When a deadline ‘expires’ in Spain, the key question is not whether you work on that day, but whether the Administration considers it a working day or a non-working day. And this is where national, regional and local holidays can change the end of the deadline… without asking for permission.
1) Basic concepts (without fine print... but with precision)
Calendar days
They are all the days of the calendar: Monday to Sunday, holidays included. If a rule says “10 calendar days”, 10 days in a row are counted. (Typical example: civil/contractual deadlines or some procedures with express reference to “natural”).
Working days (in administrative/tax procedure)
As a general rule, when a deadline is set “by days”, it is understood that they are working, and do not count Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.
Unworking days
They are the ones that do not compute: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
And pay attention to the practical rule that saves (or sinks) presentations:
- If the last day of the deadline is non-working, the deadline is extended to the first following business day.
- If a day is skilled in his municipality but not able at the headquarters of the organ (or vice versa), he is considered independent in any case.
National / regional / local holiday (labour)
In Spain, the “standard package” is up to 14 holidays a year: 12 (national + autonomous) and 2 local per municipality.
All this is included in Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the common administrative procedure of public administrations.
Read this article to know what are the natural, working and non-working days and working days
Understanding the Difference between Calendar, business, Non-working and Working Days
In the administrative field, when requesting holidays or carrying out procedures, it is common to come across terms such as calendar days, working days, non-working
2) Official holidays 2026 (national + regional) by territory
Below, the relevant for your work area (Costa Blanca and Mar Menor): Valencian Community (Alicante) and Region of Murcia.
A) Valencian Community – holidays 2026 (12 days)
Working days in the Valencian Community for 2026:
- January 1 (Thursday): New Year
- January 6 (Tuesday): Epiphany of the Lord
- March 19 (Thursday): San José
- April 3 (Friday): Good Friday
- April 6 (Monday): Easter Monday
- May 1 (Friday): Labour Day
- June 24 (Wednesday): San Juan
- August 15 (Saturday): Assumption of the Virgin
- October 9 (Friday): Valencian Community Day
- October 12 (Monday): National Holiday of Spain
- December 8 (Tuesday): Immaculate Conception
- December 25 (Friday): Nativity of the Lord
Useful note 2026: in the Valencian Community they do not appear as holidays All Saints (November 1) or Constitution day (December 6), which in 2026 fall on Sunday and can be replaced according to the state scheme.
B) Region of Murcia – holidays 2026 (12 days)
The Regional Resolution for 2026 fixes these holidays (includes, among others, June 9 as Region Day and December 7 as the Monday after the Constitution).
- January 1 (Thursday): New Year
- January 6 (Tuesday): Epiphany of the Lord
- March 19 (Thursday): San José
- April 2 (Thursday): Holy Thursday
- April 3 (Friday): Good Friday
- May 1 (Friday): Labour Day
- June 9 (Tuesday): Day of the Region of Murcia (substitution of the rest linked to November 1 on Sunday)
- August 15 (Saturday): Assumption of the Virgin
- October 12 (Monday): National Holiday of Spain
- December 7 (Monday): Monday following the Constitution
- December 8 (Tuesday): Immaculate Conception
- December 25 (Friday): Nativity of the Lord
3) Local holidays 2026 (the 2 days "that move deadlines" in each municipality)
A) Province of Alicante (Comunitat Valenciana)
Local holidays published for 2026 (each with 2 days):
- Orihuela
- July 17 (Friday): Glorious Enseña del Oriol / Reconquest
- 8 September (Tuesday): Virgin of Monserrate
Data collected by the calendar of the Social Graduate College of Alicante
- Torrevieja:
- April 13 (Monday): San Vicente Ferrer
- July 16 (Thursday): Virgen del Carmen
- Guardamar del Segura:
- July 24 (Friday): eve of James the Apostle
- October 7 (Wednesday): Virgin of the Rosary
- Pilar de la Horadada:
- July 30 (Thursday): anniversary of the Segregation
- October 13 (Tuesday): day after the Virgen del Pilar
B) Region of Murcia
Local holidays 2026 (2 by municipality) published in BORM:
- Saint Javier:
- February 3 (Tuesday)
- December 3 (Thursday)
- San Pedro del Pinatar:
- June 29 (Monday)
- July 16 (Thursday)
4) Practical measures not to "lose" a deadline for a holiday (especially local)
- Don’t rush to the last day. It seems obvious; it keeps failing. In 2026, in addition, there are holidays on Tuesdays/Fridays that favour bridges and misdirections.
- If the due date falls on non-working, calculate the “next business day” (and leave internal evidence of the calculation).
- Have the “relevant” municipality controlled: if the day is non-working in the municipality of the interested party or at the headquarters of the body, it is considered non-working.
- Domiciliation ≠ presentation. In many tax procedures, the direct debit usually closes before the presentation. Golden rule: always check the specific date of the model before promising a “I put it in on the last day.” Here is a link to our article “Tax Calendar 2026: Key Dates for domiciliation and tax payment in Spain”
- Month/quarter closing checklist: schedule internal reviews with margin (48–72h) to prevent a local holiday from turning a deadline into an emergency.
5) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does a Saturday count as a working day to present to the Administration?
No. In administrative calculation, Saturdays are excluded from the calculation of working days.
If the last day is a local holiday in Torrevieja, but I am in Orihuela, what happens?
It depends on the “relevant municipality” of the interested party and the headquarters of the body. If there is discord and a place considers it inept, it is treated as inept.
Why does December 7 not appear as a holiday in the Valencian Community and in Murcia it does?
Because in 2026, December 6 falls on Sunday and the transfer/substitution depends on the regional calendar. Murcia incorporates Monday 7/12, while the Valencian Community sets other regional holidays (such as San Juan 24/6) and does not include that transfer.
Are there always two local holidays?
Yes, in general there are up to two per municipality within the system of 14 annual holidays.
Where are they officially published?
The regional ones in the official newspaper of the community (DOGV / BORM) and the locals in the corresponding bulletins.
Final grade (prudent and professional)
This article brings together the official dates 2026 published in the corresponding bulletins. Even so, if a deadline is critical (inspection, request, resources, etc.), it is convenient to contrast the specific calculation with the calendar of non-working days applicable to the body that processes and to the municipality of the interested party.