Planning around August, Christmas and Easter slowdowns

Terms used

• Extranjería — Extranjería is the foreigners' office that handles residence permits and other immigration paperwork.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued after your fingerprints are taken at a police office.
• Jornada de verano — The jornada de verano is the summer working schedule, often mornings only, that many offices use from July to September.
• Semana Santa — Semana Santa is Holy Week, the week before Easter Sunday, with public holidays and processions.
• Rebajas — Rebajas are the shop sales, with big discounts, that start around 7 January and in summer.

Key rules

• August: Small trades often close for two to four weeks, so finish work that needs them before August.
• Office deadlines: Deadlines keep running in August; only court deadlines are paused for most procedures.
• Christmas: Treat 24 December to 6 January as a slow period for offices, courts and trades.
• Semana Santa: Holy Thursday and Good Friday close most offices and banks, and holidays differ by region.

The short version

Do important work outside August, 24 December–6 January and Semana Santa. Offices answer slowly, trades close and appointments are scarce in those periods. Book early, and don't count on a quick fix.

August

Paperwork. Foreigners' offices (extranjería) and police fingerprint appointments for the TIE have fewer slots in August because staff take holidays. Book before the slow period starts. Civil registries, town halls, Social Security and the tax office stay open, but with fewer appointments and slower replies.

Many regional offices switch to summer hours (jornada de verano). They often open mornings only, usually from July to September. Go in the morning and don't plan on afternoon visits.

Deadlines still run in August. Only court deadlines are different: courts treat August as non-working for most procedures, except urgent and criminal matters.

Trades and suppliers. Plumbers, electricians, builders and workshops often close for two to four weeks, either mid-August or the whole month. Suppliers and wholesalers slow down or close for one to three weeks. Small independent shops in non-tourist areas often close for one to four weeks, usually with a notice on the door. Industry often shuts in the first weeks of August.

Closures are strongest in cities and inland areas. Bars, restaurants and shops in tourist areas stay open at their peak, and large chains and supermarkets keep opening.

Ask every tradesperson or supplier whether they close, and finish anything that needs them before July ends. Emergency tradespeople are available in August, but at higher prices.

Christmas to 6 January

Public holidays are 25 December, 1 January and 6 January (Reyes). In many years 8 December is a national holiday too. Some regions also have 24 or 26 December as local holidays.

24 and 31 December are not official holidays, but many shops, banks and offices close in the early afternoon. Many restaurants close or serve fixed menus. Between the holidays, many businesses and trades run reduced hours, and administrations slow down. Courts are largely closed for administrative work from 24 December to 6 January, with only duty courts working.

Public transport runs holiday timetables on 25 December and 1 January, and often reduced ones on 24 and 31 December. Schools are on holiday until 6 January.

Leave deliveries and appointments for after 6 January. Sales (rebajas) begin around 7 January, so that is also a good time to buy.

Semana Santa

Semana Santa is the week before Easter Sunday. Good Friday is a national holiday. Holy Thursday is a holiday in most regions, but not Catalonia. Easter Monday is a holiday in Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country, Navarre and some other regions. Check your region's calendar for the year.

On Holy Thursday and Good Friday most offices and banks and many shops are closed, and administrations run slowly all week. Many schools close for the whole week.

Travel peaks before Holy Thursday and on Easter Monday. Expect heavy traffic, full trains and flights, and high hotel prices, so book early. Processions in cities such as Seville, Málaga and Valladolid close streets and change bus and metro routes. Beach areas and tourist cities are busy, and their shops and restaurants stay open.

How to use this

Work backwards from the slow period. Book appointments and order work at least a few weeks ahead. The timeline below gives the order of steps, and the planner helps you mark closures for your year.

Timeline and deadlines

• Book foreigners' office and fingerprint appointments before the slow period: as early as you can, before July and before mid-December, since slots are scarce in August and around Christmas

• Ask trades and suppliers whether they close in August: before July, since small trades often close two to four weeks and suppliers one to three weeks

• Finish work that needs a trade or supplier: before the start of August, or after the closures end in early September

• Allow for summer office hours: from July to September, when many regional offices open mornings only

• Plan around the Christmas stretch: 24 December to 6 January, when many businesses run reduced hours and courts handle only duty matters

• Restart postponed tasks and shop the sales: from 7 January, when sales begin and normal activity returns

• Check your regional calendar for Semana Santa: before the week before Easter Sunday, when Holy Thursday and Good Friday close most offices and banks

Your holiday and closure planner for the year

How to build your year view

Spain has three levels of holiday, and your town's calendar is the national list plus your region's days plus your town's own days. Build it in that order, then add bridges and slow periods.

Level 1: national holidays

These apply everywhere in Spain:

In 2026, 8 December falls on a Tuesday and 25 December on a Friday, so neither moves. The 2027 list is set by a national resolution, usually published in October. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, that resolution may include or move it, so check it before you plan 2027.

Level 2: your region's holidays

Each region adds its own days and may swap some national ones. Your region publishes its calendar in its official bulletin, usually between October and December for the following year. Exact dates differ by region and year. Search for your region's "calendario laboral" for the next year, or ask your town hall.

Write your region's days in your planner.

Level 3: your town's holidays

Every town can add local holidays, usually for its patron saint or a local festival. These appear in the regional calendar. Check your town hall's website or ask its office for the local days.

Bridges

Spain has no national official bridge days. A bridge is a working day between a holiday and a weekend that many people take off. If a holiday falls on a Tuesday, such as 8 December 2026, the Monday before it is the usual bridge.

Whether you get that day depends on who you work for:

• Public employees: some regions and administrations give free-choice days or a substitute day in their staff calendar. These are set yearly, so there is no single list.
• Private employers: bridges are decided by your agreement or your employer. Ask before you book travel.

Slow periods

Offices and small businesses often run at reduced hours around holiday clusters, and some close for a stretch. Plan appointments, paperwork and repairs around these. There is no national list of slow periods, so ask your town hall and the businesses you rely on, such as your gestor, your landlord's agency or local shops, when they close.

Put it together

Make one row per month and mark:

1. national holidays from the table above
2. your region's days once published
3. your town's local days
4. the bridges you can realistically take
5. the weeks when the offices and businesses you need are closed or slow

Book anything with a deadline, such as a town hall appointment or a document renewal, for weeks that are clear of all five.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still get a foreigners' office or fingerprint appointment in August?

Yes, you can still get one in August, but slots are scarce because offices run with fewer staff. Book as early as you can and expect to wait longer than usual. The same applies around Christmas.

Are shops and offices closed between Christmas and 6 January?

Not fully closed, but many run reduced hours between Christmas and 6 January. Shops, banks and offices often close early on 24 and 31 December, and the sales (rebajas) begin around 7 January. Courts handle only urgent duty matters in this period.

Which days of Semana Santa are holidays?

Good Friday is a national holiday, and Holy Thursday is a holiday in most regions except Catalonia. Easter Monday is a holiday in Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country, Navarre and some other regions. Check your regional calendar for the year.