Official Vietnam Tet Holiday 2026: 9 Days Off for Workers

Oct 21, 2025

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Vietnam’s Tet Holiday 2026: How Many Days Off Will Employees Be Granted?

The Vietnamese Tet Holiday 2026 (Tết Nguyên Đán) is the most important festival and the longest annual break for workers in Vietnam. Planning business operations, especially for international companies, requires knowing the exact official dates. The Lunar New Year in 2026, the Year of the Horse (Bính Ngọ), falls on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Here is the official breakdown of the expected time off for workers.

Table of Contents

The Official Tết Holiday Schedule for 2026

The official holiday schedule for public-sector employees (civil servants and public workers) in Vietnam has been approved by the government based on the proposals from the Ministry of Home Affairs. This schedule often serves as a guideline for the private sector.

Statutory Days Off

According to the Labor Code of Vietnam, all employees are legally entitled to five consecutive days off for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Official Statutory Holiday: The break is scheduled for 5 days, covering 1 day before Tết and 4 days after Tết.
Dates: Monday, February 16, 2026 (29th day of the 12th lunar month) to Friday, February 20, 2026 (4th day of the 1st lunar month).

Total Expected Days Off: The 9-Day Block

For employees who work Monday to Friday or Monday to Saturday, the actual time off will be much longer due to weekend inclusion.

The government has approved a proposal for a 9-day continuous break for public servants to cover the Tết holiday. This is achieved by combining the statutory days with the regular weekly days off.

Start Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026 (27th day of the 12th lunar month)
End Date: Sunday, February 22, 2026 (6th day of the 1st lunar month)
Total Duration: 9 consecutive days

What This Means for Private Sector Workers

While the 9-day schedule is official for the public sector, the rules are slightly different for private enterprises:

Minimum Requirement: Private companies must grant a minimum of 5 paid days off for the Lunar New Year holiday, according to the Labor Code.
Employer Discretion: The employer has the right to decide the specific start and end dates of the 5-day break. They must inform the employees at least 30 days in advance.
Common Practice: Most large domestic and foreign-invested companies (FDI) choose to implement the 9-day continuous schedule (Saturday to Sunday) to align with state bodies and minimize disruption when employees travel.
Longer Breaks: Some companies, especially those in manufacturing or education, may grant even longer breaks (10-14 days) to account for employee travel and seasonal production shifts.

Key Takeaways for Business Planning

Action Point	Detail
Official Minimum	5 days (Monday, Feb 16 – Friday, Feb 20, 2026). This is the minimum legal obligation.
Most Likely Period	9 consecutive days (Saturday, Feb 14 – Sunday, Feb 22, 2026), adopted by most companies.
Overtime Pay	Any work performed on these official holiday dates must be compensated at 300% of the normal daily wage.

How to calculate overtime pay for employees working during the Tet holiday?

Ensure your company communicates its specific 2026 Tết holiday schedule well in advance to all employees.

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