Vietnam Proposes Announcing Tet Holiday Schedule by End of September

Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed announcing the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday schedule by September 30 each year to facilitate planning for civil servants, workers, and businesses. This proposal is part of a draft law amending several articles of the Labor Code, Archives Law, Law on Gender Equality, and Law on Red Cross Activities. According to the proposal, the Prime Minister will decide the specific dates for the Lunar New Year and National Day holidays based on actual conditions. Subsequently, the Minister of Home Affairs will announce the annual Tet holiday schedule before September 30 of the preceding year. Early announcement will allow officials, public employees, citizens, and businesses to prepare suitable programs and plans, avoiding disruptions caused by last-minute announcements. Compared to a draft from June, the announcement timeline has been advanced by three months, from December 31 to September 30 of the preceding year. The Prime Minister's authority to decide holidays is proposed to remain unchanged, limited to the Lunar New Year and National Day, unlike a previous draft that suggested deciding all public holidays for the year. The Ministry of Home Affairs also proposes adding November 24, Vietnam Culture Day, as a paid holiday to institutionalize the Party and National Assembly's policies on cultural development. If approved, Vietnam would have 12 official public holidays per year: New Year's Day (1 day), Lunar New Year (5 days), Hung Kings' Commemoration Day (1 day), Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1) (1 day each), National Day (2 days), and Vietnam Culture Day (1 day). The draft law is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval in its October 2026 session, with an effective date of March 1, 2027, excluding the provision regarding Vietnam Culture Day.