Most US employers learn about LATAM holidays the hard way. A deliverable stalls on a Monday in June. A customer support shift goes uncovered during Holy Week. A contractor mentions in early December that most of their family expects a year-end bonus, and nobody on your side had planned for the question.
None of this is a reason to hesitate about hiring in Latin America. Your remote team will still overlap with your business hours on the vast majority of working days. But holidays across the region don’t line up neatly with the US calendar, and they vary a lot from country to country. Colombia now has 19 national holidays a year. Mexico has seven. Argentina adds long weekends that can change from one year to the next.
This guide covers the holidays that affect US teams most, how time off works for LATAM remote workers, what to know about year-end pay expectations, and a simple system for planning coverage so nothing falls through the cracks.
Why LATAM holidays catch US teams off guard
The US calendar has a fairly predictable rhythm. Most companies close for about ten federal holidays, and most of those are already built into every manager’s planning.
Latin America works differently in three ways. First, the number of holidays varies widely by country, so a team spread across Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina won’t all be off on the same days. Second, several countries move holidays to the nearest Monday, which creates long weekends that aren’t on a US manager’s radar. Third, some of the most widely observed days aren’t official holidays at all. Holy Week, Day of the Dead in Mexico, and December 12 (the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe) all fall in that category for many workers.
Knowing where your workers live is the first step. If you haven’t decided yet, our comparison of Mexico vs. Colombia vs. Argentina for different roles is a good place to start.
Key holidays by country
Mexico
Mexico’s Federal Labor Law sets seven mandatory rest days: January 1, the first Monday of February (Constitution Day), the third Monday of March (Benito Juárez’s birthday), May 1, September 16 (Independence Day), the third Monday of November (Revolution Day), and December 25. An extra day is added every six years when a new president takes office.
That’s a short official list, but practice runs wider. Many workers take time around Holy Week, Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2, and December 12. If your Mexican team member asks for one of those days, treat it like a US employee asking for the day after Thanksgiving.
Colombia
Colombia has the most public holidays in the region. A new law added July 9 (the Day of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá) starting in 2026, bringing the national total to 19. Under Colombian law, most holidays that fall midweek move to the following Monday, so the country sees long weekends almost every month. June alone often has three Monday holidays.
Holy Thursday and Good Friday are both official holidays in Colombia. For 2027, those fall on March 25 and 26.
Argentina
Argentina has more than 15 national holidays, including Carnival Monday and Tuesday in February or March, which shift each year with the Easter calendar. The government can also declare extra non-working days to create long weekends for tourism, and those are announced year by year. Check the official calendar each January rather than assuming last year’s dates will repeat.
Brazil
If you hire in Brazil, Carnival is the period to plan around. It isn’t a national holiday on paper, but much of the country slows down for several days, and many workers expect the time off.
Holidays still ahead in late 2026
If you’re reading this in the fourth quarter, these are the dates to put on your team calendar now.
| Country | Date | Holiday |
| Mexico | November 2 | Day of the Dead (widely observed, not official) |
| Mexico | November 16 | Revolution Day (official) |
| Mexico | December 12 | Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (widely observed, not official) |
| Mexico | December 25 | Christmas (official) |
| Colombia | November 2 | All Saints’ Day (moved to Monday) |
| Colombia | November 16 | Independence of Cartagena (moved to Monday) |
| Colombia | December 8 | Immaculate Conception |
| Colombia | December 25 | Christmas |
| Argentina | December 8 | Immaculate Conception |
| Argentina | December 25 | Christmas |
How time off works for LATAM remote workers
Here’s the part many employers miss. Workers you hire through Pros Marketplace are independent contractors, not employees, so local labor laws on paid vacation and holiday pay don’t automatically apply to your arrangement. Time off is whatever you and your worker agree to.
That doesn’t mean local norms are irrelevant. Your worker’s friends and family who hold traditional jobs get those benefits, and that shapes what feels fair. Employees in Mexico get 12 vacation days after their first year. In Colombia, it’s 15 working days. In Argentina, employees with under five years of service get 14 calendar days.
A practical starting point for a full-time contractor is to offer your worker’s national holidays off plus 10 to 15 days of paid time off per year. Some employers prefer a simpler model where the worker follows the US holiday calendar instead, and that can work too. What matters is putting the policy in writing at the start, not negotiating it the first time someone asks for a Monday off. If you’re still building your agreement, our guide to LATAM employment laws covers the bigger compliance picture.
Year-end pay expectations
Across much of Latin America, employees receive a mandatory year-end bonus. In Mexico it’s called the aguinaldo, equal to at least 15 days of pay and due by December 20. In Argentina and Brazil, it works out to roughly one extra month of pay per year, often called the 13th salary.
Contractors aren’t legally owed this, but many expect some form of it, because it’s such a normal part of working life in the region. You have three options. You can pay a full 13th month, offer a smaller holiday bonus, or explain clearly when you hire that compensation is set as an annual rate with no year-end bonus. Any of these can work. The one that causes problems is saying nothing and letting December become a surprise for both sides.
We’ve written more about the 13th month and other ways to reward remote workers in 10 ways to motivate and reward your virtual assistants.
How to plan coverage around LATAM holidays
A few simple habits keep holidays from turning into missed deadlines.
Build a shared team calendar in January with every worker’s national holidays already added. It takes about 20 minutes and saves weeks of confusion.
Ask each worker during onboarding which unofficial days they usually take. Holy Week and late December are the most common. You’ll get a more accurate picture from a two-minute conversation than from any official list.
Stagger coverage for roles that can’t go dark. If customer support or inbox management needs to run every weekday, hiring across two countries with different holiday calendars gives you natural backup. The overlap between LATAM time zones and US hours, covered in our post on LATAM remote work time zones, makes this easier than it sounds.
Set deadlines with holidays in mind. A project due the Tuesday after a Colombian long weekend effectively loses a working day. Planning for that up front is easier than renegotiating later.
Finally, cover holidays in the first conversation about expectations. Our guide to the first 90 days with a remote LATAM employee includes the other topics worth settling early.
Plan once, then stop worrying about it
LATAM holidays only cause trouble when they’re a surprise. Put your workers’ national holidays on a shared calendar, agree on a time-off policy in writing, decide your approach to year-end pay before December, and plan coverage for the roles that need it. That’s a one-time setup that pays off all year.
The time-zone overlap, cost savings, and long-term commitment that draw US companies to Latin America far outweigh a few extra long weekends on the calendar. The key is hiring people you trust to communicate early when time off is coming.
Browse verified LATAM remote workers on Pros Marketplace and find your next hire today.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give LATAM remote workers their national holidays off?
Not legally, if they’re independent contractors, which is how workers are hired through Pros Marketplace. Your agreement sets the rules. That said, most employers give national holidays off because asking someone to work on Christmas or Independence Day while their entire country is closed rarely produces their best work, and it can hurt retention. If a holiday falls on a day you truly need coverage, ask well in advance and offer an alternate day off or extra pay. Most workers will be happy to help when it’s handled with respect and planning.
How many paid vacation days should I offer a LATAM contractor?
There’s no legal requirement, but 10 to 15 paid days a year is a fair starting point for a full-time contractor, on top of national holidays. That’s in line with local employee standards: 12 days in Mexico after the first year, 15 working days in Colombia, and 14 calendar days in Argentina for newer employees. Some employers start at 10 days and add more after a year of service. Whatever you choose, write it into the agreement before the worker starts, along with how much notice you’d like for planned time off.
Should I pay a 13th month bonus to a LATAM contractor?
You’re not required to, but it’s worth deciding before December. A year-end bonus is legally required for employees in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, so many contractors expect something similar. Your options are a full 13th month, a smaller holiday bonus, or building the annual total into the regular rate and saying so clearly at hiring. Each approach works when it’s agreed up front. Where employers run into trouble is staying silent and letting the worker assume. A short conversation during onboarding avoids an awkward one in December.
Which LATAM country has the most public holidays?
Colombia, with 19 national holidays as of 2026 after a new one was added on July 9. Most Colombian holidays move to the following Monday, which creates frequent long weekends. Argentina has more than 15 holidays plus occasional bridge days added by the government. Mexico has the fewest official holidays, with seven mandatory rest days under its labor law, though several unofficial days, like Day of the Dead and December 12, are widely observed. If your role needs steady weekday coverage, it’s worth factoring these differences into where you hire.
What happens during Holy Week in Latin America?
Holy Week, the week before Easter, is one of the most widely observed periods across the region. Holy Thursday and Good Friday are official holidays in Colombia and Argentina, and many workers in Mexico take time off that week even though it isn’t on the official list. Since Easter moves every year, Holy Week can fall anywhere from late March to late April. In 2027, Holy Thursday and Good Friday fall on March 25 and 26. Ask your workers in January whether they plan to take time off, and adjust deadlines around that week.
How do I keep work moving when my LATAM worker is on holiday?
Plan around the calendar instead of reacting to it. Add every worker’s national holidays to a shared team calendar at the start of the year, and ask about unofficial days during onboarding. For roles that can’t pause, like customer support, consider hiring workers in two different countries so their holidays rarely overlap. Set deadlines that account for long weekends, especially in Colombia. And ask workers to give a short heads-up a week before any holiday, along with a note on what’s finished, what’s pending, and who to contact if something urgent comes up.
