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Public holidays in Spain 2026 – regional dates, 112, cash limits, meal times and smoking

Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →

Public holidays in Spain in 2026 depend on where you live: Catalonia takes Easter Monday, Madrid takes 2 November, and your town adds two of its own. Here are the dates, the numbers to call in an emergency, the cash rules and the daily rhythm newcomers trip over.

Smiling woman with a shopping bag walking through an indoor food market
Photo: Marcos/Adobe Stock

Public holidays in Spain are set by the State, the 17 autonomous communities and each town. In 2026 All Saints' Day (1 November) and Constitution Day (6 December) fall on a Sunday, and only some regions move them to the Monday: nine regions, including Madrid and Andalusia, give Monday 2 November off, while Catalonia and the Valencia region do not.

Also new: a government bill to ban smoking on bar and restaurant terraces reached Congress in July 2026. It is not law yet.

Which public holidays in Spain apply everywhere in 2026?

You get 12 paid public holidays a year set nationally or regionally, plus up to two local ones chosen by your municipality and published in the regional or provincial bulletin. Seven national holidays cannot be replaced by any region, and every region keeps Epiphany.

DateHolidayWhere
1 JanuaryNew Year's DayEverywhere
6 JanuaryEpiphanyEvery region
3 AprilGood FridayEverywhere
1 MayLabour DayEverywhere
15 AugustAssumptionEverywhere
12 OctoberNational DayEverywhere
8 DecemberImmaculate ConceptionEverywhere
25 DecemberChristmas DayEverywhere

Source: Directorate-General for Labour, resolution of 17 October 2025 on the 2026 holidays (BOE), read 23 September 2026.

Public holidays in Spain by region: Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia

Each region fills the rest. These are the four regional extras in Madrid, Catalonia, the Valencia region and Andalusia:

RegionExtra holidays in 2026
Comunidad de Madrid2 April (Maundy Thursday), 2 May (Community of Madrid Day), 2 November, 7 December
Catalonia6 April (Easter Monday), 24 June (Sant Joan), 11 September (Diada), 26 December (Sant Esteve; 17 June instead in the Val d'Aran)
Comunitat Valenciana19 March (San José), 6 April, 24 June, 9 October (Valencian Community Day)
Andalusia28 February (Andalusia Day), 2 April, 2 November, 7 December

Source: Directorate-General for Labour, resolution of 17 October 2025 (BOE), read 23 September 2026.

Maundy Thursday (2 April) is off everywhere except Catalonia and the Valencia region; Easter Monday (6 April) only in the Balearic Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Navarre, the Basque Country, La Rioja and the Valencia region. Monday 2 November is off in Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Madrid and Navarre; Monday 7 December in Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Madrid, Murcia, La Rioja and Melilla.

Each Canary island adds its own day, such as Tenerife on 2 February and Gran Canaria on 8 September. Your two local holidays come on top; ask your ayuntamiento (town hall). The Workers' Statute caps the total at 14 paid holidays a year, two of them local.

Emergency numbers in Spain: which one do you call?

112 is the free emergency number across the EU. It works from any landline or mobile, even a locked phone or one without an active SIM, and on another network if yours has no coverage. In the Comunidad de Madrid it answers in Spanish and English, with interpreters for other languages; in Catalonia it serves callers in 50 languages.

NumberServiceDetails
112All emergenciesFree, 24 hours
091Policía Nacional (National Police)Emergencies and reporting a crime
062Guardia Civil24 hours a day, 365 days a year
016Violence against womenFree, confidential, 24 hours, 53 languages; WhatsApp 600 000 016
024Suicide preventionFree, confidential, 24 hours
900 202 010ANAR helpline for children and teenagers016 forwards calls from minors here
061 in CataloniaCatSalut ResponHealth advice for problems that are not emergencies, 24 hours
061 in AndalusiaHealth emergenciesSerious cases where a life may be at risk

Source: Punto de Acceso General, Policía Nacional, Guardia Civil, the equality and health ministries, CatSalut and the Andalusian Health Service, read 23 September 2026.

Crimes can also be reported online or at a police station, and foreign tourists have dedicated SATE assistance offices. The free AlertCops app lets anyone alert the police, including people with hearing or speech impairments. ES-Alert sends civil-protection warnings to every mobile in an affected area with no app needed; top-level alerts sound even on silent and may add a second language, usually English.

Cash, cards and tipping: what are the rules?

Euro cash is legal tender: according to the Banco de España, shops and restaurants cannot refuse it unless another method was agreed beforehand. Cards, mainly Visa and Mastercard, are widely accepted, though Turespaña, the national tourism body, says some small businesses want a minimum of around €10 by card. Card surcharges are banned; discounts for a payment method are allowed.

SituationLimitDetail
Paying cash where one side is a business or professionalUnder €1,000Both sides are liable; the fine is 25 per cent of the amount
Private individuals who prove tax residence outside SpainUnder €10,000Same rule, higher limit
Carrying cash into or out of SpainDeclare €10,000 or moreIncludes anonymous prepaid cards and gold
Moving cash within SpainDeclare €100,000 or more
Cash withdrawals at a bank counterFree if you are over 65 or have a recognised disability of 33 per cent or moreBanks may not charge you

Source: Ley 7/2012 as amended by Ley 11/2021, Ley 10/2010 and Real Decreto-ley 19/2018, published in the BOE, read 23 September 2026.

Tipping is not obligatory, as service is included, but it is common in bars, restaurants, hotels and taxis, usually 5 to 10 per cent of the bill, according to Turespaña. Bars and restaurants must always offer free tap water, and tourism businesses must keep official hojas de reclamaciones (complaint forms).

Meal times, shop hours and the rhythm of the day

Restaurants tend to serve lunch from 13:00 to 16:00 and dinner from 20:00 to 23:30. Shops usually open from 10:00 to 21:00, some closing between 14:00 and 17:00, especially in summer, and Sunday is the normal closing day, according to Turespaña.

Regions set opening hours within Ley 1/2004: at least 90 hours a week on weekdays and at least 16 Sundays or holidays a year, or no fewer than 10 if a region lowers it. Bakeries, newsagents, petrol stations, convenience stores and shops under 300 m² outside large retail groups open freely. In the Comunidad de Madrid, every retailer chooses its own Sundays and holidays.

The Canary Islands run one hour behind the rest of Spain.

Tobacco and alcohol in Spain: age limits and smoke-free places

Adulthood starts at 18. Selling or giving tobacco to anyone under 18 is banned nationwide, and minors may not use cigarette vending machines. Smoking is banned in all enclosed public places, including workplaces, enclosed bars and restaurants, shopping centres, public transport and stations except their open-air parts, and in children's playgrounds.

Terraces are the open question. A government bill amending the tobacco law was submitted to Congress on 24 July 2026 and published on 11 September 2026. It would extend smoke-free areas to bar and restaurant terraces, outdoor areas of sports venues, concerts, bus stops and shelters and cars used for work, and regulate e-cigarettes. It is at the amendment stage in the Health Committee, so it is only a bill.

Selling alcohol to, supplying it to and drinking by under-18s is prohibited, with the detail set in regional law. In the Comunidad de Madrid, for example, drinking in the street is banned except on terraces or during regulated fiestas, and shops may not sell alcohol to take away between 22:00 and 08:00 unless the municipality sets other hours.

What to do now

StepWhatWhen
1Save 112, 091, 062, 016 and 024 in your phoneToday
2Check your region's list and your town's two local holidaysBefore you book time off
3Check whether 2 November and 7 December are off where you liveBefore November
4Keep some cash, and remember the €1,000 limit with businessesAlways
5Declare €10,000 or more in cashWhen you enter or leave Spain
6Follow the terrace smoking billAmendment deadline 29–30 September 2026

Source: BOE, Policía Nacional and the Congress of Deputies, read 23 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.