December often brings a question that comes up in offices, homes and government procedures: when do public institutions close? This time, the Government of Costa Rica already has an answer for the public sector. According to La Nación and Delfino.cr, seven days of collective holidays have been set for staff of the Central and Decentralized Public Administration, with specific dates and some important exceptions.
The dates covered by the directive
According to Delfino.cr, the directive sets December 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31, 2026 as rest days. The list leaves out the 25th, 26th and 27th, so the rest period is not continuous, something to keep in mind when planning trips or errands.
The directive was issued by the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (Mideplan) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS). According to the same source, the document is signed by the President of the Republic, Laura Fernández Delgado, the Minister of Planning, Carla Morales Rojas, and the Minister of Labor, Mercedes Flores Badilla.
Why a measure like this is applied
Collective holidays are a tool in which an institution suspends its work for all staff during a defined period. In this case, the Government states that the goal is to reduce the accumulation of pending vacation days among civil servants, a common administrative problem: when rest builds up, institutions must later cover more absences and manage more outstanding balances.
The second reason given is economic. According to La Nación, authorities expect savings in the State’s operating expenses during those days, in items such as electricity, drinking water, telecommunications and fuel. The logic is simple: if fewer offices operate at full capacity, the consumption of basic services decreases. The sources do not provide figures for these savings, so for now this is a projection.
Exceptions: not all institutions close in the same way
Here is the point most likely to confuse the public. According to Delfino.cr and La Nación, the Ministry of Public Education (MEP), the Office of the Attorney General (Procuraduría General de la República), the National Registry, police forces and the institutions responsible for emergency services fall under a special regime: their respective heads will define their vacation periods.
In addition, each institution must take measures to keep open the offices that must guarantee essential services and ensure that personnel are available in emergencies. In other words, the closure does not mean that the entire state apparatus will stop.
The case of December 31 in San José
The directive also clarifies one specific matter. According to Delfino.cr, the provision does not prevent the Ministry of Government and Police from authorizing a day off on December 31 for public employees in the central canton of San José, on the occasion of civic festivities, in accordance with Law 6725. In other words, a local day off is a separate possibility, which depends on a separate authorization.
How to check before going to an office
According to the sources, the directive requires each institution to inform users about their hours and service channels during those dates. For that reason, the practical recommendation is to check the website or official channels of the institution you need before going, especially if it is one with exceptions.
Another detail clarified by La Nación is that the directive takes effect when it is published in the official gazette, La Gaceta. Until that step is confirmed, the announcement is the frame of reference, and the published text will be the definitive source.
The essentials
- Seven days of collective holidays in the central and decentralized public administration: December 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31, 2026.
- The official goal is to reduce accumulated vacation days and generate savings on basic services.
- MEP, the Attorney General’s Office, the National Registry, police forces and emergency entities define their own periods.
- Essential offices must remain open, and each institution must report its hours.
- The December 31 day off in San José requires authorization from the Ministry of Government and Police.
Santé Press Contribution
Reading keys
- The measure combines two stated objectives, the management of pending vacation days and the saving of operating expenses. It is worth evaluating both separately, because the sources offer no figures that would allow either one to be measured.
- The scheme is mixed: a general date with institutional exceptions. Understanding this logic helps avoid assuming that the entire public sector closes in the same way.
What to watch
- The publication in La Gaceta, which defines when the directive takes effect.
- The dates each excepted institution announces, especially MEP and the emergency services.
- The possible authorization of the December 31 day off in San José.
Question for the reader: if a measure aims to save money and organize rest at the same time, how do you think its success should be evaluated at the end of the period?
News Sources
- La Nación (CR): Gobierno anuncia vacaciones colectivas de fin de año para empleados públicos: estas son las fechas y excepciones
- Delfino.cr: Gobierno decreta siete días de vacaciones colectivas para el sector público en diciembre
- Periódico La República (Costa Rica): Gobierno establece siete días de vacaciones colectivas para empleados públicos en diciembre
- El Observador CR: Funcionarios públicos saldrán a vacaciones el 22 de diciembre y regresarán el 4 de enero
- Teletica: Gobierno anuncia fechas de vacaciones para el sector público