Good Friday in Andorra
Good Friday is included in Andorra’s labour calendar as a paid, non-recoverable holiday for many sectors, with different arrangements for tourism-related work. For Catholics, it is a day to commemorate Jesus’ Passion and death; the exact local services and business hours can vary.[1][3]
Meaning and observance
Good Friday falls within the Christian observance of Holy Week and commemorates the death of Jesus. Catholic liturgy centers on the Passion, prayer for the world and veneration of the cross; the Vatican also identifies the Via Crucis and Passion processions as forms of popular devotion in some places.[3]
People who want to attend a service should check with a local parish for its programme.[3]
A paid holiday with sector-specific rules
Andorra’s labour calendar includes Good Friday among its compulsory public holidays. The Government describes the listed holidays as paid and non-recoverable for construction, industry, offices, banks, hairdressers, transport and goods distribution, and services not directly connected with tourism.[1]
Employees in sectors directly connected with tourism receive the same number of holidays, but the days may be moved to another day by agreement between the employee and employer. The Government’s calendar explanation identifies four exceptions that cannot be moved: New Year’s Day, Constitution Day, Our Lady of Meritxell and Christmas Day. Good Friday is not among those exceptions.[1]
Shops and planning
Good Friday is not one of the four dates listed by the Government as compulsory shop-closure days. Shops set their own opening hours within the general legal limits, and the Government says that permission to open does not require a business to do so. Check with individual shops before travelling.[2]
The labour calendar names transport and distribution of goods among the sectors for which holidays are compulsory, while tourism-related workplaces can use the agreed transfer rule. Visitors should check Good Friday timetables directly with passenger transport services; banks and offices are among the sectors covered by the holiday.[1]
Good Friday in Andorra: questions and answers
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Andorra?
Yes. It is included in the national labour calendar as a compulsory, paid and non-recoverable holiday for many sectors.[1]
Does everyone get the day off on Good Friday?
The rules vary by sector. In tourism-related work, the holiday may be transferred to another day by agreement between the employee and employer.[1]
Are shops required to close?
No. Good Friday is not among the Government’s listed compulsory shop-closure days, though individual businesses choose their own opening hours.[2]
Are Catholic services held on Good Friday?
The day’s Catholic liturgy commemorates the Passion and death of Jesus and includes prayer and veneration of the cross. Check with a local parish for service times.[3]
Sources and references
Sources used for Good Friday in Andorra:
- S’aprova el calendari laboral per al 2026- Govern d’Andorra
- Horaris comercials- Govern d’Andorra
- Directory on popular piety and the liturgy. Principles and guidelines- Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Holy See