Time recording in Spain
What the Spanish working time record law requires and how Gesthoras meets it: clock-ins, four years of storage and reports for the inspectorate.
Free PDF template
Monthly timesheet template in PDF
Download the free timesheet template in PDF: a printable monthly sheet with the start and finish time of each day and the employee’s signature. It is the simplest way to keep a working time record on paper.
The template
Printable timesheet
One sheet per person per month, in A4: the company’s and employee’s details at the top, a row for each day and, at the bottom, the month’s total hours with both parties’ signatures.
| Day | Start time | Finish time | Hours | Employee signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 |
Download the timesheet in PDF
Free, no sign-up. Print a sheet for each person at the start of the month.
What the law requires
What a working time record must include
Article 34.9 of the Workers’ Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores) requires the company to guarantee a daily working time record with the exact start and finish time of each employee’s working day. The law does not set a format: today a paper sheet, a spreadsheet or software are all valid, as long as the record is daily.
The records are kept for four years and must be available to the employee, their legal representatives and the Labour Inspectorate. How the record is organised is set by collective agreement, by company agreement or, failing that, by the company after consulting staff representatives.
- For part-time contracts, hours are recorded day by day and totalled each month, with a copy of the summary for the employee along with their payslip (article 12.4.c).
- Overtime is also recorded day by day and totalled for each pay period, with a copy of the summary on the payslip (article 35.5).
- The template’s hours column and total row are there for those sums.
From paper to Gesthoras
When a paper timesheet is no longer enough
A paper timesheet works while the team is small and works in one place. Then come the unsigned sheets, the finish times nobody wrote down, the hours you add up by hand at the end of the month and the folders you must keep for four years.
With Gesthoras, each person clocks in and out from a mobile, a computer, a QR code or the RecLog terminal. Hours are worked out automatically, the working day closes at its assigned time if someone forgets to clock out, and the records stay stored, ready for the Labour Inspectorate. If you currently use a spreadsheet, see the comparison Excel or time tracking software.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us most
Is a paper record of working hours valid in Spain?
Yes. Spanish law requires a daily record of the start and finish time of each person’s working day, but it does not require a specific system: a well-kept paper sheet, a spreadsheet or time tracking software are all valid.
What should the timesheet include?
At least the company, the employee, the day and the exact start and finish time of their working day. The template adds the total hours and signatures, useful for adding up the month and giving the employee a copy.
How long must the records be kept?
Four years. During that time they must be available to the employee, their legal representatives and the Inspección de Trabajo (Spanish Labour Inspectorate) on request. Gesthoras keeps them and produces the reports for the inspectorate.
Will digital time recording become mandatory?
The Spanish government is preparing a royal decree to make working time records digital, but as of 31/10/2026 it has not been approved or published in the BOE (Spain’s official gazette). Until it is, paper records remain valid. If you want to get ahead, Gesthoras already keeps working time records digitally.
Keep reading
More about Gesthoras
Clocking in app
Each person clocks in with their own link from a mobile, a computer or a QR code, even with no signal.
RecLog clocking in machine
A fixed clocking terminal on the wall: each person clocks in by tapping their NFC key fob or card.
Time and attendance
Who is working, who has finished and who has not turned up, in real time. With holidays and absences in the Advanced licence.
Excel or time tracking software
What changes when you move from Excel to time tracking software: errors, missed clock-outs, locations and reports.
Time tracking for small businesses
The same law whatever your size: clock in with nothing to install, pay per active user and start free with no card.
Frequently asked questions
Answers about working time records, clocking in, the RecLog terminal and Gesthoras plans.
Record your team’s hours starting today
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