Vietnam proposes 4-day New Year break to boost travel and spending

Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed a plan to extend the New Year 2026 holiday to four consecutive days, up from the single day currently mandated.

Under the proposal, the working day on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 would be swapped with Saturday, Jan. 10, enabling a continuous holiday from Thursday, Jan. 1 through Sunday, Jan. 4. The ministry said it is seeking feedback from other ministries and agencies, with consultations to be completed Dec. 24.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said the plan would give workers a more balanced holiday break, help stimulate domestic tourism and consumer spending and support economic growth, while keeping the total number of annual working days unchanged.

Looking ahead to other holidays in 2026, the ministry said arrangements under the Labor Code would remain unchanged. In April, workers will benefit from two consecutive holiday periods, including a three-day break for the Hung Kings Commemoration Day and a four-day holiday for Reunification Day and International Workers’ Day from April 30 to May 3.

National Day in 2026 is set to span five days, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, with a workday swap moving Monday, Aug. 31 to Saturday, Aug. 22.

Vietnam currently has 11 official public holidays per year, fewer than the Southeast Asian average. In addition to public holidays, foreign employees working in Vietnam are entitled to extra days off for their home country’s traditional New Year and National Day.

By Hong Chieu – VnExpress.net – December 23, 2025