{"id":16149,"date":"2025-12-25T14:23:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T19:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nexo.legal\/?p=16149"},"modified":"2026-01-13T18:24:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T23:24:58","slug":"festivos-en-colombia-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nexo.legal\/es\/festivos-en-colombia-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00f3mo afectan los festivos en Colombia a tu empresa en 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In Colombia, public holidays are part of the culture. For many workers, they are days for rest, family, or travel.<\/span><\/p>

For business owners, however, public holidays are something very different: <\/span>operational decisions, additional labor costs, and adjustments in business planning<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

Common phrases like <\/span>\u201ctomorrow is a public holiday\u201d<\/span><\/i> or <\/span>\u201cMonday is a public holiday in Colombia\u201d<\/span><\/i> are often heard without much reflection.<\/span>
<\/span> But behind those phrases are labor rules that, if not properly understood, end up affecting <\/span>profitability, payroll, and relationships with work teams<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

This article does not aim to simply repeat the law. Its purpose is to explain <\/span>how public holidays really work in Colombia<\/b>, how they are paid, how they differ from Sundays, and why they are a critical issue for any company that operates\u2014or plans to operate\u2014in the country.<\/span><\/p>

Colombia and public holidays: why they impact more than it seems<\/b><\/h2>

Colombia is one of the countries with the highest number of public holidays per year: <\/span>18 national holidays<\/b>. Many of them are moved to Monday under the Emiliani Law, creating the well-known long weekends (<\/span>\u201cpuentes\u201d<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/p>

From a business perspective, this creates three clear impacts:<\/span><\/p>

  • Paid days that are not always worked<\/span><\/li>
  • High surcharges when they are worked<\/span><\/li>
  • Cost concentration during long weekends<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

    In sectors with continuous operations\u2014<\/span>restaurants, retail, tourism, logistics, healthcare, BPOs<\/b>\u2014public holidays are not the exception, but part of daily operations. And that is where problems begin when they are not properly planned.<\/span><\/p>

    Colombia Public Holidays 2026<\/h3>
    Date<\/th>Holiday<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    January 1<\/td>New Year\u2019s Day<\/td><\/tr>
    January 12<\/td>Epiphany (Three Kings\u2019 Day)<\/td><\/tr>
    March 23<\/td>Saint Joseph\u2019s Day<\/td><\/tr>
    April 2<\/td>Maundy Thursday<\/td><\/tr>
    April 3<\/td>Good Friday<\/td><\/tr>
    May 1<\/td>Labor Day<\/td><\/tr>
    May 18<\/td>Ascension of Jesus<\/td><\/tr>
    June 8<\/td>Corpus Christi<\/td><\/tr>
    June 15<\/td>Sacred Heart of Jesus<\/td><\/tr>
    June 29<\/td>Saints Peter and Paul<\/td><\/tr>
    July 20<\/td>Independence Day<\/td><\/tr>
    August 7<\/td>Battle of Boyac\u00e1<\/td><\/tr>
    August 17<\/td>Assumption of the Virgin Mary<\/td><\/tr>
    October 12<\/td>Columbus Day<\/td><\/tr>
    November 2<\/td>All Saints\u2019 Day<\/td><\/tr>
    November 16<\/td>Independence of Cartagena<\/td><\/tr>
    December 8<\/td>Immaculate Conception<\/td><\/tr>
    December 25<\/td>Christmas Day<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>

    Not all public holidays are the same (and that matters)<\/b><\/h2>

    In Colombia, there are different types of public holidays, and understanding them helps anticipate their impact.<\/span><\/p>

    Some holidays never move: <\/span>January 1, May 1, July 20, December 25<\/b>.<\/span>
    <\/span> Others are moved to the following Monday. That is why it is so common to hear in offices: <\/span>\u201cMonday is a public holiday in Colombia.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>

    For companies, this means something very specific: the impact of the holiday is not spread throughout the week, but rather <\/span>concentrated in long weekends<\/b>, where there is usually more staff rotation, more hours worked, and more surcharges.<\/span><\/p>

    Public holiday and Sunday: not the same, but more similar than you think<\/b><\/h2>

    This is one of the most frequent sources of confusion.<\/span><\/p>

    Sunday is the <\/span>mandatory weekly rest day<\/b>.<\/span>
    <\/span> A public holiday is a <\/span>mandatory rest day established by law<\/b>, different from Sunday.<\/span><\/p>

    In labor practice, when these days are worked, the surcharge is applied progressively over the value of a regular working day:<\/span><\/p>

    • As of July 1, 2025:<\/b> 80% surcharge<\/span><\/li>
    • As of July 1, 2026:<\/b> 90% surcharge<\/span><\/li>
    • As of July 1, 2027:<\/b> 100% surcharge<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

      Both Sunday and public holiday work are paid based on the employee\u2019s ordinary daily wage, plus the corresponding surcharge.<\/span><\/p>

      The difference is not so much in the payment itself, but in <\/span>how shifts are organized, how frequently these days are worked, and whether compensatory rest applies<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

      That is why, from a cost perspective, many business owners group them mentally.<\/span>
      <\/span> The real mistake is <\/span>failing to document them properly<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

      How public holidays are actually paid in Colombia<\/b><\/h2>

      This is where theory turns into <\/span>cash flow, payroll, and margins<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

      When the employee does NOT work on the public holiday<\/b><\/h3>
      • The public holiday <\/span>is paid normally<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>
      • It is <\/span>not deducted<\/b> from the salary.<\/span><\/li>
      • It is <\/span>not \u201cmade up\u201d<\/b> by working another day.<\/span><\/li>
      • It is <\/span>not deducted<\/b> from the maximum legal working hours.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

        This often surprises many foreign business owners, since in other countries public holidays are paid only if they are worked.<\/span><\/p>

        In Colombia, it does not work that way: <\/span>a public holiday is a paid mandatory rest day<\/b>, even when the employee does not provide services.<\/span><\/p>

        When the employee DOES work on the public holiday<\/b><\/h2>

        In this case, a surcharge <\/span>does apply<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

        The employee is entitled to:<\/span><\/p>

        • Payment for the <\/span>ordinary working day<\/b>, and<\/span><\/li>
        • An <\/span>additional surcharge<\/b> for working on a public holiday, calculated over the normal daily wage.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

          This surcharge is applied progressively as follows:<\/span><\/p>

          • As of July 1, 2025:<\/b> 80%<\/span><\/li>
          • As of July 1, 2026:<\/b> 90%<\/span><\/li>
          • As of July 1, 2027:<\/b> 100%<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

            In simple terms, <\/span>today a worked public holiday is paid at 175%<\/b> of the ordinary daily wage.<\/span><\/p>

            If the public holiday work is <\/span>also performed at night<\/b>, the cost increases even further, because <\/span>surcharges accumulate<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

            Additionally, as of <\/span>December 25, 2025<\/b>, the <\/span>night work surcharge starts at 7:00 p.m.<\/b>, expanding the time period considered nighttime and, as a result, <\/span>increasing labor costs for evening and night shifts<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

            The real impact of public holidays: it\u2019s not one, it\u2019s all of them together<\/b><\/h2>

            A common mistake is to analyze public holidays one by one.<\/span>
            <\/span> The real impact appears when you look at them <\/span>as a whole<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

            For business owners, public holidays affect:<\/span><\/p>

            • The <\/span>real monthly cost per employee<\/b><\/li>
            • The <\/span>minimum price at which services or products can be sold<\/b><\/li>
            • The <\/span>need for additional staff to cover shifts<\/b><\/li>
            • Team fatigue<\/b> when rotation is poorly managed<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

              Many businesses feel that \u201cpayroll keeps going up\u201d without fully understanding why. When reviewed in detail, <\/span>poorly budgeted public holidays<\/b> are often part of the problem.<\/span><\/p>

              Public holidays and foreign companies entering Colombia<\/b><\/h2>

              For companies establishing operations in Colombia, this issue is critical.<\/span><\/p>

              In many countries:<\/span><\/p>

              • There are fewer public holidays<\/span><\/li>
              • Not all holidays are paid<\/span><\/li>
              • Surcharges are lower or nonexistent<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

                In Colombia:<\/span><\/p>

                • Public holidays <\/span>are paid<\/b><\/li>
                • Working them implies <\/span>high surcharges<\/b><\/li>
                • Labor enforcement <\/span>is real<\/b><\/li><\/ul>

                  That is why, when structuring an operation in Colombia, public holidays must be included from the very beginning in:<\/span><\/p>

                  • The <\/span>financial model<\/b><\/li>
                  • The <\/span>shift structure<\/b><\/li>
                  • The <\/span>payroll budget<\/b><\/li><\/ul>

                    Failing to do so means starting operations with <\/span>distorted cost assumptions<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

                    What business owners should review today regarding public holidays<\/b><\/h2>

                    Beyond the legal text, it is worth asking:<\/span><\/p>

                    • Do my contracts contemplate work on public holidays?<\/span><\/li>
                    • Is my payroll paying these days correctly?<\/span><\/li>
                    • Do I clearly understand when public holiday work is considered habitual?<\/span><\/li>
                    • Are surcharges being calculated correctly?<\/span><\/li>
                    • Am I budgeting for public holidays, or simply reacting to them?<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

                      In practice, many labor disputes arise because the employee did work on a public holiday, but the payment was <\/span>unclear, incomplete, or late<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

                      Public holidays as part of strategy, not a surprise<\/b><\/h2>

                      We are approaching year-end, a natural time to review how business operations are performing.<\/span><\/p>

                      Everyday phrases like <\/span>\u201ctomorrow is a public holiday\u201d<\/span><\/i> or <\/span>\u201cMonday is a public holiday in Colombia\u201d<\/span><\/i> may seem harmless, but when they accumulate throughout the year, they can turn into <\/span>overcosts, payroll errors, or unnecessary friction with teams<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

                      Year-end is also a period of adjustments:<\/span><\/p>

                      • Shift reviews<\/span><\/li>
                      • Payroll adjustments<\/span><\/li>
                      • Changes in accounting or labor advisory services<\/span><\/li><\/ul>

                        Before starting 2026, it is worth reviewing how you are managing public holidays in Colombia and ensuring they are aligned with both <\/span>the law and the financial reality of your business<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

                        A timely review prevents problems later.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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