Tom — a Dutch software engineer who moved to Medellín in March 2025 on a digital nomad visa — scheduled a critical client call for a Tuesday in June. He spent the morning working, reached for his phone to confirm the call at noon, and found four messages from his Colombian co-working space manager: the building was closed. The cleaning crew was off. The fiber technician who was supposed to come that afternoon had not shown up. It was Corpus Christi — a national holiday that moves each year and that Tom had missed entirely because he had simply imported the standard Dutch public holiday calendar. Colombia has 18 official public holidays (festivos) — more than any country in the OECD, and several of them are "moveable feasts" that shift dates year by year according to Ley 51 de 1983. Missing them costs expats real money: delivery apps go to holiday pricing, pharmacies close, banks cannot process transfers, and government offices (Migración, Notarías, DIAN) shut completely. This article gives the full 2026 and 2027 holiday calendar, explains the Ley 51 "Monday transfer" rule that moves six Catholic holidays to the nearest Monday, identifies the three holidays that actually close everything, and provides a Google Calendar import link.
in Colombia per year
to the nearest Monday
everything: Jan 1, Holy Week, Dec 25
Colombia effectively shuts down
The 18 Colombian Public Holidays — 2026 and 2027
Colombia's Ley 51 de 1983 established the national holiday calendar and the "traslado al lunes" (Monday transfer) rule: six specific Catholic holidays that historically fell on variable weekdays are moved to the following Monday. This means that for these six holidays, the date changes every year. The six that move are: Epiphany (Reyes Magos), St. Joseph's Day (San José), Saints Peter and Paul (San Pedro y San Pablo), Assumption of Mary (Asunción), Columbus Day (Día de la Raza), and All Saints' Day (Todos los Santos). The remaining twelve are fixed-date or follow their liturgical logic (Easter-relative).
| Holiday | Fixed/Moveable | 2026 Date | 2027 Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) | Fixed | Jan 1 (Thu) | Jan 1 (Fri) |
| Reyes Magos (Epiphany) | Lunes — Ley 51 | Jan 12 (Mon) | Jan 11 (Mon) |
| Día de San José (St. Joseph) | Lunes — Ley 51 | Mar 23 (Mon) | Mar 22 (Mon) |
| Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) | Easter-relative | Apr 2 (Thu) | Mar 25 (Thu) |
| Viernes Santo (Good Friday) | Easter-relative | Apr 3 (Fri) | Mar 26 (Fri) |
| Día del Trabajo (Labor Day) | Fixed | May 1 (Fri) | May 1 (Sat) |
| Ascensión (Ascension) | Easter+39 days | May 14 (Thu) | May 6 (Thu) |
| Corpus Christi | Easter+60 days | Jun 4 (Thu) | May 27 (Thu) |
| Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) | Easter+68 days | Jun 12 (Fri) | Jun 4 (Fri) |
| San Pedro y San Pablo | Lunes — Ley 51 | Jun 29 (Mon) | Jun 28 (Mon) |
| Día de la Independencia | Fixed | Jul 20 (Mon) | Jul 20 (Tue) |
| Batalla de Boyacá | Fixed | Aug 7 (Fri) | Aug 7 (Sat) |
| Asunción de la Virgen | Lunes — Ley 51 | Aug 17 (Mon) | Aug 16 (Mon) |
| Día de la Raza (Columbus Day) | Lunes — Ley 51 | Oct 12 (Mon) | Oct 18 (Mon) |
| Todos los Santos (All Saints) | Lunes — Ley 51 | Nov 2 (Mon) | Nov 1 (Mon) |
| Independencia de Cartagena | Fixed | Nov 11 (Wed) | Nov 11 (Thu) |
| Inmaculada Concepción | Fixed | Dec 8 (Tue) | Dec 8 (Wed) |
| Navidad (Christmas Day) | Fixed | Dec 25 (Fri) | Dec 25 (Sat) |
The Three Holidays That Actually Close Everything
Not all 18 holidays have equal practical impact. Three stand apart in how completely they shut down day-to-day life in Colombian cities:
- Año Nuevo (January 1): Absolute closure. Banks, government offices, most restaurants, and all pharmacies except rotating emergencia duty pharmacies close. Airport services reduce to minimum. Expect no deliveries, no government website processing, no bank transfers. Plan supplies the day before.
- Semana Santa (Holy Week — Jueves Santo + Viernes Santo + Saturday): Colombia's most significant cultural holiday period. Many Colombians travel for 4–5 days. Bogotá and Medellín see population drops as residents travel to the coast, coffee region, or hometowns. Grocery stores are open but may close early. Banks and all government offices are fully closed Thursday–Saturday. Semana Santa hotel prices in tourist destinations (Cartagena, Santa Marta, Villa de Leyva, Salento) spike 2–4× minimum. Book accommodation for Semana Santa no later than January of that year.
- Navidad (December 24–25): Colombians celebrate primarily on December 24 (Nochebuena), not December 25. December 24 is not a legal festivo but is effectively treated as one — most businesses close by noon. December 25 is the legal holiday. January 2–8 sees reduced government and business activity even though it is not officially a holiday period.
Practical Impact on Expats: What Closes, What Doesn't
Understanding which services operate on festivos determines how to plan: Migración Colombia offices: always closed on festivos — visa appointments and renewals cannot be scheduled for those days. DIAN offices: closed. Notarías: closed. Banks and bank branches: closed — but Nequi and Bancolombia digital transfers usually process normally (with occasional delays on major holidays). Pharmacies: at least one "farmacia de turno" (duty pharmacy) remains open 24h in each neighborhood — Google Maps showing "farmacia abierta ahora" in your area will show the rotating duty pharmacy. Supermarkets (Carulla, Éxito, Jumbo): generally open on most festivos except Jan 1 and Dec 25, often reduced hours. Restaurants: independent restaurants close on major festivos; chain restaurants and food court operators often remain open. Deliveries (Rappi, iFood): operate on most festivos but with holiday surcharges (typically +15–25%) and longer wait times.
- On your computer, go to calendar.google.com → click the "+" next to "Other calendars" → "Browse calendars of interest".
- Search for "Colombia" in the calendar directory — Google provides an official Colombian holiday calendar. Click the star to subscribe. All 18 festivos will appear for 2026 and beyond, updated automatically each year.
- Alternatively, visit colombia.calendar.google.com or search "Colombia public holidays iCal" to download an .ics file that imports directly into Apple Calendar, Outlook, or any iCal-compatible calendar.
Semana Santa: Full Closure Window to Plan Around
Semana Santa deserves special planning attention for expats. The legally mandated closure window is Jueves Santo through Viernes Santo (Thursday–Friday). But in practice, businesses in Colombia begin reducing operations from Wednesday ("Miércoles Santo") and may not fully resume until the following Tuesday. If you need: a visa appointment — do not schedule it the week before or after Semana Santa, Migración backlogs are significant. A Notaría act — same rule. A bank transfer for a property closing — the Friday before Semana Santa is the last reliable banking day; plan closings the preceding week. Medical non-emergency procedures — reschedule to the week after. Travel during Semana Santa within Colombia — buy bus and flight tickets at least 6–8 weeks ahead; prices double and sell out, especially for Caribbean coast, coffee region, and Boyacá destinations.