Domestic Worker Holiday in Spain: 30 Days a Year

A domestic worker is entitled to 30 calendar days of paid holiday for each year worked. In practice, this means an employee accrues 2.5 calendar days for every month of service, to be used as holiday. The holiday granted to domestic workers is there to be taken as rest and cannot be replaced by a cash payment.

Calendar days means any day of the week or year, regardless of whether it falls on a public holiday or on the worker's usual day off. For example, if a domestic worker takes 7 days of holiday, all 7 days are counted, including Sundays and public holidays.

The 30 days can be split into two or more periods, but at least one of them must run for a minimum of 15 consecutive calendar days. Under the special system for domestic workers, Article 9.7 of Royal Decree 1620/2011 (Real Decreto 1620/2011) provides that, where there is no agreement on the holiday dates, the employer may set 15 days according to the family's needs while the worker freely chooses the remaining days. The dates must be communicated to the worker at least two months before the holiday is due to start. Live-in domestic workers are not required to reside in the family home, or to travel with the family, during their holidays.

It is worth stressing that, as a general rule, a domestic worker's holiday must be taken before the end of the calendar year (January to December) and cannot be exchanged for cash. The exception is where the worker has been unable to take it because of sick leave, maternity or paternity: in those cases the holiday is not lost but carried over. Because holiday accrues by year worked, a domestic worker who starts their contract on 1 July is entitled only to the proportion accrued during that year (15 days).

How holiday is calculated: 2.5 days per month worked

A domestic worker's holiday accrues in proportion to the time worked, at a rate of 2.5 calendar days for every month of service (30 days divided by 12 months). So when the contract does not cover the full calendar year, because it starts later or ends earlier, the 30 days are reduced by the same proportion. The formula is straightforward: days accrued = months worked x 2.5. Where the result leaves a fraction, the half-day is usually rounded up so as not to disadvantage the worker.

Example: a contract that starts mid-year

If a domestic worker signs their contract on 1 July, by 31 December they will have worked six months and accrued 15 days of holiday (6 x 2.5). They would not be entitled to the full 30 days until they had completed a whole calendar year. The following year, if they stay on from January to December, they will be entitled to the full 30 days.

Example: holiday outstanding when the contract ends

Imagine a full-time live-in worker on the 2026 minimum wage (1,221 EUR/month under the 14-payment scheme; 17,094 EUR/year) who leaves on 30 June without having taken a single day of holiday. They have accrued 15 days that go untaken, so these must be paid out in the final settlement (finiquito). Taking the daily wage (17,094 EUR divided by 365, roughly 46.83 EUR), those 15 days amount to around 702 EUR, added to the settlement along with the proportional share of the extra (bonus) payments, prorated by half-year. The figure is indicative: the exact calculation depends on how the payroll has been structured (12 or 14 payments).

Are hourly domestic workers entitled to holiday?

Under the special system for domestic workers, the type of contract makes no difference, whether live-in, hourly, part-time or full-time, because they are all entitled to 30 calendar days of holiday. The only distinction lies in the pay received during the holiday, since part-time workers will earn less than full-time workers. For workers paid by the hour, or intermittent workers, who provide fewer than 120 days a year to the same employer, holiday pay may be included on a prorated basis within their wages, instead of being taken as time off, if both parties agree.

In practice, for many hourly workers this means the hourly rate already has the holiday element built in. In 2026, the hourly minimum wage for a domestic worker is 9.55 EUR gross (Royal Decree 126/2026, Real Decreto 126/2026), an amount that already includes the prorated share of both the extra (bonus) payments and holiday. Where this arrangement is agreed, the worker is paid that rate for each hour actually worked and does not, in addition, take a separate paid rest period, which is why it is essential to set it out clearly in writing from the outset.

How much is paid during holiday (and what it costs)

During their holiday, the domestic worker continues to receive their usual salary: the rest period is paid, not unpaid leave. A full-time worker on the 2026 minimum wage will receive their normal monthly pay (1,221 EUR under the 14-payment scheme, or 1,424.50 EUR if the salary is spread over 12 payments) in the month they take their holiday, just as in any other month.

For the employing family, the holiday period brings no saving: the salary still has to be paid and Social Security (Seguridad Social) registration must be maintained, which is compulsory from the very first hour of work. Adding salary and contributions together, the total cost of a full-time worker on the minimum wage comes to around 1,801 EUR/month in 2026, including while they are on holiday.

Special cases and common mistakes

• Sick leave, maternity or paternity: if these coincide with planned holiday, the days are not lost. The worker can take them afterwards, even once the calendar year has ended.
• It cannot be swapped for cash: aside from untaken days settled in the final payment (finiquito) when the contract ends, holiday is for resting, not for being paid out while continuing to work.
• Two months' notice: the dates must be given to the worker at least two months before they start; springing them on the worker at the last minute does not comply with the rules.
• Live-in workers: during their holiday they are not obliged to live in the family home or to travel with the family.
• Take it within the year: as a general rule holiday expires on 31 December, so it is wise to plan ahead and avoid building up days that are impossible to take.

In the event of dismissal, any holiday a domestic worker has accrued but not taken must be paid out in the final settlement (finiquito).

If you are thinking of hiring a domestic worker but are not sure how to go about it, we can help.