What closes on a Spanish public holiday

Terms used

• Cita previa — A cita previa is an appointment you book, online or by phone, before visiting a public office in person.
• Fiestas locales — The fiestas locales are two holidays each town sets for itself, on which local businesses and offices close.
• Sedes electrónicas — The sedes electrónicas are the online offices of public bodies, where you can file procedures at any hour.
• Farmacias de guardia — The farmacias de guardia are pharmacies on a rota that stay open outside normal hours, including holidays.

Key rules

• Holidays: Treat a public holiday like a Sunday: most shops, banks and offices are closed and local transport runs reduced.
• Regional differences: Regional and local holidays also close things in that area, so check your own region's and town's calendar.
• Emergencies: Call 112 for an emergency; hospital emergency departments are open 24 hours.
• Money: ATMs and online banking keep working when branches are shut.

The short version

A public holiday works like a Sunday. Most small shops, banks, post offices and public offices are shut. City buses and metros run a reduced timetable. Hospital emergency departments and duty pharmacies stay open. Rules differ by region and even by town, so check your local calendar.

Shops

Most small shops and many supermarkets close. Large malls and department stores usually open only on a limited number of authorised days. Each region sets those days, and some, like Madrid, allow almost full opening.

Some shops are exempt and often open anyway:

• Shops in tourist zones
• Convenience stores
• Bakeries
• Petrol stations
• Smaller shops, generally those under 300 m²

Pharmacies on duty also open. Do your main grocery shop the day before.

Banks and post offices

Banks and Correos post offices close on national holidays. They also close on regional holidays in their region and on local holidays (fiestas locales) in their town. Each town has two of these a year.

A weekday holiday therefore means no counter service. ATMs, online banking and bank apps keep working. Correos closes on Sundays and holidays as well.

Public offices

Town halls, regional offices, Social Security, the tax office and foreigners' offices close on national, regional and local holidays of their area. Holidays do not count as working days for administrative deadlines.

In-person service mostly needs a cita previa (appointment) booked online or by phone. Slots can be scarce, so book early. Online offices (sedes electrónicas) and electronic registries stay open 24 hours. The timeline below explains how a holiday submission counts.

Transport

Metros and buses in big cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville usually run the Sunday and holiday timetable. Expect fewer services, later starts, and some bus lines not running. Cercanías and Rodalies commuter trains run reduced schedules.

Long-distance trains such as AVE generally run normally, but they are often busy, so book ahead. Operators publish special timetables for holidays like Christmas and New Year's Eve. Check your operator before you travel.

Health care

Public health centres (centros de salud) are normally closed, as on Sundays. Urgent care stays open 24 hours:

• Hospital emergency departments (urgencias)
• In many regions, out-of-hours primary care points. Their names vary by region.

For an emergency, call 112. Regions also run health advice lines. Private clinics often have reduced hours or none, but private hospitals keep their emergency departments open.

Pharmacies take turns staying open. Look for the farmacias de guardia sign on any pharmacy door.

Before a holiday

The checklist below lists the errands to finish first.

Timeline and deadlines

• Book a cita previa for any in-person office visit: As early as you can, before the holiday period, because slots can be scarce

• Submit online through the office's electronic registry if the deadline falls on a holiday: Any time on the holiday, since online offices stay open 24 hours

• Expect an online submission made on a holiday to count from the next working day: On the first working day after the holiday

• Visit the office in person: On the next working day, since offices are closed on national, regional and local holidays and weekends

Before a holiday closure: errands to finish first

Before a long closure

• Buy groceries before the closure, because small shops and some supermarkets close or shorten their hours. Large supermarkets are usually open, except on key days such as 25 December and 1 January.

• Withdraw the cash you need before the closure starts.

• Stock up on repeat medicines. Pharmacies take turns staying open (farmacias de guardia), and the rota is posted on each pharmacy door.

• Finish paperwork early: file forms, get stamps and certificates, and make any bank transfers.

• Confirm your transport bookings and appointments.

• Check the opening hours of the public offices and banks you need, as they often close for days or work reduced hours, especially in August.

• Plan around the Christmas period: 24 and 31 December often bring early closing, and many businesses run reduced hours until 6 January.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still do official paperwork online on a public holiday?

Yes, online offices (sedes electrónicas) and electronic registries stay open 24 hours on holidays, but a submission made on a non-working day counts as made on the next working day. Face-to-face service is closed and mostly needs a prior appointment (cita previa) on other days.

Which shops are usually open on a holiday?

Pharmacies on duty, bakeries, petrol stations, convenience stores and shops in tourist zones commonly open on holidays. Shops under 300 m² and those types are exempt from the usual limits. Large malls open only on authorised days, and rules differ by region, with Madrid almost fully liberalised.

Do trains and long-distance services run on public holidays?

Yes, long-distance trains such as AVE generally run normally on holidays, though demand is often high. Commuter trains (Cercanías, Rodalies) and city metros and buses run reduced Sunday-style timetables, and some bus lines do not run.

Where do I get medical help on a holiday when my health centre is closed?

Go to a hospital emergency department (urgencias), or in many regions to an out-of-hours primary care point, which stay open 24 hours. Call 112 in an emergency. Private hospitals keep emergency departments open, and duty pharmacies (farmacias de guardia) cover medicines.