Is today a public holiday in Ecuador?

Código del Trabajo, Central Bank SPI & Ley de Feriados

In the Republic of Ecuador, statutory public holidays are codified under Articles 65 to 68 of the Código del Trabajo, alongside the permanent calendar-shifting framework established by the Ley Orgánica Reformatoria a la Ley Orgánica del Servicio Público y al Código del Trabajo (known as the Ley de Feriados of 2016). Ecuador observes 11 nationwide statutory public holidays per calendar year, supplemented by 1 localized provincial or cantonal foundation day.

The Statutory Shifting Rules (Ley de Feriados)

To eliminate fragmented mid-week working days and bolster domestic tourism, the 2016 Ley de Feriados establishes permanent mandatory holiday transfer mechanics:

• Midweek Rule (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday): If an official statutory holiday falls on a Tuesday, the rest day is shifted back to the preceding Monday. If it falls on a Wednesday or Thursday, the holiday is transferred forward to the following Friday.
• Weekend Rollover: If a national holiday falls on a Saturday, the mandatory rest day moves to the preceding Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, it transfers to the following Monday.
• Exemptions: Carnival (Monday and Tuesday), Christmas Day (25 December), New Year's Day (1 January), and May Day (1 May) are generally observed on their statutory calendar days unless executive decrees establish specific bridge alignments.

Explore long weekend configurations created by these shift rules using our 2026 PTO Maximizer.

Código del Trabajo Art. 55: The 100% Surcharge Rule

Under Article 55 of the Código del Trabajo, work performed on Saturdays, Sundays, or statutory public holidays is classified as extraordinary work (trabajo extraordinario). Employers who require employees to work during an official public holiday must pay a mandatory statutory surcharge of 100% (recargo del 100%) above the hourly wage rate, effectively amounting to double pay for all hours worked on the holiday.

Banking Clearing Rails: BCE SPI vs. Real-Time Retail Payments

Financial clearing infrastructure across Ecuador is operated by the Banco Central del Ecuador (BCE) through the Sistema de Pagos Interbancarios (SPI):

• Wholesale SPI Settlements: Commercial interbank transfers and batched payroll files pause operations on national public holidays. Batches submitted during a holiday clear during the first operational morning clearing cycle of the next business day.
• Real-Time Electronic Payments: Interbank mobile payments via BCE's Sistema de Pagos en Tiempo Real (SPTR) and private banking mobile applications (such as DeUna and Billetera Móvil) operate 24/7/365 for peer-to-peer retail payments. Calculate contract fulfillment dates using our Working Days Calculator.

Financial Markets (Bolsa de Valores de Guayaquil & Quito)

The Bolsa de Valores de Guayaquil (BVG) and Bolsa de Valores de Quito (BVQ) halt fixed-income and equity trading on all statutory holidays designated under the Ley de Feriados. Operating sessions adhere strictly to official government-shifted rest dates.

Ecuador Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Ecuador, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Ecuador

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in Ecuador should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: