Under this proposal, the ministry would be responsible for officially announcing the finalized schedule by Dec. 31 of the preceding year.
This change is part of a draft law that amends the Labor Code and several other laws. Currently, the prime minister only sets the specific schedules for the Lunar New Year (Tet) and National Day following proposals from the ministry, while the dates for all other holidays are fixed by law. This amendment would expand the prime minister’s authority to cover every holiday period.
Vietnam currently has 11 official public holidays, including one day for New Year’s Day, five days for the Lunar New Year, one day for the Hung Kings Commemoration Day, two days for Reunification Day and International Labor Day (April 30-May 1), and two days for National Day.
Veterans sits along Van Cao Street, waiting to watch a military parade to celebrate Vietnam’s 80th National Day in Hanoi, Sept. 1, 2025. Photo by Read/Thanh Hang |
Despite the rigid legal framework, public holidays such as the April 30-May 1 break have, in practice, been extended in some years through flexible coordination mechanisms.
When a public holiday falls on a regular weekend (Saturday or Sunday), employees are automatically given the next working day off. Because this compensatory day off is already guaranteed by law, it happens automatically and does not require a special decision from the PM.
In special cases, such as when a holiday is separated from a weekend by a single working day, the Ministry of Home Affairs may propose swapping working days to create a longer break. The proposal is then submitted to the PM for approval and formal issuance, with the aim of boosting tourism and providing greater convenience for workers.
Proposal for one more holiday
In addition to changing who schedules the holidays, the ministry wants to add a new one. They have proposed designating Nov. 24 as “Vietnam Culture Day,” which would be a fully paid day off to promote cultural development.
If this new holiday is approved, the total would increase to 12 days, spread across six holiday periods throughout the year.
The draft law is currently open for public consultation, and comments will be accepted until June 22.
Following the public comment period, the government plans to submit the bill to the National Assembly Standing Committee during its September session. Final approval is expected in October 2026.
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