What Are The Public Holidays in El Salvador in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in El Salvador (2026)

El Salvador recognizes a set of nationwide public holidays that most employers must observe, plus some local civic days that apply only in certain municipalities. Below is an overview of the main national public holidays for 2026 to help you plan staffing and leave.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Salvadoran labor law, public holidays are generally paid days of rest for employees, and you must pay employees even if they do not work on those days, provided they meet basic eligibility requirements such as having worked the day before and the day after the holiday unless they have justified absence. Full-time and part-time employees are both entitled to paid public holidays on a pro-rated basis according to their normal working schedule.

If your operations require employees to work on a public holiday, you must provide both the normal holiday pay and additional compensation for work performed on that day, typically at a premium rate over the employee's ordinary wage. In practice, this means employees should not be financially worse off for observing the holiday, and those who work should receive extra pay on top of their regular entitlement. Where a holiday falls on a Sunday, it is usually observed on that calendar day rather than moved, but some employers may choose to grant an additional rest day by internal policy or collective agreement.

Local civic holidays, such as municipal patron saint days or city festivals, may be treated as paid days off only for employees working in those specific locations, depending on local regulations and collective agreements. If your company operates across multiple cities, you should confirm which local holidays apply to each worksite and reflect that in your internal holiday calendar.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday rights in El Salvador can expose your company to inspections and sanctions from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, which is the main enforcement authority. If you do not pay the correct holiday wages or deny employees their entitled day of rest, the Ministry can order back payment of wages and benefits, impose administrative fines, and require you to correct your practices going forward.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, paying only the base salary without the required premium when employees work on a holiday, or failing to apply local civic holidays in municipalities where they are mandatory. Another frequent issue is misclassifying employees as contractors to avoid holiday obligations, which can be challenged by labor inspectors or in court. To reduce risk, you should keep clear payroll records showing how holiday pay and premiums were calculated and ensure your internal policies align with current Salvadoran labor law and any applicable collective agreements.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In El Salvador, work performed on a public holiday is generally treated as work on a special rest day and is usually compensated at a higher rate than ordinary hours, regardless of whether the employee has exceeded the normal daily or weekly working time. This means that even if an employee does not cross the standard overtime threshold, hours worked on a public holiday should still attract a premium over their regular wage, as set out in the Labor Code or in any more favorable collective agreement.

If an employee both exceeds the normal working hours and works on a public holiday, you may need to apply cumulative protections: the holiday premium for work on the holiday and, where applicable, overtime surcharges for hours beyond the legal daily or weekly limit. The exact calculation can vary by contract and sector, so many employers adopt a conservative approach and pay the higher of the applicable rates or combine them where required. Because practices can differ and regulations may be updated, you should confirm the current premium percentages and calculation method with a qualified Salvadoran labor advisor or your employer-of-record partner before finalizing your payroll rules.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Navigating Salvadoran public holidays, premium pay, and local civic days can be challenging, especially if your HR and payroll teams are based outside the country. Playroll helps you hire and manage employees in El Salvador while staying aligned with local labor law, including public holiday and leave requirements.

When you employ talent in El Salvador through Playroll, our in-country experts track changes to the Labor Code, confirm which national and local holidays apply to each employee, and configure your payroll so that holiday pay and premiums are calculated correctly. We factor in working schedules, part-time arrangements, and any applicable collective agreements, so your team members receive the right entitlements without you having to interpret every regulation yourself.

Playroll also centralizes your global leave data, giving you a single view of public holidays across all the countries where you hire. That makes it easier to plan project timelines, coordinate cross-border teams, and avoid last-minute surprises when a local holiday shuts down operations. If you need to adjust internal policies to offer more generous benefits than the legal minimum, we can help you design those policies so they remain compliant and easy to administer.

If you are expanding into El Salvador or already have a distributed team there, Playroll can act as your compliance co-pilot, handling employment contracts, statutory benefits, and holiday rules so you can focus on building your business. Talk to Playroll about setting up fully compliant employment in El Salvador and giving your team the confidence that their public holiday and leave rights are fully respected.