Vietnam public holidays: the full list for employers

Vietnam has 12 paid public holidays a year. For employers, each one means a full day's pay without work, and higher pay for anyone who works that day.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Employees in Vietnam are entitled to 12 paid public holidays a year: 11 under Article 112 of the Labor Code, plus Vietnam Culture Day on November 24.

• Lunar New Year (Tet) is the longest, with 5 paid days. Employers choose the exact days for Tet and National Day.

• Foreign employees get 2 extra days off: one for their own traditional New Year and one for their own National Day.

Vietnam's paid public holidays at a glance

Under Article 112 of the Labor Code, employees take these days off on full pay. Vietnam Culture Day was added by National Assembly Resolution 28/2026/QH16, effective July 1, 2026.

Holiday (English)	Vietnamese name	Date	Paid days
New Year's Day	Tết Dương lịch	January 1	1
Lunar New Year (Tet)	Tết Âm lịch (Tết Nguyên đán)	Lunar calendar	5
Hung Kings' Commemoration Day	Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương	10th day of the 3rd lunar month	1
Reunification Day	Ngày Chiến thắng	April 30	1
International Labor Day	Ngày Quốc tế Lao động	May 1	1
National Day	Quốc khánh	September 2, plus the day before or after	2
Vietnam Culture Day	Ngày Văn hóa Việt Nam	November 24	1
Total	Tổng cộng		12

Source: Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14, Article 112; Resolution No. 28/2026/QH16, Article 2

How Tet and National Day are scheduled

Tet and Hung Kings' Commemoration Day follow the lunar calendar, so their solar dates change every year. For Tet and National Day, the law sets the number of days, and employers decide which days to give. Each year, the Ministry of Home Affairs publishes the schedule for civil servants and the options for private employers.

• Tet: Employers give 5 days, split between the end of the old lunar year and the start of the new one. The usual options are 1 day before and 4 after, 2 before and 3 after, or 3 before and 2 after.

• National Day: Employers give 2 days: September 2 and either September 1 or September 3.

• Advance notice: Employers should announce their Tet and National Day schedules to employees at least 30 days before they start.

Rules employers should know

1. Holidays on a weekly rest day. If a public holiday falls on an employee's weekly day off, the employee gets the next working day off instead (Article 111, Clause 3).

2. Working on a public holiday. Employees who agree to work on a public holiday receive at least 300% of their normal wage, not counting the holiday pay that daily-paid employees already receive (Article 98).

3. Foreign employees. Foreign nationals working in Vietnam get 2 extra days off: one for their own traditional New Year and one for their own National Day (Article 112, Clause 2).

4. Annual leave is separate. Public holidays do not count toward annual leave. Employees with 12 months of service also get at least 12 days of paid annual leave (Article 113).

What is changing

Vietnam Culture Day already applies as a paid holiday under Resolution 28/2026/QH16. On October 21, 2026, the Government also asked the National Assembly to add it to Article 112 of the Labor Code, so all 12 holidays sit in one place. Employers do not need to wait for this amendment: November 24 is already a paid day off.

Source: LSVN, October 21, 2026

What employers should do

1. Add all 12 holidays to your annual calendar. Include Vietnam Culture Day on November 24.

2. Set your Tet and National Day schedules early. Choose your option and tell your team at least 30 days ahead.

3. Plan coverage and overtime. If anyone needs to work on a holiday, budget for at least 300% pay.

4. Check foreign staff entitlements. Record the extra 2 days for each foreign employee's home-country holidays.

Plan ahead. Stay compliant.

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Keep reading

• Vietnam's new minimum wages for 2027: what employers need to know

• The employer's guide to social insurance in Vietnam (2026)

• 12 things international companies should check before hiring in Vietnam

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References

Laws and regulations

• Thư viện Pháp luật (in Vietnamese): Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14 (Articles 98, 111, 112, 113)

• Thư viện Pháp luật (in Vietnamese): Resolution No. 28/2026/QH16 on the development of Vietnamese culture (Article 2)

News and guidance

• LSVN (in Vietnamese): Government proposes adding a paid holiday to the Labor Code

This article is for general information and reflects regulations as of November 2026. It is not legal advice.