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Alonso Sala
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Procedural deadline calculator

Enter the notification date and the length of the deadline to estimate its expiry, skipping 2026 non-working days for the selected region. Indicative result only.

Last updated: · How we verify this content

A procedural deadline starts counting the day after notification (art. 133.1 LEC) and, when set in days, non-working days are excluded: Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, the month of August and the period from 24 December to 6 January (arts. 182-183 LOPJ). If the last day is non-working, the deadline is extended to the next working day (art. 133.4 LEC). During criminal instruction, however, every day and hour is a working day (art. 201 LECrim).

A day is working when it is not a Saturday or Sunday, nor a national, regional or local holiday (art. 182 LOPJ), and it does not fall within August (art. 183 LOPJ) or the Christmas period from 24 December to 6 January inclusive (LO 14/2022). Outside criminal instruction, those days are excluded from the day count; during criminal instruction (art. 201 LECrim) none of them are skipped.

Some typical criminal procedural deadlines (always verify the one set in the specific decision):

  • • Reversal appeal (recurso de reforma): 3 days from notification (art. 211 LECrim).
  • • Appeal against an investigating judge's order: 5 days from notification (art. 766.3 LECrim).
  • • Appeal against a minor-offence judgment: 5 days from notification (art. 976.1 LECrim).
  • • Appeal against a Criminal Court judgment: 10 days from notification (art. 790.1 LECrim).
  • • Bringing a detainee before the investigating judge: maximum 72 hours from surrender (art. 497 LECrim).
  • • Maximum length of the investigation phase: 12 months, extendable (art. 324 LECrim).

Read the guide to investigation time limits (art. 324 LECrim) →

Compute the deadline

The deadline starts counting the next day (art. 133.1 LEC).

Regional holidays determine which days are non-working.

Enter the notification date and the length of the deadline to estimate its expiry. The calculation runs entirely in your browser: no data is sent or stored.

How procedural deadlines are computed

This tool estimates the expiry date of a procedural deadline from the notification date, its length and its unit. It applies article 133 of the Civil Procedure Act (LEC), which applies on a supplementary basis to criminal proceedings: the deadline starts running from the day after the notification and, for deadlines set in days, non-working days are excluded; if the last day is a non-working day, the deadline is extended to the next working day. Deadlines set in months or years are counted from date to date (art. 133 LEC and art. 5 of the Civil Code). This is precisely the computation that applies to filing a criminal appeal on time.

Under article 182 of the Organic Law of the Judiciary (LOPJ), non-working days for procedural purposes are Saturdays and Sundays, national holidays and regional or local holidays. Article 183 LOPJ makes the whole month of August non-working, except urgent acts; and, following the LO 14/2022 reform (arts. 182-183 LOPJ and art. 130.2 LEC, in force since 23 December 2022), the period from 24 December to 6 January inclusive is also non-working.

A key criminal exception applies: under article 201 LECrim, all days and hours of the year are working days for the instruction of criminal cases, with no special authorisation needed. When the "criminal instruction" mode is enabled, the calculator therefore does not skip holidays, weekends or August. This is why an arrest or an urgent habeas corpus application can take place on any day of the year.

The result is indicative. The holiday calendar used is for 2026 and does not include the two local holidays of each municipality, which are also non-working. Certain procedures and certain offences are subject to special deadlines or limits. Always check the exact deadline set in the court decision and the calendar of the competent court.

Worked example, step by step

A 5-working-day deadline outside criminal instruction (arts. 133 LEC and 182-183 LOPJ).

  1. The decision is served on Tuesday 7 July. The deadline is counted from the following day (art. 133.1 LEC), so day one is Wednesday 8.
  2. Only working days are counted (art. 133.2 LEC): Wednesday 8 (day 1), Thursday 9 (day 2) and Friday 10 (day 3).
  3. Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 are non-working days (art. 182 LOPJ) and are not counted.
  4. It resumes: Monday 13 (day 4) and Tuesday 14 (day 5). The deadline expires on Tuesday 14 July.
  5. If that last day were non-working, the deadline would extend to the next working day (art. 133.4 LEC). By contrast, if the deadline ran during criminal instruction, no day would be excluded (art. 201 LECrim) and it would expire on Sunday 12.

Guidance result: it does not replace advice from a lawyer. Regional and local holidays, the month of August (art. 183 LOPJ) and the 24 December to 6 January period (LO 14/2022) are also non-working days and must be checked against the court’s official calendar.

Frequently asked questions

From which day does the deadline start counting?

From the day after notification. Article 133.1 LEC provides that deadlines start running the day after the notification act; the day of notification itself is not counted.

Which days are non-working for procedural purposes?

Under article 182 LOPJ: Saturdays and Sundays, national holidays and regional and local holidays. Article 183 LOPJ adds the whole month of August, except urgent acts. Following the LO 14/2022 reform, the period from 24 December to 6 January inclusive is also non-working (arts. 182-183 LOPJ and art. 130.2 LEC).

What changes during criminal instruction?

Article 201 LECrim provides that during the instruction of criminal cases all days and hours are working days, with no special authorisation. In that mode the calculator does not skip holidays, weekends or August.

How are deadlines in months counted?

From date to date (art. 133.3 LEC and art. 5 of the Civil Code). If the final month has no day equivalent to the start day (for example, 31 January plus one month), the deadline expires on the last day of that month.

What if the last day of the deadline is non-working?

The deadline is extended to the next working day (art. 133.4 LEC). In criminal instruction mode there is no extension, because every day is a working day.

Can I fully rely on the result?

No. It is an estimate based on the 2026 holiday calendar, which does not include the two local holidays of each municipality. Certain procedures and offences have special deadlines. Always verify the exact deadline in the court decision and the calendar of the relevant court.

What is the deadline to file a recurso de reforma (reversal appeal)?

Three days from notification of the order (art. 211 LECrim). The same deadline applies to reconsideration and review appeals against decisions of the Judicial Registrar (Letrado de la Administración de Justicia).

What is the deadline to appeal a minor-offence (delito leve) judgment?

Five days from notification of the judgment (art. 976.1 LECrim). During that period, the case file is available to the parties at the court registry.

How long can someone be detained before being brought before a judge?

A maximum of 72 hours from surrender, after which the judge must either convert the detention into pre-trial custody or release the person (art. 497 LECrim).

Important notice

Indicative automatic calculation tool with no legal or procedural value. The result is based on the official 2026 holiday calendar and does not include each municipality’s local holidays. It does not replace verification of the exact deadline set in the court decision or the advice of a lawyer. The calculation runs entirely in your browser; no data is captured or sent.

A pressing procedural deadline in your case?

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Related tools and legislation

2026 court-days calendar

Art. 201 LECrim

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