Public holidays 2027: calendars by region and what companies must do

Key data

If you have employees in Spain, the 2027 calendar is now set. The Resolution of 8 October 2026 from the General Directorate of Labor establishes the public holidays for the next fiscal year: 8 non-substitutable national holidays, a block of national holidays that autonomous communities can replace with their own festivities, and a set of regional holidays specific to each territory. Ignoring this calendar or applying an incorrect one means paying for days that do not correspond or, conversely, not recognizing days that are indeed festive, with the resulting risk of labor conflict or inspection.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution structures the calendar of public holidays into three differentiated levels:

There are two territorial particularities that deserve special attention:

• Canary Islands incorporates additional island holidays, which means the calendar can vary not only between islands but also with respect to the rest of the national territory.
• Catalonia provides for a specific substitution for the territory of Arán, with a differentiated festivity from the rest of the community.

Each autonomous community has exercised its substitution powers differently. This generates different calendars by territory, which requires companies not to apply a single calendar for all their work centers.

Economic and operational impact

Public holidays are paid and non-recoverable days. This has direct consequences for company planning:

• Fixed salary cost: each festive day means paying the salary without productive return. In sectors with continuous activity (hospitality, logistics, private healthcare), it also implies the cost of the holiday bonus for those who work that day.
• Shift and production planning: with the calendar published since October 2026, companies have sufficient margin to adjust their 2027 planning before the fiscal year begins.
• Multi-center management: a company with centers in Madrid, Barcelona and Las Palmas can have up to three different labor calendars. Applying the same calendar in all centers is a frequent error that can result in worker claims or inspection penalties.
• Local holidays: municipalities can add up to 2 additional festive days of their own, published in their official bulletins. These dates are not always easy to locate and require active monitoring by the HR department or labor advisory.

Who does it affect?

• Companies with employees in any autonomous community in Spain.
• Self-employed workers with hired staff, regardless of the number of employees.
• Companies with work centers in several autonomous communities, which must manage differentiated calendars by territory.
• Companies with centers in the Canary Islands, which must take into account additional island holidays according to the specific island.
• Companies with centers in Catalonia with workers in the territory of Arán, where a specific substitution applies.
• HR departments and labor advisors responsible for preparing and communicating the annual labor calendar.
• Companies in sectors with activity on holidays (hospitality, retail, logistics, private healthcare, security) that must calculate the corresponding bonuses.

Practical example

A logistics company with warehouses in three autonomous communities—let's say Catalonia, Andalusia and the Canary Islands—cannot apply a single labor calendar for the entire workforce in 2027.

• The Catalonia center will apply the 8 non-substitutable national holidays plus Catalan regional holidays, with the particularity that if any worker is assigned to the territory of Arán, they are entitled to the specific substitution provided for that territory.
• The Andalusia center will apply the 8 non-substitutable national holidays plus Andalusian regional holidays, which may differ from the Catalan ones because Andalusia will have exercised its substitution power differently.
• The Canary Islands center will apply national holidays plus Canary regional holidays, and additionally the island holidays that correspond according to the island where the center is located.
• Each of the three centers must also incorporate the local holidays of the corresponding municipality, consulting the regional or provincial official bulletin.

If this company mistakenly applies the same calendar in all three centers, it may be forcing workers to work on festive days without the corresponding bonus—or granting holidays that are not festive in that territory—which creates risk of labor claims and inspection.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify all work centers and their exact location (autonomous community and municipality) to know which regional and local calendar applies to each one.
2. Prepare the 2027 labor calendar by work center before the end of the year, incorporating the 8 non-substitutable national holidays, the corresponding regional holidays and the substitutions exercised by each community.
3. Consult the regional and provincial official bulletins to identify the local holidays of each municipality where there is a work center (up to 2 additional days per municipality).
4. Pay special attention to the Canary Islands and Catalonia: in the Canary Islands, verify island holidays according to the island; in Catalonia, check if any worker is assigned to the territory of Arán.
5. Communicate the calendar to the legal representation of workers (if it exists) and publish it on company notice boards or internal systems before the start of the fiscal year.
6. Update HR and payroll management systems with the final calendars to avoid errors in calculating working hours, overtime and holiday bonuses.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-21254