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Leave in Colombia

All Countries > Colombia > Leave in Colombia
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Capital

Bogota

Language Desktop

Official Language

Spanish

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Currency

Colombian Peso

Payroll Desktop

Payroll cycle

Monthly, Bi-Weekly

Via offers complete Payroll, EOR and Contractor mangement services for Colombia
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Quick facts about Colombia

Straddling the border between Central and South America, Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. From the country’s high altitude sprawling capital Bogotá to the Caribbean island San Andres, Colombia offers some of the best natural resources in the world. The country is known for its robust education system, which makes it an appealing place to build out a local employment hub.

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Leave in Colombia is broken up into annual leave, national holidays, and other miscellaneous leave, such as maternity leave and sick leave. Some payments for leave come directly from the Colombian social security system, while the rest of the costs and leave come directly from the employer.

Pension plan

Vacation leave in Colombia

All employees in Colombia are entitled to 15 days of vacation leave after 1 year of service. 

Employers must give the employee notice if their vacation leave has been approved at least 15 days prior to the start of the holiday. If any extenuating circumstances arise where the employee must return to work for part of their vacation, once the problem has been solved, they are legally allowed to resume their holiday for the duration of the original time requested off. 

Employees are generally allowed to request compensation in lieu of vacation for up to half of their vacation days. The employee must do so in writing and the salary they last earned is the amount their vacation pay is based off of. 

All employees are entitled to take at least 6 days of annual leave per year. They can accumulate their leave for up to two years. During their vacation period, employees must be paid at their regular monthly salary.

Colombian labor code states that terminated employees who have not used their vacation time are entitled to payment as compensation as part of their severance agreement. 

Public holidays

Employees in Colombia are entitled to have 18 mandatory national holidays each year as paid time off, including:

Holiday 

2023 Date

New Years Day

January 1, 2023

Saint Joseph’s Day

March 19, 2023

Maundy Thursday 

April 6, 2023

Assumption of Mary

April 15, 2023

Good Friday

April 7, 2023

Labor Day

May 1, 2023

Ascension 

May 23, 2023

Epiphany (Three Kings Day)

June 6, 2023

Corpus Christi

June 8, 2023

Sacred Heart 

June 19, 2023

Saint Peter and Saint Paul

June 29, 2023

Independence Day

July 20, 2023

Battle of Boyaca 

August 7, 2023

The Day of the Race

October 12, 2023

All Saint’s Day

November 1, 2023

Independence of Caratenga 

November 11, 2023

Immaculate Conception

December 8, 2023

Christmas Day

December 25, 2023

Smaller jurisdictions and townships in Colombia have additional holidays, so always be aware of where you’re hiring. 

Recommended Benefits

Other leave in Colombia

Sick Leave

If an employee is sick, they are entitled to ⅔ their minimum monthly salary for the first 2 days that they miss, paid directly by the employer. After the 3rd day and up to 180 days, they are still entitled to ⅔ of their salary, but this payment comes from their social security.  

When an employee is injured on the job, they are given 100% of their salary. 

Maternity/Paternity Leave

New mothers are entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave. This leave can start up to 2 weeks before labor, and can go for 12 weeks after giving birth. 

New fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave for both birth and adoption. Depending on the circumstances, paid paternity leave can be extended from 1 week to up to 5 weeks. 

Maternity and paternity leave are provided through the country’s social security system paid for by tax contributions from both the employee and employer. 

Bereavement Leave

In the event of the death of a parent, in-law, grandparent, sibling, child or spouse, employees are entitled to 5 days of paid bereavement leave. 

Marriage Leave

Colombian labor laws state that upon marriage, employees must receive  days of paid leave for their wedding. 

All other leave

Employees are entitled to leave for voting, in the cases of domestic violence, to carry out union work, or to attend the funeral of a colleague. The employee can choose to lose a day of work or to work an additional day to make up for the lost time.

Why companies partner with Via

Via makes hiring talent around the world and building your global team seamless by helping you onboard workers in as little as 2-3 business days. With our easy-to-use platform, Via helps you manage local HR processes for direct employment such as work visas & permits, employee data privacy compliance, benefits, global payroll, background checks, and more. Our team of local labor lawyers and on-the-ground experts provide 24-hour local support and ensure that your company remains compliant while expanding abroad. As your employer-of-record/entity abroad, Via assumes responsibility for employment liability, so that you can focus on what matters: recruiting and managing your team.

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Frequently asked questions

  • What is the minimum annual leave in Colombia?

    The minimum annual leave that employees are entitled to in Colombia is 15 days per year after one year of continuous service.

  • How many vacation days do you get in Colombia?

    In Colombia, you are entitled to 15 days of vacation per year after one year of continuous service.

  • How long is the work week in Colombia?

    The work week in Colombia is 42 hours 8 hours per day either Monday-Friday or Monday-Saturday.

  • What is the 183 day rule in Colombia?

    The 183 day rule means that if you stay in Colombia for more than 183 days you are considered a resident and are required to pay income taxes in Colombia.

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