Vietnam proposes new paid public holiday to bring annual total to 12 days

The Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed adding Vietnamese Culture Day on November 24 to the list of statutory paid public holidays as part of amendments to the 2019 Labor Code currently under legislative review.

The initiative aims to give people more opportunities to enjoy cultural activities, encourage artistic creativity, and promote cultural values and civilized lifestyles.

Under the current Labor Code, employees in Vietnam are entitled to 11 paid public holidays annually, including one day for New Year's Day, five for the Lunar New Year holiday, one for the Hung Kings Commemoration Day, one for Reunification Day on April 30, one for International Workers' Day on May 1, and two for National Day in September.

Foreign employees working in Vietnam are entitled to two additional days off with full pay: one for their home country's traditional New Year and another for its national day.

If approved, the new holiday would bring the annual total to 12 days for Vietnamese workers, excluding weekends and compensatory days off.

The draft also proposes that the prime minister determine specific holiday arrangements each year, with the minister of home affairs responsible for announcing the following year's schedule in advance to help workers, businesses, and government agencies plan their activities.

Other proposed changes to labor regulations

Beyond public holidays, the amendments seek to simplify regulations governing labor outsourcing by replacing the current licensing system with a security deposit registration and notification mechanism.

Under existing rules, labor outsourcing companies must obtain an operating license and provide a security deposit of VND2 billion (approximately US$76,000).

Their legal representatives must meet management requirements under the Law on Enterprises, have no criminal record, and possess at least three years of professional or managerial experience in labor outsourcing or labor supply within the five years preceding the license application.

The proposed changes would remove labor outsourcing from the list of conditional business activities, reducing administrative procedures and compliance costs.

While broadly supporting the move, the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Social Affairs warned that easing licensing requirements could weaken oversight and increase risks for outsourced workers.

The committee called for stronger post-registration supervision to protect workers' rights and prevent regulatory gaps.

The draft also proposes easing health requirements for foreign workers by replacing the existing requirement to meet standards set by the Ministry of Health with a more general condition of being "fit to work."

However, the committee raised concerns that the proposed wording was too vague and could lead to inconsistent interpretations.

It urged the drafting agency to clarify health assessment criteria and reconsider broadly worded exemptions from work permit requirements.

The proposed amendments remain under legislative consideration and have not yet taken effect.