IN Spain when bank holidays fall during the week, then they are often linked to the weekend and called a puente – a bridge.

On these long weekends and around busy holidays such as Easter, accomodation gets booked up quickly, prices go up and rail and bus tickets sell out. So book early for the good deals.

This year people in Spain will be treated to eight national bank holidays in addition to the holidays decided by each autonomous community.

It might be wise to get your requests in early as these holiday booking hacks have become popular with savvy employees hoping to get the most time off for their leave.

Full-time workers in Spain are entitled to 22 days paid leave a year, and some employers choose to include bank holidays.

You can take all your holidays at once or divide it up, but Spain’s labour laws require that at least one period of holiday leave must be two weeks long.

Generally, workers need to request annual leave with as much notice as possible.

Although employers can refuse to give leave at a certain time, employers cannot refuse to let workers take the leave at all. However, they could also restrict when leave can be taken, for example at busy periods, or when several employees want to be off at the same time.

In 2022 there are eight national holidays for everyone in Spain and there is also an additional two other holidays that fall on a Sunday. 

The decision to move these two days, May 1 (Labour Day) and December 25 (Christmas), to the following Monday or, even, to another month is up to each autonomous community.

These are the eight national holidays for 2022:

  • Saturday, January 1: New Year.
  • Thursday, January 6: Epiphany of the Lord (Three Kings Day).
  • Friday April 15: Good Friday.
  • Monday, August 15: Assumption of Our Lady.
  • Wednesday October 12: Fiesta de la Hispanidad.
  • Tuesday, November 1: All Saints’ Day.
  • Tuesday, December 6: Spanish Constitution Day
  • Thursday, December 8: Immaculate Conception.

Each Autonomous Community has its own work calendar, take a look at our roundup below to see what holidays you can expect in each region in addition to the eight national holidays. 

Andalucia

  • Monday February 28: Andalusia Day.
  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday May 2: Moving May 1.
  • Monday , December 26, moving on fromChristmas Day.

Aragon

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Saturday April 23: Aragon Day.
  • Monday May 2, moving from May 1.
  • Monday December 26 moving on from Christmas Day.

Asturias

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday May 2: Moving May 1.
  • Thursday September 8: Asturias Day.
  • Monday December 26 moving on from Christmas Day.

Balearic Islands 

  • Tuesday March 1: Balearic Islands Day.
  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday April 18: Easter Monday.
  • Monday May 2, moving May from 1.
  • Monday December 26  moving on from Christmas Day.

Canary Islands

In addition to the eight national holidays, there are also holidays for each island.

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday May 30: Canary Islands Day.
  • Monday December 26, moving on from Christmas Day.
  • Wednesday February 2 in Tenerife.
  • Friday August 5 on La Palma.
  • Thursday September 8 at Gran Ganaria .
  • Thursday September 15 in Lanzarote .
  • Friday September 16 in Fuerteventura .
  • Saturday September 24 in El Hierro.
  • Monday October 3 in La Gomera .

Cantabria

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Thursday July 28: Cantabria Day.
  • Wednesday September 15 : Bien Aparecida Day.
  • Monday December 26, moving on from Christmas Day.

Castilla la Mancha

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Tuesday May 31: Castilla-La Mancha Day.
  • Thursday June 16: Corpus Christi, in substitution of the work break on May 1, Labor Festival.
  • Monday December 26, moving on from Christmas Day.

Castilla y Leon

  • Thursday April 14 : Holy Thursday.
  • Saturday April 23: Castilla y Leon Day
  • Monday May 2: Moving from May 1.
  • Monday December 26 moving on from Christmas Day.

Catalunya

  • Monday April 18: Easter Monday.
  • Monday June 6: Easter Granada.
  • Friday June 24: San Juan.
  • Monday  December 26: San Esteban.

Madrid

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday May 2: Festival of the Community of Madrid.
  • Monday July 25: Santiago Apostol.
  • Monday December 26 moving on from Christmas Day.

Valencia

  • Saturday March 19: San Jose
  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday April 18: Easter Monday.
  • Friday June 24: San Juan.

Extremadura

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday May 2: Moving from May 1.
  • Thursday September 8: Extremadura Day.
  • Monday December 26moving on from Christmas Day.

Galicia

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday May 17: Galician Literature Day.
  • Friday June 24: Saint John’s Day.
  • Monday July 25: Santiago Apostol.

La Rioja

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday April 18: Easter Monday.
  • Thursday June 9: La Rioja Day.
  • Monday December 26, moving on from Christmas Day.

Murcia 

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday May 2: Moving from May 1.
  • ThursdayJune 9: Murcia Region Day.
  • Monday December 26, moving on from Christmas Day.

Navarra

  • Thursday April 14 : Holy Thursday.
  • Monday April 18 : Easter Monday.
  • Monday July 25: Day of Santiago Apostle.
  • Saturday December 3 : San Francisco Javier.
  • Monday December 26 , moving on from Christmas Day.

Basque Country

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Monday April 18: Easter Monday.
  • Monday July 25: Day of Santiago Apostle.
  • Tuesday September 6 : Elcano Day.

Ceuta

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Saturday July 9: Feast of the Sacrifice.
  • Friday August 5: Our Lady of Africa.
  • Friday September 2: Ceuta Day.

Melilla

  • Thursday April 14: Holy Thursday.
  • Tuesday May 3: End of Ramadan.
  • Monday July 11: Feast of the Sacrifice.
  • Thursday September 8: Virgen de la Victoria.
  • Saturday September 17: Melilla Day.
  • Monday December 26 , moving on from Christmas Day.

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