Uruguay observes several national public holidays throughout the year. Public holidays are generally divided into paid non-working holidays and working holidays, and the treatment of each holiday depends on its classification.
This article provides an overview of Uruguay's statutory public holidays and how they are generally observed.
Paid Non-Working Holidays
The following are statutory paid non-working holidays:
1 January — New Year's Day
1 May — Labour Day
18 July — Constitution Day
25 August — Independence Day
25 December — Christmas / Family Day
Employees are entitled to their regular remuneration for these holidays. If an employee works on one of these holidays, additional payment applies in accordance with the applicable statutory rules.
Working Holidays
Uruguay also observes several working public holidays. These generally include:
6 January — Three Kings Day
Carnival — Monday and Tuesday of Carnival
Tourism Week — Semana de Turismo
19 April — Landing of the 33 Orientals
18 May — Battle of Las Piedras
19 June — Birthday of José Artigas
12 October — Day of the Races / Cultural Diversity Day
2 November — All Souls' Day
Working holidays are not automatically days off for employees. Whether employees work on these dates and how they are paid may depend on the applicable employment regime, collective agreement, or industry-specific rules.
Holiday Observance and Substitute Days
Certain working holidays may be moved to a Monday when they fall on other days of the week.
Under the general rules:
Holidays falling on Tuesday or Wednesday are generally observed on the preceding Monday.
Holidays falling on Thursday or Friday are generally observed on the following Monday.
Holidays falling on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday are generally observed on the original date.
Exceptions apply to certain holidays, including Carnival, Tourism Week, and several fixed-date holidays such as 1 January, 6 January, 1 May, 19 June, 18 July, 25 August, 2 November, and 25 December.
Presidential Inauguration Holiday
A special non-working holiday applies on 1 March when the presidential term is transferred.
This holiday occurs every five years in connection with the transfer of presidential command and is separate from the regular annual public holidays.
Important Considerations
Public holiday calendars can vary by employment regime: Collective agreements or industry-specific rules may establish additional holidays or different payment arrangements.
Working holidays are not necessarily days off: Employees may be required to work on a working public holiday under the applicable employment conditions.
Holiday dates may move: Check the applicable year's official calendar to confirm the observed date for holidays subject to the Monday substitution rules.
Payment for working on a holiday: The payment treatment depends on whether the holiday is a paid non-working holiday, a working holiday, and the employee's applicable remuneration regime.
Note: This article provides a general overview of statutory public holidays in Uruguay. Always confirm the applicable holiday date and payment treatment for the relevant year and employment regime before processing payroll.