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Leave in Chile

Maternity, paternity, and parental leave in Chile

Adoption leave in Chile

Other types of leave in Chile

Public holidays in Chile

Protect your employees and your business

Leave and time off in Chile

Employees in Chile are entitled to a range of leave and time off benefits that support rest, recovery, family responsibilities, and civic duties. These entitlements are backed by national labour law and guarantee access to paid leave for situations such as illness, parental care, bereavement, and more. Employers may also choose to offer additional discretionary leave to attract and retain talent.

In this section, we will take you through all types of leave and time off in Chile, beginning with annual paid leave and sick leave. We’ll also cover maternity, paternity, and parental leave, followed by other statutory leave types such as bereavement, marriage, caregiving, and civic duty leave. Finally, you’ll find guidance on public holidays in Chile, including how they are treated in employment law and what happens if employees work on national holidays. Understanding these rules is essential for compliance and for fostering a fair and supportive workplace.

Leave in Chile

Employees in Chile are entitled to a certain amount of time off each year for rest and relaxation, as well as additional time off if they are too sick to work. Here’s what you need to know about annual leave and sick leave in Chile as an employer.

Annual leave in Chile

Employees in Chile are entitled to 15 working days of paid annual leave each year after one year of continuous service with the same employer. This entitlement is mandated by the Chilean Labour Code.

Additional annual leave in Chile

After an employee completes ten years of employment (with the same or different employers), they are entitled to an additional working day of leave for every three years of service with their current employer. For example, an employee who has worked for 13 years overall and three years with their current employer would be entitled to 16 days of leave in total.

For employees located in the 11th and 12th regions of Chile and in the province of Palena in the 10th region, the basic entitlement is 20 days of paid annual leave.

Using and carrying over annual leave in Chile

Employees in Chile are generally required to take at least ten days of their annual leave consecutively. The remaining leave can be taken in smaller increments, subject to agreement between the employer and the employee.

Any unused annual leave can be carried over for up to two consecutive years. Any remaining leave must be used by the end of the third year. Employees must receive pay for any unused leave when they leave a company. Paying out unused leave is not permitted under any other circumstances.

Sick leave in Chile

Employees in Chile are entitled to paid leave when they are too sick to work. To qualify, they must obtain a medical certificate (licencia médica) from a licensed healthcare provider and submit it to the employer and the relevant health insurance institution within two days.

Compensation for sick leave in Chile depends on the duration and timing:

For absences lasting up to 10 calendar days, the employee is entitled to sick pay starting from the fourth day of illness.
For absences exceeding 10 calendar days, the employee is entitled to sick pay from the first day of illness.

Sick leave is paid by the employee’s health insurance provider, not directly by the employer. The employer is responsible for processing the medical certificate and submitting it to the relevant authorities.

Maternity, paternity, and parental leave in Chile

Employees in Chile are entitled to time off work related to the birth of a child. Read on to learn what you need to know as an employer.

Maternity leave in Chile

Mothers in Chile are entitled to a total of 18 weeks (126 days) of maternity leave when they have a baby. This consists of six weeks (42 days) of prenatal leave and 12 weeks (84 days) of postnatal leave. If a child is born before the 33rd week of pregnancy, postnatal leave is extended to 18 weeks. During maternity leave, the employee receives a subsidy equal to her most recent salary through the social security system.

Paternity leave in Chile

Fathers in Chile are entitled to five business days of paid leave upon the birth of a child. This can be taken from the day of the birth and may be taken continuously or divided into smaller blocks within the first months following the birth. This leave is paid by the employer.

Parental leave in Chile

Parental leave in Chile is an extension of maternity leave, which can be taken after the initial 12 weeks of postnatal leave. The usual entitlement is 12 weeks of full-time parental leave, paid at 100% of salary. However, mothers can choose to return to work on a part-time basis, working 50% of their usual hours. In this case, they can get 18 weeks of part-time leave, paid at 50% of salary. After the seventh week, mothers can choose to transfer all or part of their remaining parental leave to the father.

Adoption leave in Chile

When a couple adopts a child under the age of 18 in Chile, both parents are entitled to the same leave entitlements as biological parents. For mothers, this amounts to 12 weeks of postnatal leave plus 12 weeks of parental leave, which can be shared with the father. Adoptive parents are not entitled to prenatal leave since this is a specific benefit related to pregnancy.

Other types of leave in Chile

Employees in Chile may also be entitled to time off work in various other circumstances. Here are some of the other types of leave in Chile that employers need to be aware of.

Childcare leave in Chile

Employees may take up to 10 days off per year to care for a child under 18 years old who is suffering from a serious, life-threatening illness. These days can be taken in full or split (hourly or by day) and are considered as worked time. A medical certificate confirming the illness is required.

Marriage leave in Chile

Workers entering into a marriage or civil union are entitled to 5 working days of paid leave. This should be requested at least 30 days in advance. The entitlement is the same for same-sex civil unions as for heterosexual couples.

Bereavement leave in Chile

Employees are entitled to seven calendar days of paid leave upon the death of a spouse, civil partner or child. For the death of a parent or sibling, the standard entitlement is three calendar days. This leave is in addition to annual holiday and must be granted regardless of service tenure. Employees also receive dismissal protection for one month following such an event.

Medical examination leave in Chile

Employees aged 40 or older who are engaged on contracts of more than 30 days are entitled to half a working day of paid leave once per year for preventive health exams such as mammograms, prostate checks, or Pap smears.

Vaccination leave in Chile

Workers participating in government or public vaccination campaigns are entitled to half a day of paid leave for vaccination, provided they notify their employer at least two days in advance.

Military service leave in Chile

Employees called for reserve or military training lasting up to 30 days are entitled to paid leave and job protection. Employers must pay the employee their regular wage and guarantee their position upon return.

Leave for civic duty in Chile

Employees are entitled to paid leave for civic duties such as jury service or providing testimony in court. In these circumstances, employers must grant the employee the necessary time off while continuing to pay their salary.

Unpaid leave in Chile

While not mandated by law, unpaid or personal leave can be agreed between an employer and employee for purposes like sabbaticals or extended study. The employment contract is considered suspended during leave, but tenure is preserved.

Public holidays in Chile

Chile observes several national public holidays established by law, covering civic, religious, and indigenous commemorations. Regional holidays may also apply in certain areas. Public holidays are generally not moved to a weekday if they fall on a weekend, with the exception of the National Holiday (18th–19th September), which may be moved to create a long weekend.

Are public holidays paid days off in Chile?

Yes, public holidays are mandatory paid days off for employees in Chile. If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, they must receive either compensatory time off or pay amounting to at least 150% of normal wages for the hours worked.

Public holidays in Chile in 2025

Here are the public holidays observed in Chile in 2025:

1 January

New Year's Day

18 April

Good Friday.

19 April

Holy Saturday

1 May

Labour Day

21 May

Navy Day (Día de las Glorias Navales)

20 June

National Day of Indigenous Peoples (Día Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas)

29 June

Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s Day

16 July

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

15 August

Assumption of Mary

18 September

Independence Day

19 September

Army Day

12 October

Meeting of the Two Worlds (Encuentro de Dos Mundos

31 October

Reformation Day (Día Nacional de las Iglesias Evangélicas y Protestantes

1 November

All Saints’ Day

8 December

Immaculate Conception Day

25 December

Christmas Day

Some holidays, such as Eugenio María de Hostos Day on January 11, are considered observances and may not result in a day off for all employees. In addition, holidays falling on weekends might be observed on the nearest weekday, depending on employer policies.
Many employers may offer additional flexible time off policies or allow employees to combine public holidays with their annual leave for extended breaks.

Working on a public holiday in Puerto Rico

If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, they may be entitled to special compensation.

In Puerto Rico, non-exempt employees working on designated holidays are generally entitled to premium pay of at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate unless their contract or a collective bargaining agreement states otherwise.

Certain industries, such as banking and government services, strictly observe all public holidays, while private sector businesses may have more flexibility. Employers should ensure their holiday policies align with industry standards and employee expectations.

Unionized employees or those covered by collective bargaining agreements may have additional benefits related to public holidays. Employers should review contracts to confirm any holiday pay obligations, leave entitlements, or alternative compensation structures.

Protect your employees and your business

As an employer in Chile, you need to understand your employees’ rights and entitlements. But keeping up with them can be a lot of work.

When you hire workers with CXC, we’ll ensure your engagements are in line with all local, national and international employment regulations. That way, your workers will get their benefits they’re entitled to, and your business will be protected from risk.

Compliantly hire employees anywhere with CXC

With our EoR solution, you can engage workers anywhere in the world, without putting your business at risk. No more worrying about local labour laws, tax legislation or payroll customs — we’ve got you covered.

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