holiday calculator spain

How this holiday calculator for Spain works

This calculator estimates how much paid annual leave you have accrued over a selected period. In Spain, holiday entitlement is normally earned gradually across the year, so if you join mid-year or leave before year-end, your entitlement is usually prorated.

The tool calculates:

• Total days in the employment period selected.
• Accrued paid leave based on your annual entitlement.
• Remaining leave after subtracting days already taken.
• An optional estimate of public holiday days adjusted for part-time schedules.

Annual leave in Spain: key rules to know

1) Statutory minimum leave

Under Spanish labor rules, paid annual leave is generally at least 30 calendar days per year. Many employers convert this into 22 working days for people working a standard five-day week. Your contract or collective agreement may provide more.

2) Calendar days vs working days

This causes a lot of confusion:

• 30 calendar days include weekends and non-working days.
• 22 working days count only normal workdays.

Always confirm which method your contract uses before relying on any estimate.

3) Holidays are usually paid and cannot be replaced by cash (except at termination)

As a general rule, holiday should be taken as time off. Payment in lieu is typically only used when employment ends and there are unused accrued days remaining.

Pro-rata holiday in Spain

If you do not work the full leave year, entitlement is typically prorated. A simple approximation is:

Accrued leave = Annual entitlement × (portion of year worked)

This page uses day-level proration for better accuracy across different months and leap years.

Public holidays in Spain

Spain usually has a mix of national, regional, and local holidays, often totaling up to 14 days. Not all public holidays will fall on your scheduled workdays, especially if you work part-time or on rotating shifts.

That is why this calculator treats public holidays as an optional estimate. Use your official company or regional calendar for final planning.

Part-time workers and shift patterns

Part-time employees are still entitled to paid holiday, but calculations must align with their schedule. If you work fewer days per week, your practical day count can differ from full-time staff. Enter your weekly workdays to get a more realistic estimate.

• If you work 5 days/week, keep the default at 5.
• If you work 3 days/week, set 3 to adjust public holiday estimates.
• For irregular shifts, use your average and verify with HR/payroll.

Worked examples

Example A: New starter in March

If annual leave is 22 working days and someone starts on 1 March, they will not usually receive all 22 days for that first partial year. They receive a prorated amount based on time worked in that leave year.

Example B: Leaving with unused holiday

If someone resigns in September, accrued leave is calculated up to the leaving date. Any untaken accrued days are normally paid on termination (finiquito), subject to payroll and legal treatment.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming everyone in Spain gets exactly the same holiday package.
• Mixing up calendar-day and working-day systems.
• Forgetting that collective agreements can improve minimum entitlements.
• Ignoring regional and local public holiday differences.
• Not tracking holiday already taken before changing jobs.

Quick FAQ

Is this calculator legally binding?

No. It is a planning tool only. Final numbers depend on contract terms, payroll rules, and the applicable convenio colectivo.

Can I use this for any year?

Yes. You can enter any start and end dates. The calculation accounts for leap years automatically.

What annual entitlement should I enter?

Use the value stated in your contract or HR policy. If your workplace tracks leave as working days, 22 is common for full-time staff; if tracked as calendar days, many use 30.

Final tip

Use this holiday calculator in Spain as a first estimate, then confirm with HR or payroll before booking time off—especially if you changed role, changed hours, joined mid-year, or work under a specific collective agreement.