Vietnam has a short list of official public holidays set by the Labour Code: New Year's Day on 1 January, Tet (the Lunar New Year, several days), Hung Kings Commemoration Day on the tenth day of the third lunar month, Reunification Day on 30 April, International Labour Day on 1 May, and National Day on 2 September with one additional adjacent day. Foreign employees are also entitled to a day off for their own country's traditional New Year and one for their own National Day. Around these sits a richer calendar of lunar festivals, such as Mid-Autumn, that are not days off but shape daily life.
For a resident, knowing the calendar matters for practical reasons: government offices close, travel prices rise, and long weekends empty the cities. It also matters socially, because festivals are when neighbours, colleagues and families gather. This guide sets out both layers. Holiday rules can be adjusted, and the government announces exact days off and any swapped working days each year, so confirm details with your employer.
Official public holidays
The table lists the holidays set out in the 2019 Labour Code as they apply to employees. Public servants follow the same days, and the government often shifts a working day to create longer breaks.
| Holiday | Date | What residents notice |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January (solar calendar) | A short break; offices close, modest celebrations in city centres |
| Tet, Lunar New Year | Several days around the first day of the first lunar month | The biggest closure of the year; travel peaks and many businesses shut |
| Hung Kings Commemoration Day | 10th day of the 3rd lunar month | A day honouring the legendary founders; often joined to a weekend |
| Reunification Day | 30 April | Joined with 1 May into a long break and a busy domestic travel period |
| International Labour Day | 1 May | Part of the late April and early May holiday |
| National Day | 2 September plus one adjacent day | Another long weekend with heavy travel and celebrations |
The lunar dates mean Tet and Hung Kings Day move against the solar calendar each year. Employers publish their schedules once the official announcements are made, and those announcements are the source to trust rather than older lists online.
Extra days off for foreign employees
The Labour Code includes a provision that is often overlooked: foreign employees working in Vietnam are entitled, in addition to the Vietnamese public holidays, to one day off for their country's traditional New Year and one day off for their country's National Day. For someone from a country that celebrates Lunar New Year too, the traditional New Year may already overlap with Tet, but for many nationalities these are separate days.
In practice, how employers handle these days varies. Some build them into the annual schedule automatically; others expect the employee to request them. If you work under a Vietnamese labour contract, it is worth raising the question with human resources early in the year, with the dates you have in mind. The provision covers employees, not people in Vietnam on other kinds of stay.
Annual leave is separate from public holidays. Under the Labour Code, the basic entitlement for a full year of work in normal conditions is twelve days, rising with length of service and for certain types of work. Many international employers offer more by contract. Check your own contract and company rules, since they set out how leave is requested and carried over.
Lunar festivals that shape the year
Beyond the official holidays, much of Vietnamese life follows the lunar calendar. The first and fifteenth days of each lunar month are when many families make offerings at home and visit pagodas, and markets get busier with flowers and fruit on those days. Restaurants serving vegetarian food are noticeably fuller then too.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, Tết Trung Thu, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, is a children's festival. Streets fill with lanterns, lion dance groups practise in the weeks before, and mooncakes are given as gifts among families, colleagues and business partners. For families with children, it is one of the most enjoyable times of the year, and schools and residential buildings often organise small celebrations.
Other dates you will hear about include the Kitchen Gods' day on the twenty-third day of the last lunar month, a week before Tet; the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month; Tết Đoan Ngọ on the fifth day of the fifth month, when people eat sour fruit and fermented rice; and the seventh lunar month, a period devoted to remembering ancestors and the wandering dead, when some families avoid big decisions such as moving house or starting a business. None of these are days off, but they explain changes in the rhythm of markets, offices and neighbourhoods.
Other days that matter socially
8 March, International Women's Day. Widely marked in Vietnam. Colleagues, partners and friends give flowers and small gifts to women, and offices often hold short celebrations.
20 October, Vietnamese Women's Day. A second day for honouring women, with flowers and gifts similar to 8 March.
20 November, Teachers' Day. Students and parents thank teachers with flowers, cards and small gifts. Parents of children in Vietnamese or bilingual schools will notice it.
1 June, Children's Day. Schools, parks and shopping centres organise events for children, and families often go out together.
Death anniversaries. Families mark the anniversary of a relative's death, đám giỗ, with a meal for extended family. Colleagues and neighbours may invite you, and attending is a mark of closeness. Bringing fruit or a small gift and arriving roughly on time is enough; you will be seated, fed and introduced.
Weddings season. Weddings cluster in the cooler, drier months towards the end of the year and in the weeks after Tet, often on dates chosen by the lunar calendar. Expect more invitations, more tents in the lanes and more music on weekend evenings during those months.
Planning your year around the calendar
A small amount of planning saves most of the frustration that holidays cause new residents.
- At the start of the year, note the official holidays and any swapped working days once they are announced.
- Add your own two extra days if you are a foreign employee, and agree them with your employer.
- Check whether any visa, residence card, work permit or lease renewal falls near Tet, late April, or early September, and move it earlier.
- Book domestic travel for long weekends well in advance, or plan to stay home when roads and airports are at their busiest.
- Buy mooncakes, flowers or small gifts ahead of the social dates that matter in your circle.
- Keep a little extra cash and household supplies on hand before long closures.
Long weekends in late April, early September and around Tet are also the busiest times for beach towns and mountain resorts such as Da Lat. If you live in one of those places, expect your quiet street to fill up for a few days.
Travelling during holidays
Domestic travel peaks around Tet, the late April and early May break, and the National Day weekend. Flights, sleeper buses and trains between the big cities and popular destinations sell out early, and fares rise. Roads out of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are heavily congested on the first and last days of a long break, and accidents increase. Many long-term residents choose either to travel a day or two before the official break begins or to stay home and enjoy the quiet city.
If you hold a visa or residence card and plan to leave the country during a holiday, check that your permission to stay allows re-entry and that it will still be valid when you return. Border crossings and airports are busier than usual, and a holiday is not a good time to discover a problem with your documents, since offices that could help are closed.
Hotels and homestays in beach towns and mountain areas also fill quickly. If you live in a place that attracts holidaymakers, such as Da Nang, Nha Trang, Vung Tau or Da Lat, expect busier restaurants and roads for a few days, and plan errands around the arrivals and departures.
Regional festivals worth knowing
Alongside the national calendar, each region has its own festivals, many tied to local legends, harvests or historical figures. In the north, the first lunar month is the season of village festivals and pilgrimages to famous pagodas and temples, which draw very large crowds. Central Vietnam has boat races and fishing festivals along the coast, and Hoi An, now part of Da Nang city, is known for its monthly lantern evenings on the full moon.
In the Mekong Delta and the south, events such as boat races and traditional theatre accompany some festivals, and Khmer communities in the delta celebrate their own New Year in April. Highland communities around Da Lat and the Central Highlands hold their own gatherings with gongs and communal meals.
For a resident, these festivals are a chance to see a side of Vietnam that most visitors miss. Local people are usually glad to explain what is happening. Dress modestly at temple festivals, follow the crowd's lead, and keep valuables secure, since busy events attract pickpockets.
Living in a place that celebrates
Holidays in Vietnam are lived publicly. Streets are decorated with flags and lights before national days, loudspeakers in some neighbourhoods carry announcements, and families gather on pavements and in alleys for meals. In apartment buildings, management often organises Mid-Autumn events for children and year-end gatherings for residents. Joining in, even briefly, is one of the quickest ways to meet neighbours.
It also helps to understand that holiday schedules can change at short notice. Offices sometimes announce working days to make up for a bridged holiday, and some private businesses keep their own schedules. When a deadline really matters, confirm it in writing, and when something depends on a government office, assume it will not move during the days off.
For anything formal, such as visa extensions, residence cards or work permits, keep an eye on the official holiday dates and talk to your sponsor or the immigration authorities early. A holiday is never accepted as a reason for an overstay.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
How many public holidays does Vietnam have?
Under the 2019 Labour Code, employees have eleven days of public holidays a year: one for New Year's Day, five for Tet, one for Hung Kings Day, one each for 30 April and 1 May, and two for National Day. The government sometimes swaps working days to lengthen breaks, so check each year's announcement.
Do foreigners get extra holidays in Vietnam?
Foreign employees working in Vietnam are entitled to one extra day off for their country's traditional New Year and one for their country's National Day, in addition to Vietnamese public holidays. How these days are scheduled depends on the employer, so agree them with human resources early in the year.
Is the Mid-Autumn Festival a public holiday in Vietnam?
No. Mid-Autumn, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, is a widely celebrated children's festival, but offices and schools stay open. Expect lantern processions, lion dances and mooncake gifts in the evenings, and small celebrations organised by schools and apartment buildings.
Are government offices open during public holidays?
No. Immigration offices and other government agencies close on official holidays, and there are often backlogs before and after long breaks. Plan visa, residence card and work permit matters well ahead of Tet, late April and early September, and confirm timing with the authorities.
Why does the date of Tet change every year?
Tet follows the lunar calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon. Its first day therefore falls on a different solar date each year, usually between late January and mid-February. Hung Kings Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival move for the same reason.
What is the seventh lunar month and does it affect daily life?
The seventh lunar month is traditionally devoted to remembering ancestors and offering to wandering souls. Some families avoid big decisions such as moving house, buying property or opening a business during it. For residents, it can mean landlords or partners prefer to delay signing until afterwards.