, offices close on holidays and weekends, and in August and around Christmas appointments become scarce. Read "Planning around August, Christmas and Easter slowdowns" to schedule early, and "Do official deadlines still run on holidays and in August?" to see how a closure affects your deadline.