Paid short leave for weddings, deaths, moves and emergencies (permisos retribuidos)

Key rules

• Marriage leave: You get 15 calendar days of paid leave for marriage or registering as a de facto couple.
• Moving: You get 1 paid day off for moving your habitual home, with notice and proof.
• Notice and proof: Give notice and justify the reason; if the event is sudden, notice comes first and proof can follow.
• Day off: If the event falls on a rest day, your leave starts on the first working day after it.
• Convenio: Your collective agreement may give more days than the legal minimum.

What you can claim

Spain gives employees a list of short paid absences. You keep your pay for these days, as long as you give notice and prove the reason.

• Marriage or registering as a de facto couple: 15 calendar days.
• Moving your habitual home: 1 paid day. It must be your real usual home, not a second home.
• Death of a spouse/partner or close relative (up to second degree): 3 days. For relatives further out in the same group, 2 days.
• Accident, serious illness, hospitalisation or surgery needing rest at home: 5 days for a spouse/partner, a relative up to second degree, or a person who lives in your home and needs your care. For other cases the base is 2 days.
• Travel: if you need to travel, 2 extra days are added to the 2-day leave, so 4 in total.
• Wedding of a relative up to second degree: 1 day.
• Public or personal duties you cannot avoid, such as voting or a court summons: the time you need.
• Union or representation duties, prenatal check-ups, birth-preparation classes, adoption procedures during working hours and breastfeeding leave: the time needed, with the rules for each.

"Second degree" means parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, and the same relatives of your spouse/partner.

Urgent family emergencies

If a relative or someone living in your home has a sudden illness or accident and you must be there immediately, you can leave work. Tell your employer as soon as possible and give proof afterwards. Only part of this time is paid, up to the hours equal to 4 days a year. Any other time off has to be made up later.

How to count the days

• Marriage leave runs in calendar days, weekends included.
• The family-care leaves (illness, hospitalisation, death) are normally counted in working days. Some collective agreements still count calendar days.
• If the event falls on your day off, your leave starts on the first working day after it.
• For hospitalisation and similar cases, you can take the days separately while the situation lasts. They do not have to be consecutive.

How to ask for it

Tell your employer before a planned leave, such as a wedding, and say why. For something sudden, tell them as soon as you can and send the proof afterwards. The employer cannot refuse leave when the reason and the proof are valid. The documents list below shows what proves each case.

Your collective agreement may give more

Your convenio (the collective agreement for your sector or company) can give more days, or set the notice period and documents. Read it or ask HR or a union adviser. Civil servants have their own rules.

Timeline and deadlines

• Tell your employer about a planned leave, such as your wedding, and say why you need it: before the leave starts

• Take the 15 calendar days of marriage or de facto couple leave: 15 calendar days from the start of the leave

• Tell your employer about a sudden illness, accident or death: as soon as possible

• Hand in the proof, such as a certificate or medical report: after the event if you could not bring it earlier

• Start counting your leave on the first working day after the event: if the event happens on a rest day

Documents you need

• Marriage or registered partnership certificate, for marriage leave.

• Family book (libro de familia), to show the family link for leave tied to a relative.

• Medical or hospital report, for leave due to a relative's illness, accident, hospitalisation or surgery.

• Death certificate, for leave after the death of a relative.

• New registration at the town hall (padrón), or a rental or purchase contract, to prove a move of your habitual home.

• Official summons, for leave to carry out a public duty.

Frequently asked questions

What if the event happens on my day off?

If the event happens on a rest day, your leave starts on the first working day after it. This follows court rulings, so you do not lose days because the event fell on a weekend or day off.

Can I take hospitalisation leave on separate days?

Yes, you can use the days of leave for a hospitalisation or similar situation on separate days, as long as the situation lasts. They do not have to be consecutive.

Can my employer refuse leave if the illness or death was sudden?

No, your employer cannot refuse the leave if the cause and the proof are valid. For a sudden event, tell your employer as soon as possible and bring the proof afterwards.

Does my collective agreement change how many days I get?

Yes, your collective agreement (convenio) can give more days than the law or say whether days are calendar or working days. Ask your HR department or workers' representative for the relevant clause.