--- title: "Panama Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers" description: "See Panama public holidays 2026 for US employers hiring remote teams. Includes national holidays, Carnival, patriotic dates, payroll. 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[Home](/) 2. [Blog](/blog) 3. [LATAM Country Guides](/blog/category/latam-country-guides) 4. Panama Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers LATAM Country Guides # Panama Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers See Panama public holidays 2026 for US employers hiring remote teams. Includes national holidays, Carnival, patriotic dates, payroll notes, EOR tips, and LATAM August 5, 2026 Updated: August 5, 2026 10 min read HiresLink Team Share: ![Panama Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers](https://ajrfrtiexzvxvomfrjnp.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/blog-images/2026/08/1785945890636-panama-public-holidays-2026-guide-for-us-employers.png?width=1024&quality=70&resize=cover) > **Quick Answer**: Panama has **13 national public holiday dates in 2026**, with the biggest planning windows around **Martyrs’ Day in January**, **Carnival in February**, **Holy Week in April**, **Labor Day in May**, the **November patriotic holiday cluster**, **Mother’s Day in December**, **National Day of Mourning**, and **Christmas week**. For US companies hiring remote talent in Panama, the most important thing is to plan around Carnival, November holidays, bank/public-office closures, and any Monday observance when a national holiday falls on Sunday. HiresLink helps US companies hire from **90,000+ vetted LATAM candidates**, deliver shortlists in **48 hours**, and build remote teams with average **48% cost savings** vs. equivalent US hires. ## TL;DR — 7 numbers for Panama remote hiring in 2026 # Metric 2026 value 1 Panama national public holiday dates in 2026 **13** 2 Main Carnival public holiday **February 17** 3 High-impact November patriotic dates **4+ dates** 4 Recommended planning buffer around Carnival **2–4 business days** 5 Recommended daily US-Panama timezone overlap **4–6 hours** 6 Vetted candidates in HiresLink’s LATAM network **90,000+** 7 Average HiresLink time from intake call to shortlist **48 hours** ## Why Panama public holidays matter for US remote teams Panama is a practical LATAM market for US companies hiring remote talent, especially when timezone overlap, bilingual communication, operations support, customer service, finance coordination, logistics, and administrative roles matter. Panama’s timezone is one of its biggest advantages. A Panama-based remote hire can usually work comfortably with EST and CST teams, and can often support US customer-facing workflows without extreme schedule shifts. But Panama’s holiday calendar still needs planning. The biggest difference for US employers is that Panama has several high-impact national periods that do not match the US calendar. Carnival can slow availability in February. November has multiple patriotic dates close together. December includes Mother’s Day, National Day of Mourning, Christmas, and year-end bank or public-office changes. For companies hiring a [backend developer](https://www.hireslink.com/candidates/developers/backend), [AI automation specialist](https://www.hireslink.com/hire/ai-automation-specialists), customer support representative, SDR, executive assistant, or bookkeeper in Panama, holidays can affect: - interview scheduling - onboarding dates - customer support coverage - sprint planning - finance close - payroll and invoice approvals - sales outreach calendars - manager check-ins - launch timelines - EOR and contractor paperwork For companies using [managed nearshore staffing](https://www.hireslink.com/services/hires-staffing), [staff augmentation](https://www.hireslink.com/services/staff-augmentation), or [headhunting pro](https://www.hireslink.com/services/headhunting-pro), Panama holiday planning should be part of the remote operating system from day 1. ## Panama public holidays 2026 The table below lists Panama’s main national public holidays for 2026. Date Day Holiday Type Employer note January 1, 2026 Thursday Año Nuevo / New Year’s Day National holiday Expect most teams offline January 9, 2026 Friday Día de los Mártires / Martyrs’ Day National holiday Long weekend February 17, 2026 Tuesday Martes de Carnaval / Carnival Tuesday National holiday Major Carnival period April 3, 2026 Friday Viernes Santo / Good Friday National holiday Long weekend May 1, 2026 Friday Día del Trabajador / Labor Day National holiday Long weekend November 3, 2026 Tuesday Separación de Panamá de Colombia National holiday Start of patriotic holiday cluster November 4, 2026 Wednesday Día de los Símbolos Patrios / National Symbols Day National holiday / public-sector and school impact Midweek patriotic period November 5, 2026 Thursday Día de Colón / Consolidation of Separation National holiday / strong Colón impact May affect coverage and local operations November 10, 2026 Tuesday Grito de Independencia de la Villa de Los Santos National holiday Patriotic date November 28, 2026 Saturday Independencia de Panamá de España National holiday Weekend holiday December 8, 2026 Tuesday Día de la Madre / Mother’s Day National holiday Important local holiday December 20, 2026 Sunday Día de Duelo Nacional / National Day of Mourning National holiday Monday observance may affect work schedules December 25, 2026 Friday Navidad / Christmas Day National holiday Christmas week slowdown For US employers, the most important planning periods are **Carnival**, **Holy Week**, **November patriotic holidays**, and **December year-end dates**. These are the windows most likely to affect onboarding, customer coverage, finance deadlines, payroll timing, and sprint planning. ## Important Panama dates that may affect availability Some dates may not always be treated like standard national holidays for every private-sector worker, but they can still affect local availability, public offices, banks, schools, transport, and family plans. Date / Period 2026 timing What it is Employer note February 16, 2026 Monday Carnival Monday Common local / public-office planning date February 18, 2026 Wednesday Ash Wednesday after Carnival Common local / public-office planning date April 2, 2026 Thursday Maundy Thursday Public-office / Holy Week impact April 4, 2026 Saturday Holy Saturday Bank / religious observance August 15, 2026 Saturday Foundation of Old Panama City Common local holiday November 2, 2026 Monday Día de los Difuntos / All Souls’ Day Public-sector / bank planning date December 24, 2026 Thursday Christmas Eve Bank / company-specific reduced hours December 31, 2026 Thursday New Year’s Eve Bank / company-specific reduced hours The practical point for US teams is simple: do not wait until the week of the holiday to ask whether the hire is available. Confirm the company policy, EOR setup, contractor terms, and role coverage expectations before onboarding. ## Panama 2026 holiday calendar by quarter Grouping the dates by quarter makes planning easier. Quarter Key dates Planning risk Q1 January 1, January 9, February 16–18 New Year, Martyrs’ Day, Carnival Q2 April 2–4, May 1 Holy Week and Labor Day long weekends Q3 August 15 Low national impact, local Panama City relevance Q4 November 2–5, November 10, November 28, December 8, December 20–25, December 31 Highest planning density Q4 is the biggest planning window for US employers. If you are launching a project, hiring a new employee, closing finance work, running support coverage, or planning outbound campaigns, review November and December early. ## Why Carnival matters for Panama remote teams Carnival is one of the most important local planning periods in Panama. In 2026, the key dates are: Date Day Planning note February 16, 2026 Monday Carnival Monday; reduced availability likely February 17, 2026 Tuesday Carnival Tuesday; national holiday February 18, 2026 Wednesday Ash Wednesday; some offices may have reduced hours For remote teams, this means the week of February 16 should not be treated like a normal workweek. Avoid scheduling: - first-day onboarding - major customer handoffs - production releases - high-risk automation launches - finance deadlines - all-hands meetings - important manager reviews - complex sales pushes during Carnival week unless the Panama-based hire has confirmed availability. ## Why November matters for Panama remote teams November is the biggest patriotic holiday month in Panama. The main dates are: Date Day Holiday November 3, 2026 Tuesday Separation of Panama from Colombia November 4, 2026 Wednesday National Symbols Day November 5, 2026 Thursday Colón Day / Consolidation of Separation November 10, 2026 Tuesday Shout in Villa de Los Santos November 28, 2026 Saturday Independence from Spain For US companies, this creates a very unusual work rhythm. The first week of November has multiple holidays in a row, and November 10 creates another separate interruption. This matters for: - customer support coverage - payroll and invoice approvals - finance close - sales outreach expectations - sprint planning - manager check-ins - onboarding schedules - client reporting A simple rule: avoid starting a new Panama-based hire during the first week of November unless the schedule has been clearly confirmed. ## Panama holidays vs US holidays in 2026 Panama and the US share some broad holiday periods, but many important dates are different. Period Panama impact US impact Planning note New Year High High Shared downtime Martyrs’ Day High in Panama Low in US Panama-only long weekend Carnival High in Panama Low in US Major Panama-only planning window Good Friday High in Panama Varies by US company Avoid major launches Labor Day May 1 in Panama September in US Different dates November patriotic holidays Very high in Panama Low in US except Veterans Day / Thanksgiving timing Major Panama planning window Thanksgiving Low in Panama High in US Panama team may work while US team is offline Mother’s Day High in Panama May in US Different dates Christmas High High Shared slowdown This mismatch can help with coverage when handled thoughtfully. Panama-based hires may support some US-only holidays, while US managers should plan respectfully around Panama-only holidays. ## How Panama holidays affect different remote roles Holiday impact depends on the role. A developer, support rep, SDR, bookkeeper, and EA will not be affected in the same way. Role Holiday planning impact What to plan Backend Developer Sprint velocity and release windows may shift Avoid releases before Carnival, Holy Week, and November holidays AI Automation Specialist Workflow testing and monitoring may slow Avoid launching critical automations before holiday periods Customer Support Rep Coverage gaps may affect SLAs Build backup support schedules SDR / BDR Prospecting volume and reply rates may dip Adjust outbound targets around Carnival and November Executive Assistant Calendar management and travel planning increase Confirm manager schedules early Bookkeeper Payroll, invoicing, and close timelines may shift Move finance deadlines earlier For example, a Panama-based customer support representative may need backup coverage during Carnival, November, and Christmas. A Panama-based [backend developer](https://www.hireslink.com/candidates/developers/backend) may need sprint deadlines adjusted. An [AI automation specialist](https://www.hireslink.com/hire/ai-automation-specialists) may need someone available to monitor workflows if automations touch support, sales, finance, or customer systems. ## How many hours of US-Panama overlap should you expect? Panama is one of the easiest LATAM countries for US timezone alignment. Panama is on Eastern Standard Time year-round. That makes it especially useful for EST teams and still workable for CST, MST, and PST teams depending on the role. For most roles, plan for **4–6 hours** of daily overlap. That is usually enough for: - standups - support escalations - sales calls - manager check-ins - code reviews - onboarding sessions - sprint planning - customer meetings - finance close reviews - weekly planning For software, AI, design, and documentation-heavy roles, a more async setup can also work well. For support, sales, executive assistant, finance, and operations roles, real-time overlap usually matters more. If timezone overlap is central to your hiring plan, review the [Hiring in LATAM 2026 guide](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/hiring-latam-2026-complete-guide) and the [LATAM Talent Intelligence Report](https://www.hireslink.com/resources/latam-talent-intelligence-2026). ## 2026 LATAM salary benchmarks — roles commonly hired from Panama and LATAM Role Junior Mid Senior Lead Backend Engineer $2,500–$3,800 $3,800–$5,500 $5,500–$7,000 $7,000–$9,000 AI Automation Specialist $2,000–$3,000 $3,000–$4,500 $4,500–$6,500 $6,500–$8,000 Customer Support Representative $1,200–$1,600 $1,600–$2,200 $2,200–$3,000 — SDR / BDR $1,400–$1,800 $1,800–$2,600 $2,600–$3,500 $3,500–$4,500 Bookkeeper $1,300–$1,800 $1,800–$2,600 $2,600–$3,400 $3,400–$4,500 Executive Assistant $1,400–$1,900 $1,900–$2,600 $2,600–$3,400 $3,400–$4,200 _Figures are fully loaded: salary + EOR costs. No hidden fees._ Panama can be a strong market for operations, support, finance, sales, logistics, software, and bilingual coordination roles. But compensation should still be benchmarked by role, seniority, English level, city, timezone needs, and hiring model. Use the [LATAM salary benchmark hub](https://www.hireslink.com/latam-salaries) before setting final compensation. ## US vs. LATAM — annual cost comparison for remote hiring Role LATAM Annual, mid-level fully loaded US Annual, mid-level fully loaded Annual savings Backend Engineer $45,600–$66,000 $125,000–$170,000 **$59K–$124K** AI Automation Specialist $36,000–$54,000 $95,000–$145,000 **$41K–$109K** Customer Support Representative $19,200–$26,400 $50,000–$68,000 **$24K–$49K** SDR / BDR $21,600–$31,200 $60,000–$95,000 **$29K–$73K** Bookkeeper $21,600–$31,200 $58,000–$82,000 **$27K–$61K** Executive Assistant $22,800–$31,200 $65,000–$95,000 **$34K–$72K** _3-person remote team example: a mid-level backend engineer, executive assistant, and customer support representative hired through LATAM typically costs **$87K–$124K/year** vs. **$240K–$333K/year** for equivalent US hires — a typical annual savings range of **$116K–$246K**._ _US benchmarks are based on 2025–2026 market salary ranges and fully loaded employer cost assumptions._ * * * ### Get the 2026 LATAM Talent Report 90K+ vetted candidates · salary data by role, seniority, and country · hiring trends across LATAM. [**Download the full report →**](https://www.hireslink.com/resources/latam-talent-intelligence-2026) * * * ## How to build a Panama holiday policy for remote teams US companies should decide early whether Panama-based team members follow the US holiday calendar, Panama holiday calendar, or a blended policy. A simple holiday policy should answer these questions: Policy question Why it matters Which holidays does the Panama-based hire observe? Avoids confusion between US and Panama calendars Are national holidays treated as paid time off? Important for employees and EOR hires How is Carnival handled? February 16–18 can affect availability How are November patriotic holidays handled? This is the biggest local planning cluster Are US holidays also included? Important for company-wide consistency How are bank or public-office closures handled? Important for finance, payroll, and EOR workflows How should time off be requested? Prevents last-minute schedule gaps Who covers urgent work during holidays? Protects support, sales, and operations continuity How do holidays affect payroll or invoices? Important for finance and contractor workflows This policy can sit inside your [Remote Work Policy Template](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/remote-work-policy-template-2026), [Work From Home Policy Sample](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/work-from-home-policy-sample-2026), or onboarding documents. ## Panama holiday planning checklist for US employers Use this checklist before hiring or onboarding Panama-based remote talent. ```text Panama Holiday Planning Checklist Company: [Company Name] Panama-based hire: [Name] Role: [Role] Manager: [Manager] Year: 2026 Before offer: [ ] Confirm whether the role follows US holidays, Panama holidays, or a blended policy [ ] Confirm how Carnival week is handled [ ] Confirm how November patriotic holidays are handled [ ] Confirm expected timezone overlap [ ] Confirm whether customer coverage is required on holidays [ ] Confirm whether the role is employee, EOR, contractor, or consultant [ ] Confirm whether bank, school, local, or public-office closures may affect the role Before onboarding: [ ] Add Panama national holidays to the team calendar [ ] Add Carnival to the planning calendar [ ] Add Holy Week to the planning calendar [ ] Add November patriotic holidays [ ] Add December year-end planning dates [ ] Confirm PTO and holiday request process [ ] Confirm manager coverage expectations [ ] Confirm backup owner for urgent work [ ] Confirm payroll or invoice deadlines around holidays [ ] Confirm tool access and escalation rules [ ] Confirm how US-only holidays are handled During the year: [ ] Review holiday calendar every quarter [ ] Check deadlines before Carnival, Holy Week, November, and December [ ] Avoid major launches during low-coverage periods [ ] Confirm support coverage during Panama-only holidays [ ] Confirm availability during US-only holidays [ ] Update policy if EOR, contractor, or team structure changes ``` ## Best practices for managing Panama-based remote employees ### 1\. Add Panama holidays to your shared calendar Add Panama’s 2026 national holidays and major planning windows to Google Calendar, Outlook, Notion, ClickUp, Jira, Linear, or whatever planning tool your team uses. Do not expect the employee to remind the US team before every holiday. ### 2\. Treat Carnival as a real planning window Carnival can affect availability beyond the official Tuesday holiday. Monday and Wednesday may also have reduced availability depending on the company, location, and role. Avoid major onboarding, launches, migrations, and customer handoffs during Carnival week unless coverage is confirmed. ### 3\. Plan around November early November is Panama’s most important holiday month for scheduling. The first week can include multiple local interruptions, and November 10 creates another separate holiday. If a Panama-based hire is customer-facing, sales-facing, or finance-facing, plan coverage before November begins. ### 4\. Separate holidays from PTO National holidays, public-office closures, bank holidays, company holidays, local holidays, and vacation days should not be treated as the same thing. Write the rule clearly for employees, EOR hires, and contractors. ### 5\. Confirm US-only holidays Thanksgiving, July 4, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, and Memorial Day may not be Panamanian holidays. Decide whether Panama-based hires work those days or receive them off as part of a company-wide policy. ### 6\. Adjust support coverage before holidays If a Panama-based hire supports customers, plan backup coverage before Carnival, Holy Week, November holidays, Mother’s Day, National Day of Mourning, and Christmas. This matters most for support, sales, healthcare operations, legal intake, finance operations, and logistics roles. ### 7\. Check payroll and invoice timing If a holiday falls near the end of the month, near a Friday, or inside a patriotic holiday cluster, make sure invoices, timesheets, payroll cutoffs, and approvals are handled early. ## Panama vs other LATAM countries for US hiring Panama can be a strong LATAM option for companies that need timezone overlap, bilingual communication, customer-facing support, operations, and finance coordination. Country Best for Timezone fit for US teams Holiday planning note Panama Support, operations, finance, logistics, sales, bilingual roles Excellent for EST/CST Carnival, November patriotic holidays, and December dates matter Costa Rica Support, operations, finance, sales, software, bilingual roles Excellent for CST/MST/PST, strong for EST Holy Week and payment categories matter Uruguay Engineering, finance, operations, support, specialist roles Strong for EST/CST Semana de Turismo and laborable vs non-working rules matter Argentina Engineering, AI, finance, operations, design, specialist roles Strong for EST/CST Carnival, tourism days, and long weekends matter Colombia Support, sales, operations, finance, software Excellent for EST/CST Many Monday holidays / puentes Mexico Support, sales, operations, engineering, bilingual roles Excellent for CST/PST, strong for EST Several Monday holidays Chile Engineering, ops, finance, professional services Strong for EST/CST Fiestas Patrias and Thursday holidays matter Peru Operations, support, finance, sales, software, bilingual roles Strong for EST/CST Fiestas Patrias and Thursday holidays matter Brazil Engineering, AI, design, operations Strong for EST, varies by region Carnival and local holidays matter A Panama-first hiring strategy can make sense when US timezone overlap and bilingual operational support are important. But HiresLink may search across Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, and other LATAM markets to find the strongest shortlist. ## Geographic breakdown — where remote-ready LATAM talent comes from Country Share of remote-ready pool Notes Argentina **68–74%** Strong depth in tech, finance, operations, and AI-adjacent roles; excellent overlap with EST Colombia **12–16%** Strong pool for customer support, sales, operations, and software roles; strong EST alignment Mexico **9–11%** Strong fit for CST/PST overlap and US-facing coordination roles Other LATAM markets, including Panama **5–10%** Includes specialized talent pockets across Panama, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Brazil, and other markets Panama is a useful market, but HiresLink hiring decisions are still role-specific. For some searches, Panama may be the best fit. For others, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, or another LATAM country may produce a faster or stronger shortlist. ## English proficiency — remote-ready LATAM candidate pool CEFR level Share C2, Mastery 6.8% **C1, Advanced** **38.0%** **B2, Upper-Intermediate** **27.5%** B1, Intermediate 21.7% A1–A2, Basic 6.0% **72–73% are B2 or higher.** For Panama-based remote hires, English level matters most in client-facing, executive support, sales, customer support, finance coordination, and cross-functional technical roles. Internal technical roles can often work well with B2 if documentation and manager expectations are clear. ## Seniority distribution — HiresLink candidate network Seniority Share Holiday planning impact Junior 24–28% Needs clear manager guidance around calendars, coverage, and time-off process Mid 43–46% Usually handles calendar planning well if policy is clear Senior 21–26% Should own deliverables around holiday periods with less supervision Lead 5–7% Should help plan team coverage and delivery risk around holidays Holiday planning is not only an HR issue. For senior and lead hires, it should be part of ownership. A senior engineer, operations lead, finance lead, or support manager should help forecast coverage issues before they affect delivery. ## Compliance and EOR — Panama holiday considerations Panama holiday planning should match the legal structure of the hire. A contractor, EOR employee, direct employee, and consultant may have different holiday expectations. For cross-border hiring, the company should confirm: - whether the hire is a contractor, EOR employee, direct employee, or consultant - which national holidays apply - whether Panamanian holidays are paid time off - whether Carnival week affects availability - whether November patriotic holidays affect coverage - whether bank or public-office closures affect payroll or documentation - whether US company holidays also apply - how holidays affect monthly salary, invoices, or payroll - how time off should be requested and approved - how urgent support coverage is handled HiresLink supports compliant hiring through structured contracts and EOR-backed workflows, including hiring support through **Bait INC, a Delaware C-Corp**, where applicable. That helps US companies manage LATAM hiring with cleaner documentation, USD invoicing, IP protection, and consistent onboarding. Important legal and operational notes: - **Contractors** should have holiday expectations written into the contractor agreement or statement of work. - **EOR employees** should follow the applicable EOR employment terms and local rules. - **Direct employees** may be subject to local labor rules depending on the company setup. - **Support and customer-facing teams** should have backup coverage rules. - **Finance teams** should plan payroll and invoice approvals before holidays. - **Security and technical teams** should avoid risky deployments before holidays. - **National holidays and public-office closures** should be clarified in writing because the operational impact may differ by role, location, and hiring structure. This article is not legal advice. Companies should consult legal counsel or an EOR partner before finalizing holiday policies for Panama-based workers. ## Case study — US logistics SaaS company hiring Panama-based operations talent A US logistics SaaS company with **41 employees** wanted to hire a remote customer support representative and operations coordinator from LATAM. Panama was one of the preferred markets because the company needed strong EST overlap, bilingual communication, and experience with operational coordination. The issue was timing. The company originally planned to start one hire close to Carnival and another before a November rollout. That would have created problems with training, customer shadowing, tool setup, and manager availability. HiresLink helped the company adjust the onboarding calendar and define holiday expectations before the offers went out. **What happened:** - Intake call: **30 minutes** - Shortlist delivered: **48 hours** - Panama holiday calendar reviewed: **same week** - Start dates moved away from Carnival and the November holiday cluster - 2 hires completed: **within 21 days** - Support rep handling tickets independently: **within 30 days** - Operations coordinator owning recurring workflows: **within 3 weeks** - 12-month retention: **2 of 2 hires retained** **The numbers:** - Annual cost via HiresLink for 2 LATAM hires: **$40K–$60K** - Equivalent US hires, fully loaded: **$110K–$165K** - **Annual savings: $50K–$125K** > _“Panama gave us the timezone and bilingual coverage we wanted, but the calendar review helped us avoid starting during a messy holiday window.”_ — COO, US logistics SaaS company ## Vendor comparison — Panama remote hiring support Vendor Pool Panama / LATAM hiring support Pricing EOR included Best for **HiresLink** **90,000+ LATAM candidates** **Shortlist, salary benchmarks, hiring support, contracts, onboarding, EOR-backed workflows** Transparent LATAM salary benchmarks **Supported through structured EOR workflows** **US companies hiring Panama or LATAM talent with structure** HireWithNear Broad LATAM talent pool LATAM matching and hiring support Role-based pricing Varies by setup General LATAM remote hiring Deel Global contractor and EOR infrastructure Strong compliance and payroll layer Platform and EOR fees Yes Teams that already found Panama-based candidates Toptal Premium global freelance network Technical freelancer access Premium freelance rates No core EOR layer High-end project-based specialists Upwork Massive open marketplace Self-managed candidate sourcing Marketplace-based No Companies managing freelance hiring directly ## FAQ ### How many public holidays does Panama have in 2026? Panama has **13 national public holiday dates** listed for 2026, including New Year’s Day, Martyrs’ Day, Carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, Labor Day, multiple November patriotic dates, Mother’s Day, National Day of Mourning, and Christmas Day. ### Is Carnival a public holiday in Panama? Yes. Carnival Tuesday is a national holiday in Panama. In 2026, it falls on **February 17**. Carnival Monday and Ash Wednesday can also affect availability depending on the company, public-office schedules, banks, schools, and local practices. ### Is November a major holiday period in Panama? Yes. November is one of Panama’s biggest holiday periods because it includes Separation Day, National Symbols Day, Colón Day / Consolidation of Separation, the Shout in Villa de Los Santos, and Independence from Spain. ### Is Mother’s Day a public holiday in Panama? Yes. Mother’s Day is a national holiday in Panama and falls on **December 8** each year. In 2026, it falls on a Tuesday. ### What happens if a Panama holiday falls on Sunday? When a national holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday may be treated as the day of rest for practical planning. In 2026, National Day of Mourning falls on Sunday, December 20, so US employers should check whether Monday, December 21 affects the hire’s schedule. ### Should US companies give Panama-based hires US holidays or Panama holidays? There is no single answer. Some companies use the local country calendar. Some use the US company calendar. Some use a blended policy. The important thing is to write the rule clearly before onboarding. ### Do Panama holidays affect contractors? They can. Contractors may not receive paid public holidays the same way employees do, but availability, invoices, deliverables, and project timelines may still be affected. Contractor agreements should define how holidays and time off are handled. ### How does EOR work with Panama public holidays? If a Panama-based hire is employed through an EOR, the EOR can help manage local employment rules, payroll, holiday treatment, and compliance. The US company still needs to plan internal calendars, meetings, deadlines, and coverage. ### What are the highest-impact Panama holidays for US employers? The highest-impact periods are usually Martyrs’ Day, Carnival, Holy Week, Labor Day, the November patriotic holiday cluster, Mother’s Day, National Day of Mourning, and Christmas week. ### Can this calendar be used for all Panama-based hires? Use it as a national planning baseline, but confirm local, sector-specific, contract, EOR, public-office, banking, and company-specific rules. Panama may have regional, bank, public-sector, or company-specific practices beyond the national calendar. ## Final takeaways Panama public holidays in 2026 should be part of your remote hiring plan, especially if your team depends on support coverage, sales activity, finance close, onboarding, logistics, or sprint delivery. For US companies hiring Panama-based or LATAM talent, the most important planning points are Carnival, Holy Week, November patriotic holidays, December holidays, timezone overlap, EOR or contractor setup, customer coverage, and payroll timing. A clear holiday policy helps remote teams avoid missed meetings, delayed onboarding, thin support coverage, payroll confusion, and unnecessary manager frustration. HiresLink helps US companies hire LATAM talent with structured shortlists, salary benchmarks, EOR-backed workflows, contracts, onboarding, and operational planning support. ### Get the 2026 LATAM Talent Report Real numbers by role, seniority, and country — built from HiresLink’s 90,000+ candidate network. [**Get the free report →**](https://www.hireslink.com/resources/latam-talent-intelligence-2026) * * * _Ready to hire LATAM talent with the right structure?_ [**Start Hiring →**](https://www.hireslink.com/hiring-form) · [**Talk to an Expert →**](https://calendar.app.google/ZBnNteYxBsUDYoUZ9) ## Related HiresLink articles - [Brazil Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/brazil-public-holidays-2026) - [Mexico Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/mexico-public-holidays-2026) - [Colombia Public Holidays 2026: Guide for Remote US Teams](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/colombia-public-holidays-2026) - [Argentina Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/argentina-public-holidays-2026) - [Chile Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/chile-public-holidays-2026) - [Peru Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/peru-public-holidays-2026) - [Uruguay Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/uruguay-public-holidays-2026) - [Costa Rica Public Holidays 2026: Guide for US Employers](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/costa-rica-public-holidays-2026) - [Hiring in LATAM 2026: Complete Guide](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/hiring-latam-2026-complete-guide) - [Remote Work Policy Template 2026](https://www.hireslink.com/blog/remote-work-policy-template-2026) - [HiresLink Resources](https://www.hireslink.com/resources) - [LATAM Salary Benchmarks](https://www.hireslink.com/latam-salaries) ## Sources - [Timeanddate — Holidays and Observances in Panama in 2026](https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/panama/2026) - [La Prensa Panamá — Días feriados y fiestas nacionales en Panamá 2026](https://www.prensa.com/sociedad/dias-feriados-y-fiestas-nacionales-en-panama-2026-calendario-detallado/) - [MITRADEL — Jornada laboral en días nacionales y su remuneración según el Código de Trabajo](https://www.mitradel.gob.pa/jornada-laboral-en-dias-nacionales-y-su-remuneracion-segun-el-codigo-de-trabajo/) - [Superintendencia de Bancos de Panamá — Resolución SBP-ADM-R-2026-00003](https://www.superbancos.gob.pa/documentos/leyes_y_regulaciones/resolucion/2026/Resolucion_2026-00003.pdf) - [Ministerio de Gobierno — cierre de oficinas públicas por Semana Santa 2026](https://www.mingob.gob.pa/gobierno-nacional-decreta-cierre-de-oficinas-publicas-el-jueves-2-de-abril-por-semana-santa/) - HiresLink Talent Pool Intelligence Report 2026, proprietary, n=90,000+ vetted candidates. - HiresLink internal hiring benchmarks: 48-hour shortlist, 18–21 day average time-to-hire, 91–92% 12-month retention, and 48% average cost savings. - US compensation ranges reflect 2025–2026 market salary benchmarks and fully loaded employer cost assumptions. _This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice._ ### About HiresLink Team Expert insights from the HiresLink team on hiring LATAM tech talent, remote work, and building distributed teams. ### Compare LATAM salaries by role Real 2026 compensation ranges from HiresLink's LATAM network — no gated content, no sales call required. - [→ Full-Stack Engineer LATAM salary](/latam-salaries/full-stack-engineer/argentina) - [→ DevOps / SRE LATAM salary](/latam-salaries/devops-sre/argentina) - [→ Data Engineer LATAM salary](/latam-salaries/data-engineer/argentina) - [→ ML Engineer LATAM salary](/latam-salaries/machine-learning-engineer/argentina) - [→ AI/ML Engineer LATAM salary](/latam-salaries/ai-ml-engineer/argentina) ### Table of Contents - TL;DR — 7 numbers for Panama remote hiring in 2026 - Why Panama public holidays matter for US remote teams - Panama public holidays 2026 - Important Panama dates that may affect availability - Panama 2026 holiday calendar by quarter - Why Carnival matters for Panama remote teams - Why November matters for Panama remote teams - Panama holidays vs US holidays in 2026 - How Panama holidays affect different remote roles - How many hours of US-Panama overlap should you expect? - 2026 LATAM salary benchmarks — roles commonly hired from Panama and LATAM - US vs. LATAM — annual cost comparison for remote hiring - How to build a Panama holiday policy for remote teams - Panama holiday planning checklist for US employers - Best practices for managing Panama-based remote employees - Panama vs other LATAM countries for US hiring - Geographic breakdown — where remote-ready LATAM talent comes from - English proficiency — remote-ready LATAM candidate pool - Seniority distribution — HiresLink candidate network - Compliance and EOR — Panama holiday considerations - Case study — US logistics SaaS company hiring Panama-based operations talent - Vendor comparison — Panama remote hiring support - FAQ - Final takeaways - Related HiresLink articles - Sources ## Related Articles [ ![LATAM Salary Guide by Role and Seniority \[2026\]](https://ajrfrtiexzvxvomfrjnp.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/2026/08/1786469025130-latam-salary-guide-by-role-and-seniority-2026.png) LATAM Country Guides ### LATAM Salary Guide by Role and Seniority \[2026\] A senior backend engineer in Argentina does not cost the same as a junior customer support rep in Peru. A Mexico-based SDR working Pacific Time may not cost the same as a Colombia-based SDR supporting East Coast accounts. A senior AI integration engineer with Python, APIs, cloud, LLM workflows, and U.S. startup experience will cost more than a no-code automation specialist doing internal workflows. August 11, 2026 15 min read ](/blog/latam-salary-guide-role-seniority-2026) [ ![Best Countries in LATAM to Hire Remote Talent in 2026](https://ajrfrtiexzvxvomfrjnp.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/2026/08/1786468781855-best-countries-in-latam-to-hire-remote-talent-in-2026.png) LATAM Country Guides ### Best Countries in LATAM to Hire Remote Talent in 2026 That is the biggest mistake U.S. companies make when hiring in Latin America. They search for “LATAM talent” as if Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador all offer the same skills, salary bands, English levels, holidays, and timezone overlap. August 11, 2026 15 min read ](/blog/best-countries-latam-hire-remote-talent) [ ![Argentina vs Colombia vs Mexico for Remote Hiring \[2026\]](https://ajrfrtiexzvxvomfrjnp.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/2026/08/1786386098567-argentina-vs-colombia-vs-mexico-for-remote-hiring-2026.png) LATAM Country Guides ### Argentina vs Colombia vs Mexico for Remote Hiring \[2026\] Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico are often the first countries U.S. companies compare when building a remote team in Latin America. August 10, 2026 15 min read ](/blog/argentina-vs-colombia-vs-mexico-remote-hiring) ## Ready to Hire Top LATAM Talent? Get matched with pre-vetted developers, designers, and specialists in 48 hours. 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