Guides · Thursday, November 12, 2026

Vacation in Costa Rica: how many days you get and how they're paid

How many vacation days Costa Rica's Labor Code gives, who decides when you take them, what happens with year-end closings and how vacation is paid.

Family walks along a Pacific beach at sunset with a cooler and towels.

December is vacation season, and question season too: how many days you get, who decides when you take them, and what happens if the company closes at year-end. Here's what Costa Rica's Labor Code says.

How many days do you get?

Desk with a December calendar with days marked, a planner and sunglasses. — By law, at least two paid weeks for every 50 weeks worked.

Under article 153 of the Labor Code, every worker is entitled to at least two weeks of paid vacation for every 50 weeks of continuous work with the same employer.
In practice, that usually means 12 working days if you work Monday to Saturday, or 10 if you work Monday to Friday. Many companies give more by contract or collective agreement.
If the job ends before the 50 weeks, you're entitled to at least one vacation day for each month worked, paid in your final settlement.

Who decides when you take them?

The employer sets the vacation period, but must do so within the 15 weeks after you complete the 50 weeks (article 155). It's usually agreed between both.

Collective vacations

Glass door of a closed office, with the lights off and a Christmas decoration. — Many companies close at year-end and deduct those days from vacation.

Many companies close between Christmas and New Year. In that case, the closing days are normally deducted from each person's accrued vacation. In the public sector, the government usually decrees collective year-end vacations. If you don't have accrued days yet, ask in writing how those days will be handled before the closing.

Can vacation be exchanged for money?

As a rule, no: vacation is for resting. Only unused days left when the job ends are paid in money, or in cases the law allows by agreement, with limits.

How is vacation paid?

Vacation is paid at your salary, as if you were working those days. If your pay varies (commissions, overtime), it's calculated from your average earnings over the last 50 weeks.

More for year-end: holidays left and how they're paid, when the aguinaldo is paid and the aguinaldo calculator.

This article is for information only and doesn't replace guidance from the Ministry of Labor (800-TRABAJO) or a labor lawyer.