National holidays for the visit of Pope Leo XIV in November

The National Executive Power established a national holiday on Monday, November 9, 2026, throughout the territory of the Argentine Republic and set limited territorial holidays for November 10 and 11, on the occasion of the official visit of Pope Leo XIV. The decision was formalized through Decree 1103/2026, published in the Official Gazette on September 28, 2026, which also declares the visit to be of national interest and creates a special executing unit to organize it.

The regulation is a decree of necessity and urgency issued by general agreement of ministers, with file EX-2026-93650136-APN-DGDYD#JGM, in exercise of the powers of Article 99, subsections 1 and 3, of the National Constitution. The text invokes Law 26.122, which regulates the intervention of the Honorable Congress of the Nation regarding DNUs, and provides for reporting to the Permanent Bicameral Commission. According to the recitals, the visit will take place between November 8 and 11, 2026, and the planned activities require special security, logistics, and traffic management measures that could be hindered by overlapping with a business day.

One national holiday and two territorial holidays

The decree staggers the dates according to the territorial impact of the papal agenda:

Monday, November 9, 2026: national holiday throughout the territory of the Argentine Republic.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026: holiday exclusively in the Province of Córdoba and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026: holiday exclusively in the Province of Buenos Aires.

The recitals specify that the provinces of Córdoba and Buenos Aires and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires requested the declaration of national holidays with limited territorial scope. The measure also applies to agencies, dependencies, and activities subject to national jurisdiction operating in those territories, without extending its effects to areas not affected by the visit.

An executing unit with the rank of Secretary

Article 5 creates, within the scope of the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Temporary Special Executing Unit “Visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV”, for the purpose of planning, coordinating, articulating, and leading the organizational actions of the visit. Its validity may not exceed twelve months from the entry into force of the decree.

The leadership will be in charge of an off-scale official, with the rank of Secretary and ad honorem status, empowered to sign agreements with national jurisdictions, provinces, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, and municipalities. Article 9 also creates five extra-scale positions, all with the rank of Undersecretary and ad honorem status:

Executive Coordinator.
Logistics and Infrastructure Coordinator.
Security and Emergencies Coordinator.
Protocol and Institutional Relations Coordinator.
Legal Support Coordinator.

Procurement and Financing

The head of the Unit shall have exceptional and temporary powers regarding procurement directly linked to its purpose: authorizing the call and selection of the procedure, approving specifications, awarding contracts, declaring procedures void or failed, and canceling them, regardless of the amount. They may also approve expenses, order payments, and make disbursements in accordance with Article 35 of the Regulations of Law 24.156, approved by Decree 1344/07.

Expenses will be charged to the current credits of Jurisdiction 25 – Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers. The decree entered into force the day following its publication and empowers the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers to issue the necessary complementary and clarifying regulations.

The impact is direct for workers, businesses, and national agencies in the three affected jurisdictions: the holiday on November 9 applies nationwide, while November 10 and 11 constitute local holidays that alter labor, educational, and commercial activity in Córdoba, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, and the Province of Buenos Aires during the central days of the papal visit.

Source: Official Gazette of the Argentine Republic, September 28, 2026, First Section (official reference: Decree 1103/2026 – DNU-2026-1103-APN-PTE).