Leave of Absence Request Spain (Solicitud de Excedencia Laboral)

A Leave of Absence Request Spain (Solicitud de Excedencia Laboral) is a formal written application submitted by an employee (trabajador) to their employer (empresario) requesting a period of leave from employment — the excedencia — during which the employment contract is suspended but not terminated, preserving the employee's right to return to work under the conditions established by Article 46 of the Estatuto de los Trabajadores (Real Decreto Legislativo 2/2015, de 23 de octubre — ET). The excedencia is one of the most significant employee rights in Spanish labour law, allowing workers to temporarily step away from their employment relationship for personal, family, or professional reasons while maintaining a connection with their employer.

Article 46 ET distinguishes between three types of excedencia: (1) Excedencia voluntaria (voluntary leave of absence) under Article 46.2 ET — applicable to employees with at least one year of seniority (antigüedad) at the company, who may request leave for a period of between 4 months and 5 years. The excedencia voluntaria may be requested once every 4 years. During voluntary leave, the employee retains only a preferential right (derecho preferente) to reintegration into any available vacancy of the same or similar professional group — not an absolute right of return. The employment contract is suspended for the duration of the leave; (2) Excedencia por cuidado de familiares (family care leave) under Article 46.3 ET — applicable when an employee needs to care for a child under 3 years of age (by birth, adoption, or foster care), or a family member up to second degree by blood or marriage (abuelos, parents, siblings, parents-in-law) who cannot care for themselves due to age, illness, or disability. This type of excedencia lasts up to 3 years for child care and 2 years for dependent relative care. The employee has an absolute right of return (derecho de reincorporación) to a job of the same professional group or equivalent category at the end of the leave period; (3) Excedencia forzosa (compulsory leave of absence) under Article 46.1 ET — granted to employees who hold public office (cargo público representativo) requiring full-time dedication — elected public representatives, senior civil servants, trade union officials with full-time release (liberación sindical). The employee retains the exact job position and seniority, and has an absolute right of return within one month of ceasing the public function.

The excedencia por cuidado de familiares was substantially reformed by Real Decreto-Ley 6/2019, de 1 de marzo, de medidas urgentes para garantía de la igualdad de trato y de oportunidades entre mujeres y hombres en el empleo y la ocupación, which equalised the rights of fathers and mothers in family care leave and enhanced non-discrimination protections for employees returning from excedencia. The LOPDGDD (Ley Orgánica 3/2018) also strengthened job security protections for employees who return from maternity, paternity, or family care leave — termination of an employee within 12 months of returning from excedencia por cuidado is presumed to be discriminatory unless the employer can demonstrate a justified cause unrelated to the leave.

During excedencia por cuidado de hijos (child care leave), the first 12 months are especially protected — the employee's job position is reserved exactly, not merely their professional group. For the remaining period up to 3 years, only a position of the same group or equivalent category is guaranteed. During the entire family care excedencia, the period of leave counts towards seniority (antigüedad) and the employee remains entitled to attend professional training courses and participate in selection processes for the same professional group, under Article 46.3 ET as reformed by the RDL 6/2019.

Social security implications of excedencia in Spain are significant. During excedencia voluntaria, the employee is voluntarily uninsured (en situación de alta voluntaria en el RETA or in a special arrangement) — they do not pay or receive social security contributions, which means they do not accrue pension rights or access public healthcare through the social security system during the leave period unless they maintain voluntary contributions or obtain coverage through another mechanism. During excedencia por cuidado de hijos, the first 3 years count as assimilated active duty (asimilado al alta) for pension purposes under the Ley General de la Seguridad Social (RDL 8/2015 — LGSS), preserving healthcare access and pension accrual rights.

A Leave of Absence Request Spain is needed whenever an employee wishes to exercise the right to excedencia under Article 46 of the Estatuto de los Trabajadores (ET RDL 2/2015) and needs to formally communicate their request to the employer.

The request is needed when an employee plans to care for a newborn child, an adopted child, or a child placed for foster care — the excedencia por cuidado de hijos under Article 46.3 ET entitles parents to up to 3 years of leave, with full job protection for the first year and professional group protection thereafter.

A Leave of Absence Request is needed when an employee needs to care for an elderly parent, a sibling with disability, or another family member up to second degree who has lost the ability to care for themselves — the excedencia por cuidado de familiares under Article 46.3 ET provides up to 2 years of protected leave for this purpose.

The request is needed when an employee has been with the company for at least one year and wishes to take voluntary leave for personal reasons — sabbatical, further education, travel, personal projects, or to work abroad temporarily without permanently severing the employment relationship — under the excedencia voluntaria of Article 46.2 ET.

A Leave of Absence Request is required when an employee is elected to public office — local councillor (concejal), regional parliament member (diputado autonómico), national parliament member (diputado o senador), or other elected representative requiring full-time dedication — triggering the excedencia forzosa under Article 46.1 ET with full job protection.

The request is needed when a trade union official (representante sindical) with full-time release (liberación sindical) granted by an employer under Ley Orgánica 11/1985 de Libertad Sindical (LOLS) exercises this right — the excedencia forzosa by union mandate preserves the employee's exact position and accruing seniority.

A Leave of Absence Request is needed when an employee on voluntary leave wishes to extend the leave period — a new request must be submitted before the end of the current excedencia period, subject to the maximum duration limit of 5 years for excedencia voluntaria and compliance with the 4-year gap requirement between successive voluntary excedencias.

The request is also relevant when an employee is considering whether to resign or take excedencia — excedencia voluntaria preserves the employment relationship and provides a safety net of preferential reintegration rights, making it preferable to resignation when the employee is uncertain about their long-term career direction.

A valid Leave of Absence Request Spain under the Estatuto de los Trabajadores (RDL 2/2015) Article 46 must contain the following elements to be legally effective and to preserve the employee's rights during the leave period.

Employee Identification: Full name, DNI/NIE, position (puesto de trabajo), professional group (grupo profesional), and seniority date (fecha de antigüedad) — the seniority date is critical for excedencia voluntaria applications, which require at least one year of seniority, and for calculating the maximum leave duration and reintegration rights. The TGSS Social Security Number (NSS) should also be included for employer records.

Type of Excedencia Requested: Clear specification of the type of leave — excedencia voluntaria (Article 46.2 ET), excedencia por cuidado de hijos (Article 46.3.a ET), excedencia por cuidado de familiares (Article 46.3.b ET), or excedencia forzosa (Article 46.1 ET) — as each type has different legal effects, duration limits, and return rights. Misidentifying the type may affect the employee's social security coverage and return entitlements.

Cause of Excedencia: A statement of the reason for the leave request. For excedencia voluntaria, no specific reason is legally required (Article 46.2 ET simply requires the employee to exercise the right by notification), though stating the reason can be professionally appropriate. For excedencia por cuidado, identification of the family member (child, parent, sibling) and their condition (newborn, adoption, disability, illness) must be provided, with supporting documentation (birth certificate, adoption order, disability certificate, medical report). For excedencia forzosa, the public function or union mandate must be identified.

Requested Start Date and Duration: The specific start date (fecha de inicio) of the excedencia and the requested duration (período de excedencia) or expected end date. The request should specify whether a fixed end date is known or whether the excedencia is for the maximum permitted period. For excedencia por cuidado, stating the expected duration aligned to the child's third birthday or the expected improvement of the dependent family member's condition is appropriate.

Return Rights Acknowledged: A clear acknowledgment of the applicable return rights — for excedencia voluntaria: preferential right to any vacancy of the same or equivalent professional group, no guarantee of exact position return; for excedencia por cuidado: reserved position for the first year, then professional group equivalence for the remainder; for excedencia forzosa: guaranteed return to the exact position within one month. This acknowledgment prevents subsequent disputes about the scope of reintegration rights.

Notice Period Compliance: Confirmation that the request is submitted within the applicable notice period — the ET does not establish a specific notice period for excedencia voluntaria, but employers typically require 15 to 30 days' advance notice as specified in the applicable convenio colectivo. For excedencia por cuidado, the request may be made at any time and takes effect immediately upon employer acknowledgment.

Return Notice Procedure: The procedure by which the employee will notify the employer of their intention to return — typically at least 30 days' advance written notice of the intended return date, to allow the employer to prepare for reintegration. Failure to give adequate notice of return may result in loss of the reintegration right for excedencia voluntaria if no vacancy is available.

Forms-legal.com provides this Leave of Absence Request Spain template as a practical document for employees exercising their excedencia rights. Employees in complex situations — multiple employers, ongoing disputes, or significant financial implications — should consult an abogado laboralista before submitting.

Key legal references: Estatuto de los Trabajadores (RDL 2/2015) Article 46 governs all types of excedencia. Real Decreto-Ley 6/2019 reformed family care leave rights. The Ley General de la Seguridad Social (RDL 8/2015) Article 165 establishes the social security assimilation of excedencia por cuidado periods. The Ley Orgánica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD) and the Ley de Igualdad (Ley Orgánica 3/2007) provide anti-discrimination protections for returning employees. The Juzgado de lo Social resolves disputes about excedencia and reintegration rights under Ley 36/2011 (LRJS).

Under the Estatuto de los Trabajadores (ET) RDL 2/2015, Spanish employment law governs contracts, dismissals, and working conditions. The Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS) administers social security contributions. The Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE) manages unemployment benefits. The Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social enforces labour compliance. The Juzgados de lo Social hear employment disputes under the Ley Reguladora de la Jurisdicción Social (Ley 36/2011).