Annual leave in Uruguay: how many days you're entitled to

Vacations aren't a favor from the employer: they're a right. Every private-sector worker has paid annual leave, with a legal minimum and clear rules on how it's earned. Here's how many days you're entitled to and what the law says.

20 days minimum

The floor is set by law:

Per the MTSS:

«Tienen derecho a una licencia anual remunerada de 20 días como mínimo todos los trabajadores contratados por particulares o empresas privadas»

In English: All workers hired by individuals or private companies have the right to paid annual leave of at least 20 days

How the right is generated

It isn't automatic from day one: you must accrue time worked.

On accrual:

«Para tener derecho a la licencia, el trabajador deberá haber computado 1 año, 24 quincenas o 52 semanas de labor.»

In English: To be entitled to leave, the worker must have accrued 1 year, 24 fortnights or 52 weeks of work.

Extra days by seniority

The longer you've been there, the more days you add:

On seniority:

«Al quinto año de trabajo se genera un día de licencia por antigüedad, que se suma a la licencia ordinaria. Después, se agrega un día cada cuatro años trabajados.»

In English: At the fifth year of work, one seniority leave day is generated, added to the ordinary leave. Afterwards, one day is added every four years worked.

It's a non-waivable right

Two important things: leave is taken in a single continuous period (holidays within it aren't counted), and it's non-waivable — the law voids any agreement to give up the right or swap it for money. So you can't “sell” your vacation to the employer. The framework is in Law 12.590:

Plus: the salario vacacional

You don't just get paid your leave days: before you leave you're paid the salario vacacional, a sum for the better enjoyment of leave equal to 100% of the net leave wage. We cover it in our aguinaldo and salario vacacional post.

At a glance

In short: annual leave is a right of at least 20 paid days, growing with seniority and not exchangeable for money, plus the salario vacacional. Verify your days and conditions with the MTSS or your payslip.