🇪🇸 Working time rules
Working Time Rules: Spain
Spain: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Standard work week40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave22 days22 working days minimum (30 calendar days) by law.
Statutory working time
Under the Workers' Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores, Art. 34), ordinary working time may not exceed 40 hours per week on an annual average, with a maximum of 9 hours per working day.
Overtime
Overtime is capped (as a rule 80 hours per year, with exceptions) and is either paid at a rate no lower than the ordinary hour or compensated with equivalent time off.
Rest periods
At least 12 hours between the end of one working day and the start of the next, plus a minimum weekly rest period.
Record-keeping
Since 2019, employers must keep a daily record of each worker’s working time.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.