Countries › Costa Rica › Guide › 7. Labor and employment › Aguinaldo, vacations and public holidays in Costa Rica: a thirteenth month paid by 20 December, two weeks of vacation and nine paid holidays

Aguinaldo, vacations and public holidays in Costa Rica: a thirteenth month paid by 20 December, two weeks of vacation and nine paid holidays

Last verified: 2026-10-29 · Status: Stable

Every private employer in Costa Rica pays an aguinaldo equal to one month of salary, calculated on the average pay of the twelve months to 30 November, paid within the first twenty days of December, exempt from income tax and outside the CCSS contribution base. Workers earn at least two weeks of paid vacation for every fifty weeks of continuous work, which may not be cashed out except on termination and in limited cases. There are nine paid public holidays and three holidays whose pay is not compulsory, and work on a paid holiday is paid double.

USD figures use the Banco Central de Costa Rica reference selling rate of ₡454.82 per US dollar published for 29 October 2026 (indicator 318 on bccr.fi.cr), rounded to the cent. Fines use the 2026 salario base of ₡462,200 (Circular 246-2025 of the Consejo Superior del Poder Judicial, under Ley 7337 art. 2).

Key facts

Aguinaldo (one month of salary)	30 daysLey 2412 art. 1, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Aguinaldo equal to one month of average salary	1 monthsLey 2412 art. 1 and 2, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Minimum paid vacation per fifty weeks	2 weeksCódigo de Trabajo art. 153, as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Paid public holidays a year	9 daysCódigo de Trabajo art. 148, as of 2026-10-29 · in force

The rule

1. Every private employer owes each worker, of any kind and however paid, an annual benefit equal to one month of salary, based on the average ordinary and overtime pay of the twelve months before 1 December; workers with less than a year but at least one month receive a proportional share.
Example: Salary ₡1,500,000 all year: aguinaldo ₡1,500,000. Hired 1 June at ₡1,500,000: six months of pay ₡9,000,000 / 12 = ₡750,000. / About US$3,298.01; part year about US$1,649.00.Ley 2412, Ley de Aguinaldo para la Empresa Privada, as reformed by Ley 3929, art. 1, art. 2 and art. 3, 1967-08-08 official text · verified 2026-10-29

2. The aguinaldo is paid within the first twenty days of December and enjoys the same protection as severance; it is not counted for Código de Trabajo benefits or CCSS contributions, and it is exempt from income tax.Ley 2412, art. 4, art. 7 and art. 9, 1959-10-23 official text · verified 2026-10-29

3. Non payment of the aguinaldo is an unlawful withholding of salary and a serious breach by the employer, which lets the worker end the contract with employer liability.Ley 2412, art. 6, 1959-10-23 official text · verified 2026-10-29

4. Every worker is entitled to at least two weeks of paid vacation for each fifty weeks of continuous work with the same employer; if the contract ends before fifty weeks, at least one day for each month worked, paid on leaving.Ley 2, Código de Trabajo, as reformed by Ley 4302, art. 153, 1969-01-16 official text · verified 2026-10-29

5. The employer sets the vacation dates within the fifteen weeks after the fifty weeks are completed.Ley 2, Código de Trabajo, art. 155, 1943-08-27 official text · verified 2026-10-29

6. Vacations may not be paid in cash except on termination, for occasional or piece work, or where for justified reasons the worker agrees to be paid for days above the two week minimum, up to three accumulated periods and not more than once every two years.Ley 2, Código de Trabajo, as reformed by Ley 7989, art. 156, 2000-02-16 official text · verified 2026-10-29

7. Vacation pay is the average of ordinary and overtime pay over the last fifty weeks (last week for farm work).Ley 2, Código de Trabajo, as reformed by Ley 31 of 1943, art. 157, 1943-11-24 official text · verified 2026-10-29

8. Paid public holidays: 1 January, 11 April, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, 1 May, 25 July, 15 August, 15 September and 25 December; 2 August, 31 August and 1 December are holidays without compulsory pay. Holidays are paid at the ordinary salary.Ley 2, Código de Trabajo, as reformed by Ley 10050, art. 148, 2021-10-25 official text · verified 2026-10-29

9. Employers may not make workers work on holidays outside the exceptions of art. 150 and 151; one that does is fined and pays double, as for the weekly rest day.
Example: Daily pay ₡50,000: a worked paid holiday costs ₡100,000 in total for the day. / About US$219.87.Ley 2, Código de Trabajo, art. 149 and art. 152, 1947-05-02 official text · verified 2026-10-29

Date	Pay
1 January	Paid
11 April	Paid
Holy Thursday and Good Friday	Paid
1 May	Paid
25 July	Paid (not moved to another day)
2 August	Not compulsory
15 August	Paid
31 August	Not compulsory
15 September	Paid
1 December	Not compulsory
25 December	Paid

Public holidays (Código de Trabajo art. 148)

Worked example

A worker on ₡1,500,000 a month (US$3,298.01) all year receives an aguinaldo of ₡1,500,000 by 20 December, with no income tax and no CCSS charges on it.

Step by step

Accrue one twelfth of monthly pay each month for the aguinaldo.
Pay the aguinaldo between 1 and 20 December.
Schedule each worker's two weeks within fifteen weeks after the fifty week anniversary.
On termination pay untaken vacation and the proportional aguinaldo whatever the cause.

Common traps

The aguinaldo base includes overtime and commissions paid in the twelve months.
Paying vacation in cash every year is not allowed outside art. 156.
Late aguinaldo lets the worker resign with full severance rights.

Sources

← Working hours and overtime in Costa Rica: 8 hours by day, 6 by night, 48 a week, overtime at 150% and a 12 hour daily ceilingMaternity, paternity and family leave in Costa Rica: four months of maternity leave paid half by the CCSS, eight paternity days and pregnancy dismissal protection →

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