Spanish labor lawyer Juanma Lorente has outlined the statutory paid leave options available to employees in Spain during 2026 across his social media accounts.
Lorente reminded workers that every entitlement on the list was fully remunerated, allowing staff to be absent for specific personal, medical, or family circumstances without incurring salary deductions.
Leave for Marriage, Hospitalization and Bereavement
One of the most widely recognized categories involves marriage or the formalization of a civil partnership, which grants employees 15 paid days off.
Workers also qualify for five days of paid leave in the event of hospital admission, surgical intervention without hospitalization, or a serious accident involving a spouse, cohabiting partner, or family member up to the second degree of consanguinity.
In legal terms, second degree relatives include parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings, ensuring protection for both immediate and extended family emergencies.
The statutory list includes one paid day for moving house and two days following the death of a spouse, civil partner, or relative up to the second degree. If travel is required because of the bereavement, the period extends to four days.
Time Off for Voting and Medical Appointments
Spanish labor regulations also accommodate shorter absences during working hours for specific civic and medical obligations.
Lorente stated that paid leave was provided for the exact time necessary to vote in elections, attend prenatal examinations, participate in childbirth preparation classes, and carry out preparatory steps for organ donation.
Weather Emergencies and Hourly Force Majeure
The list includes four days of paid leave during severe weather disasters when authorities recommend staying home or when commuting poses a risk to life.
Lorente recalled that this weather safety measure was introduced following the severe DANA storm in Valencia, noting that it remains an essential right for workers to understand. In Spanish meteorology, a DANA refers to an isolated high altitude depression capable of causing sudden torrential rainfall and severe flooding.
The final entitlement highlighted by Lorente provides four days of leave for force majeure situations triggered by urgent family circumstances that require the immediate presence of the worker.
Lorente explained that this force majeure leave did not have to be taken in full workdays and could be used on an hourly basis, such as when picking up a child who becomes ill at school. He added that the provision was created to cover any unexpected emergency requiring immediate action due to family reasons, illness, or accident.
