An undated photo shows people celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) in Vietnam. In 2026, the Tet holiday will last up to nine days. Photo: Phuc Tai
Under Article 112 of the 2019 Labor Code, employees are entitled to 11 statutory paid public holidays each year, including New Year’s Day (one day), Lunar New Year (five days), Hung Kings Commemoration Day (one day), Reunification Day on April 30 (one day), International Workers' Day on May 1 (one day), and National Day on September 2 (two days).
Foreign employees working in Vietnam are also entitled to one additional day off for their traditional New Year and one day for their national day.
Tet: Nine consecutive days off
In a little over a month, workers in Vietnam will enter the longest holiday of the year, Tet, which is due on February 17.
With the approval of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that civil servants, public employees, and workers will be off for the Tet holiday from Saturday, February 14 (the 27th day of the last lunar month of the Year of the Snake) to Sunday, February 22 (the sixth day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse).
In total, the Tet holiday will last nine consecutive days, including five statutory Tet holidays and four weekend days.
For businesses, employers may choose one of several options: one day off at the end of the Year of the Snake and four days at the start of the Year of the Horse, two days before Tet and three days after, or three days before and two days after.
Hung Kings Commemoration Day: Three days off
In 2026, Hung Kings Commemoration Day (the 10th day of the third lunar month) falls on Sunday, April 26.
As it coincides with a weekly day off, workers will be given a compensatory day off on the following Monday, resulting in a three-day break.
April 30 and May 1: Four consecutive days off
In 2026, Reunification Day on April 30 falls on a Thursday, while International Workers' Day on May 1 falls on a Friday.
For employees who do not work on Saturdays, the holiday will last four consecutive days, from April 30 through May 3, thanks to the adjoining weekend.
National Day (September 2): Five days off
For National Day, civil servants, public employees, and workers will have time off from Saturday, August 29 through Wednesday, September 2.
The five-day break includes two statutory National Day holidays, two weekend days, and one day off resulting from a work schedule adjustment.
For the business sector, employers are required to give employees September 2 off and may choose one additional adjacent day before or after, provided the holiday plan is announced at least 30 days in advance.
Personal leave and unpaid leave
Under the 2019 Labor Code, employees are entitled to paid leave for personal events, including marriage (three days); the marriage of a biological or adopted child (one day); and the death of parents, spouse, or children (three days).
Employees are entitled to one day of unpaid leave, with notice to the employer, in cases such as the death of grandparents or siblings, or the marriage of a parent or sibling.
Notably, for every five years of service with the same employer, an employee’s annual leave entitlement increases by one additional day.
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