What Are The Public Holidays in Costa Rica in 2025?

List of Public Holidays in Costa Rica in 2025

Below is a full list of public holidays in Costa Rica for 2025. This table outlines the date, day of the week, and the occasion being celebrated.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Costa Rican labor law requires employers to provide paid leave on mandatory public holidays. These include New Year’s Day, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Labor Day, Guanacaste Annexation Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day.

For optional holidays, such as the Virgin of Los Angeles Day or Mother’s Day, payment is not mandatory, but many employers offer paid time off as a goodwill gesture or company policy.

Full-time employees receive their regular pay for these holidays, even if they don’t work. If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, they must be compensated at double their usual rate. Part-time employees are also entitled to payment for public holidays, calculated proportionally based on their contracted hours. Public holidays are separate from annual leave entitlements and do not reduce vacation days.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Employers who fail to provide paid leave on mandatory holidays are in violation of Costa Rica’s Labour Code and may face administrative fines or sanctions from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS). Penalties vary depending on the severity and frequency of non-compliance but can include monetary fines and legal orders to pay employees retroactively for missed entitlements, including interest.

Non-compliance issues are most common among hourly, part-time, or temporary workers, where employers mistakenly assume exemptions apply. Employees can file complaints directly with the MTSS, triggering an investigation or even a labor lawsuit if disputes are not resolved. To avoid violations, employers should ensure payroll systems accurately classify public holidays and automatically apply the correct pay rates.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Public holidays in Costa Rica are treated as non-working days when calculating overtime. If employees are required to work, those hours are compensated at double the regular rate and do not count toward the standard weekly overtime threshold. Essentially, any work performed on a public holiday is paid as premium time, separate from ordinary overtime calculations.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing public holidays in Costa Rica means keeping up with mandatory paid leave requirements, different holiday categories, and varying pay rates. Playroll helps global employers stay fully compliant by automatically tracking Costa Rica’s labor laws and applying the right leave entitlements for each employee.

Whether you’re managing teams in San José or Guanacaste, Playroll ensures that every worker receives the correct pay and time off, without the administrative headache. Our platform integrates compliance directly into payroll, saving you time, preventing costly mistakes, and giving you total confidence that your business meets all local legal standards.

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