Plan your annual leave smarter, not harder.
Boy, oh boy, does time really fly. Ready to turn 11 public holidays into 39 glorious vacation days in 2026? ✨ It’s more doable than it sounds: a handful of well-timed leave days, booked before your colleagues beat you to them. This guide is the cheat sheet — the dates, the leave days that earn the most time off, and the long weekends you get for free.
Let’s break it all down.
- Singapore has 11 gazetted public holidays in 2026, confirmed by the Ministry of Manpower, from New Year’s Day on 1 January to Christmas on 25 December.
- Several land on a Friday or roll over to an in-lieu Monday, which gives the year 7 built-in long weekends.
Spend about 11 well-placed annual leave days against them and you’re looking at roughly 39 days off across the year.
💜 Stay Up To Date:
– Wedding Ang Bao Rates In Singapore
– CNY Ang Bao Rates Guide In Singapore
– Cherry Blossom Korea Guide: Forecasts, Festivals & Best Spots
⚡️ TLDR: Singapore Public Holidays at a Glance (2026)
| Key Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Total public holidays | 11 days |
| Long weekends | 7 opportunities |
| Annual leave needed | ~11 days (for maximum optimisation) |
| Total vacation days possible | 39 days |
| First public holiday | 1 January 2026 (New Year’s Day) |
| Last public holiday | 25 December 2026 (Christmas) |
| Most strategic leave period | Hari Raya Haji (27 May) + Vesak Day in-lieu (1 Jun) — 2 leave days, 6-day break |
| Deepavali 2026 | Sun 8 Nov, observed Mon 9 Nov |
🗓 Table of Contents:
- Singapore Public Holidays 2026: How Many Days Off?
- Complete List of Singapore Public Holidays 2026
- 2026 Calendar Singapore: Strategic Leave Planning
- Long Weekend Opportunities in 2026
- When Is Deepavali 2026 in Singapore?
- School Holidays Singapore 2026
- Best Travel Destinations for Each Holiday Period
- Budget Travel Tips
- FAQ: Singapore Public Holidays 2026
Singapore Public Holiday 2026: How Many Days Off?
Singapore has 11 official public holidays in 2026, the same count as previous years, but positioned well for leave planning. Here’s why 2026 is worth mapping out early:
- 11 gazetted public holidays, confirmed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
- 7 long weekends across the year, most needing just one well-placed leave day
- 5 of those long weekends need zero leave at all — Good Friday, Labour Day, National Day, Deepavali and Christmas all land on a Friday or an in-lieu Monday
- Up to 39 days off in total when you stack the holidays with about 11 annual leave days
If there’s a silver lining, it’s this: the holidays cluster neatly around Chinese New Year, the Hari Raya Haji to Vesak Day stretch, and year-end Christmas. That means more long breaks, and far fewer awkward “can I take leave?” conversations.
📖 Related Guide: YouTrip’s eSIM: Roam in 140+ Countries From Just S$1!
Complete List of Singapore Public Holidays 2026
Here’s the full 2026 calendar, with the leave days to book for the longest possible break each time.
| Period | Public Holiday(s) | Leave Days to Take | Total Days Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year | 1 Jan (Thu) | 2 Jan (Fri) | 4 days (1–4 Jan) |
| Chinese New Year | 17–18 Feb (Tue–Wed) | 13 + 16 Feb (Fri, Mon) | 6 days (13–18 Feb) |
| Hari Raya Puasa | 21 Mar (Sat) | 20 Mar (Fri) | 3 days (20–22 Mar) |
| Good Friday | 3 Apr (Fri) | 6 Apr (Mon) | 4 days (3–6 Apr) |
| Labour Day | 1 May (Fri) | 4 May (Mon) | 4 days (1–4 May) |
| Hari Raya Haji + Vesak Day | 27 May (Wed) + 1 Jun (Mon, in-lieu) | 28–29 May (Thu–Fri) | 6 days (27 May–1 Jun) |
| National Day | 10 Aug (Mon, in-lieu) | 7 Aug (Fri) | 4 days (7–10 Aug) |
| Deepavali | 9 Nov (Mon, in-lieu) | 6 Nov (Fri) | 4 days (6–9 Nov) |
| Christmas | 25 Dec (Fri) | 28 Dec (Mon) | 4 days (25–28 Dec) |
The in-lieu Monday holidays (1 Jun, 10 Aug, 9 Nov) apply when your rest day falls on the Sunday — the standard arrangement for most employees. Source: Ministry of Manpower — Public Holidays.
💡 Pro tip: The Hari Raya Haji to Vesak Day combo (27 May–1 June) is the real MVP of 2026. Two well-placed leave days unlock a full 6-day break — comfortably the best leave hack of the year. The Vesak Day in lieu of Monday (1 Jun) does the heavy lifting.
📖 Related Guide: YouTrip Withdrawal Guide For Singaporeans: ATM Fees & Limits
2026 Calendar Singapore: Strategic Leave Planning
The simplest way to plan: screenshot the table above, then book your 2026 leave the moment your company’s calendar opens. The high-value blocks fill up fast.
If you can only commit to one or two leave periods this year, prioritise in this order:
- 27 May–1 June — 2 leave days (Thu–Fri 28–29 May) for a 6-day break. Best return on the calendar.
- 13–18 February — 2 leave days (Fri 13 + Mon 16) bridging Chinese New Year into a 6-day stretch.
- Any of the Friday/Monday holidays — 1 leave day each turns a built-in 3-day weekend into a 4-day one (Good Friday, Labour Day, National Day, Deepavali, Christmas).
📖 Related Guide: Kota Kinabalu Travel Guide: Top Things To Do, Hotels & More
Long Weekend Opportunities in 2026
2026 is genuinely on your side if you like squeezing maximum rest out of minimal leave. Here’s how the long weekends line up:
- New Year: 1–4 January (1 leave day)
- Hari Raya Puasa: 20–22 March (1 leave day)
- Good Friday: 3–6 April (1 leave day)
- Labour Day: 1–4 May (1 leave day)
- Hari Raya Haji + Vesak Day: 27 May–1 June (2 leave days, 6-day break)
- National Day: 7–10 August (1 leave day)
- Deepavali: 6–9 November (1 leave day)
And the freebies: Good Friday, Labour Day, National Day, Deepavali and Christmas all fall on a Friday or in-lieu Monday, so you get a 3-day weekend even if you book no leave at all. Add the one extra day and they become 4-day breaks.
These are perfect for short regional escapes — think Johor Bahru, Bangkok, Bali or Penang.
📖 Related Guide: Cherry Blossom Season Japan: Best Time to Visit, Sakura Forecast & Top Viewing Spots
When Is Deepavali 2026 in Singapore?
Deepavali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Because it lands on a Sunday, the public holiday is observed the next day, Monday, 9 November 2026.
That gives you a built-in long weekend with zero leave: Saturday 7 to Monday 9 November (3 days). Book Friday 6 November off and it stretches to a 4-day weekend (6–9 November), enough for a quick run to Penang, Bali or Phuket. Deepavali, also spelt Diwali, is the Festival of Lights, marking the triumph of light over darkness, and is one of Singapore’s four major cultural public holidays.
School Holidays Singapore 2026
If you’re planning around the kids, here are the 2026 MOE school holiday periods for primary and secondary schools:
| Break | Dates | Length |
|---|---|---|
| March holidays | 14–22 March 2026 | ~1 week |
| Mid-year holidays | 30 May–28 June 2026 | 4 weeks |
| September break | 5–13 September 2026 | ~1 week |
| Year-end holidays | 21 November–31 December 2026 | ~6 weeks |
The June and December breaks are the only realistic windows for a long family trip. Always cross-check the official MOE calendar before booking anything non-refundable.
Best Travel Destinations for Each Holiday Period
Short Breaks (3–4 days)
Best for New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Good Friday, Labour Day, National Day, Deepavali and Christmas. Quick, low-leave, high-reward:
- Johor Bahru: Right across the Causeway. Mount Austin food street, JB City Centre malls, outlet shopping. Easy enough to do on a single day off.
- Batam or Bintan: A short ferry over for beach resorts, cheap seafood and zero-effort island time.
- Bangkok: Street food, temples, rooftop bars and shopping that never runs out.
- Penang: George Town heritage streets, hawker food and a bit of beach in Batu Ferringhi.
- Phuket: Direct flights, sand and sun. The default beach reset.
Medium Breaks (6 days)
Best for Chinese New Year and the Hari Raya Haji + Vesak Day stretch:
- Bali: A proper 6-day unwind, from Uluwatu beaches to Ubud’s rice terraces.
- Taiwan: Late May to early June catches the tail end of the high-elevation cherry blossom season around Alishan.
- Japan: Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto for the usual mix of neon, temples and convenience-store snacks.
- Vietnam: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Hoi An for history, coffee and very good, cheap food.
- South Korea: Seoul for shopping, street food and K-everything.
Long Breaks (7+ Days)
Best for the June school-holiday stretch. No single 2026 holiday gives you a week-plus on its own, but stack 4 extra leave days onto the Chinese New Year or Hari Raya Haji + Vesak window and either becomes about 10 days off (13–22 Feb, or 23 May–1 Jun).
Worth the leave for the trips a long weekend can’t do:
- Europe: Italy, France, Spain, or a rail loop through a few of them. The trip that punishes a rushed itinerary.
- United States: A West Coast run (LA, San Francisco, Las Vegas), or a proper New York deep dive.
- Japan, the deeper cuts: Hokkaido in summer, Kyushu’s onsen towns, Shikoku. The bits you skip on a short trip.
- New Zealand: A South Island road trip. Realistically 10 to 14 days, anything less and you’re just driving.
- Australia: The east coast (Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns), or one state done properly.
Budget Travel Tips
Wherever 2026 takes you, stretch your spending money further with YouTrip, Singapore’s go-to multi-currency travel wallet:
- Wholesale exchange rates, no hidden FX fees — the rate you see is the rate you get.
- No foreign transaction fees on card spending, and your first S$400 of overseas ATM withdrawals each calendar month is free (a flat 2% after that, and the allowance resets on the 1st). Some ATM operators add their own on-screen fee, so check the screen before you confirm.
- Spend in 150+ currencies at those wholesale rates, with the option to hold and lock in 10 major ones in your wallet.
- Freeze and unfreeze your card instantly in the app if it goes missing mid-trip.
Bring a little local cash for the cash-only stalls, withdraw it from an ATM when you land (free on your first S$400 each month, 2% after), and tap or scan with the YouTrip card for everything else. That beats a money changer, which quietly bakes a markup of a few percent into the rate it quotes you, wider still at airport and checkpoint counters.
📖 Related Guide: Best Multi-Currency Cards In Singapore: A Full Comparison Guide
FAQ: Singapore Public Holidays 2026
Singapore has 11 public holidays in 2026, as gazetted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM): New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year (2 days), Hari Raya Puasa, Good Friday, Labour Day, Hari Raya Haji, Vesak Day, National Day, Deepavali and Christmas Day.
Four do: Hari Raya Puasa (Saturday, 21 March), Vesak Day (Sunday, 31 May, observed Monday 1 June), National Day (Sunday, 9 August, observed Monday 10 August) and Deepavali (Sunday, 8 November, observed Monday 9 November).
When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a public holiday. Saturdays don’t get a replacement day.
With around 11 strategically placed leave days, you can stretch the 11 public holidays into roughly 39 days off across the year.
The two golden windows: Chinese New Year (2 leave days, 13 + 16 Feb, for a 6-day break) and Hari Raya Haji + Vesak Day (2 leave days, 28–29 May, for another 6-day break).
Deepavali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Since it’s on a Sunday, the public holiday is observed on Monday, 9 November. Take Friday, 6 November off, and you get a 4-day long weekend.
Based on the MOE calendar: March holidays 14–22 March, mid-year holidays 30 May–28 June, September break 5–13 September, and year-end holidays 21 November–31 December. The June and December breaks are the long ones. Always confirm against the official MOE calendar before booking.
It depends on your employer. The Employment Act doesn’t require employers to grant unpaid leave, so check with HR. Planning your ~11 strategic leave days carefully usually means you won’t need to.
Now Go Claim Those 39 Days
Eleven public holidays, seven long weekends, and a clear plan to turn them into 39 days off. The only thing standing between you and that is opening your company’s leave calendar and booking it before everyone else does. Do that this week.
And wherever you go, don’t forget your YouTrip card — Singapore’s go-to multi-currency wallet helps you save with great FX rates and zero fees. Skip the money changer and get a free YouTrip card + S$5 YouTrip credits with code <YTBLOG5>.
Then, head over to our YouTrip Perks page for exclusive offers and promotions — we promise you won’t regret it. Join our Telegram (@YouTripSG) and Community Group (@YouTripSquad) for travel tips, event invites, and more!
Here’s to what’s coming in 2026!
Related Articles:
Japan Budget Airlines: The Singaporean Traveller’s Guide
China Cherry Blossom: Forecast, Best Spots, Festivals
International Driving License Singapore: Price, Validity & How to Apply
