How many vacation days do employees get in Argentina?

Last verified: 27 Oct 2026 · Status: Changing

Short answer. Employees get 14 calendar days of paid annual leave with up to 5 years of seniority, 21 days above 5 and up to 10 years, 28 days above 10 and up to 20 years, and 35 days above 20 years. Seniority is counted at 31 December. Leave is paid in advance at monthly salary divided by 25 per day.

As of 26 Oct 2026. Rules in force at that date.

Key rules

Days. 14, 21, 28 or 35 calendar days ("días corridos"), by seniority. Seniority is the one the worker would have at 31 December of the year the leave belongs to, so exactly 5 years still gives 14 days (LCT art. 150).
Minimum time worked. No minimum seniority is needed, but full leave requires work on at least half of the working days of the calendar or anniversary year. Below that, the worker gets 1 day per 20 days of effective work; sick leave and other leave count as worked (LCT arts. 151 to 153). Leave starts on a Monday (art. 151).
Window and notice. The employer must grant leave between 1 October and 30 April of the following year, and notify the start date in writing at least 30 days in advance. By agreement, leave may fall outside the window or be split into blocks of at least 7 days; staggered staff must get summer leave at least once every 3 years. Days lost to illness during leave are rescheduled (LCT art. 154, as replaced by Law 27.802 art. 41, in force since publication on 6 March 2026).
Employer fails to notify. The worker may take the leave after formal notice to the employer, so that it ends before 31 May (art. 157).
Pay. Monthly paid staff receive monthly salary divided by 25 for each day of leave. Variable pay is averaged over the year or the last 6 months, at the worker's option. Vacation pay is due when the leave starts (LCT art. 155).
No cash instead of leave. Leave cannot be paid out in money while the job continues (art. 162). Up to one third of a period not taken may be added to the next one, by agreement (art. 164).
On termination. For any cause of termination, including death, the worker (or heirs) is paid leave proportional to the fraction of the year worked (art. 156). That payment is not remuneration for pension contributions (Law 24.241 art. 7).

What changed recently. Law 27.802 rewrote only art. 154; the wording in force just before 6 March 2026 is not in the sources for this page (unconfirmed). The original 1974 law required 60 days notice to the worker and the labor authority (original art. 168). Law 27.742 (2024) did not amend arts. 150 to 157: the updated Infoleg text shows no note from it there.

What changes the answer

Collective agreement. More favorable agreement rules prevail (LCT art. 8), and art. 154 lets agreements set their own notice system (unconfirmed).
Part year worked. A new hire or long absence below half the year's working days gives 1 day per 20 days worked, not the full tier (art. 153).
Variable pay. Commissions or piece rates are averaged (art. 155(c)), so the daily rate is not simply salary / 25.

Worked examples

Employee hired 1 March 2020, fixed monthly salary ARS 2,000,000, no variable pay. Leave for 2026 taken from Monday 4 January 2027. Pesos at dólar MEP ARS 1,563.90 per US$ on 23 Oct 2026 (dólar MEP selling rate (dolarapi.com)) (live rate).

Step or item	Time	Cost ARS	Cost USD
Seniority at 31 Dec 2026: 6 years 10 months, so 21 days (art. 150)
Written notice of start date (art. 154)	by 5 Dec 2026	0	0
Vacation pay per day, 2,000,000 / 25 (art. 155)		80,000	51
Vacation pay, 21 days	paid by 4 Jan 2027	1,680,000	1,074
Normal pay for the same 21 days, 2,000,000 / 30 × 21		1,400,000	895
Extra cost of the leave		280,000	179

Step by step.

Seniority. At 31 December 2026 the employee has 6 years and 10 months: more than 5, not more than 10, so 21 calendar days (art. 150).
Dates. Leave runs 4 to 24 January 2027 (Monday start, art. 151). Written notice 30 days ahead means by 5 December 2026 (art. 154).
Vacation pay. 2,000,000 / 25 = ARS 80,000 per day (US$51). × 21 = ARS 1,680,000 (US$1,074), payable at the start of the leave (art. 155).
Compare with normal pay. Paid as ordinary salary, 21 days on a 30 day month would be 2,000,000 / 30 × 21 = ARS 1,400,000 (US$895) (unconfirmed). The divisor of 25 makes the leave ARS 280,000 (US$179) dearer, 20% more for those days.
The month. If the rest of January is paid as normal salary, gross January pay is 2,000,000 − 1,400,000 + 1,680,000 = ARS 2,280,000 (US$1,458), 14% above a normal month of ARS 2,000,000 (US$1,279).

Cost to do it: ARS 280,000 (US$179) above normal salary, plus employer contributions (see the payroll page), paid at the start of the leave; no fees, no capital.

Practical traps

Late or verbal notice. Without written notice 30 days ahead, the employee may set the dates, ending by 31 May (arts. 154 and 157).
Paying cash for untaken leave. It is prohibited while employment continues (art. 162); only proportional leave on termination is payable (art. 156). The LCT does not say expressly whether leave not taken by 31 May is lost (unconfirmed).
Paying with the next payroll. Vacation pay is due at the start of the leave, not at month end (art. 155).

FAQ

Does a new employee get vacation in the first year? Yes, no minimum seniority is required. If they worked less than half of the year's working days, they get 1 day per 20 days worked (arts. 151 and 153).

Do seasonal workers get vacation? Yes, at the end of each work cycle, at 1 day per 20 days worked (arts. 153 and 163).

Is unused vacation paid when someone quits or is fired? Yes, for any cause: pay for leave proportional to the part of the year worked (art. 156). It is not subject to pension contributions (Law 24.241 art. 7).

Published 27 Oct 2026 from our research draft. Points marked (unconfirmed) have not yet been checked against the official text; rely on the primary sources linked below.