Hong Kong Public Holidays 2026: Full Calendar & HR Planning Guide

Need the complete list of Hong Kong public holidays 2026 to plan leave, set payroll deadlines, and schedule staff? 

Here’s a verified, government-approved list of Hong Kong general holidays for 2026, along with useful advice for employers, HR teams, and small business owners.  

Quick Rundown: How Many Public Holidays Does Hong Kong Have In 2026? 

Hong Kong will celebrate: 

• 17 general (public) holidays that the HKSAR Government announces 

• 15 statutory holidays that employers have to give under the Employment Ordinance.  

Most offices follow the general holiday calendar, but from a legal perspective, statutory holidays are the key for HR and payroll compliance. 

Full List of Hong Kong Public (General) Holidays 2026 

The Government Has Announced These General Holidays for 2026:  

*Note On Substitutions: 

• Ching Ming Festival lands on a Sunday in 2026, so the next Monday (6 April) becomes a general holiday. 

• Birthday of the Buddha and Chung Yeung Festival also happen on Sundays so the next Mondays (25 May and 19 October) turn into general holidays as replacements.  

Statutory Holidays vs General Holidays (Employers, Pay Attention!) 

Hong Kong has a key difference: 

• General Holidays – Banks, government offices, and many businesses observe these days off. 

• Statutory Holidays – The law requires employers to give workers these days off at a minimum, as stated in the Employment Ordinance.  

The Labour Department has set 15 statutory holidays for 2026. These make up part of the general holidays mentioned above.  

HR & SMEs Need To Consider These Key Compliance Points 

• Workers with a steady contract (minimum 4 weeks, 18+ hrs/week) have a right to statutory holidays.  

• When an employee has worked for 3 months or longer, they can claim holiday pay (average daily wages from the past 12 months).(Office Holidays) 

• If a statutory holiday happens on a rest day, employers must schedule a replacement holiday. 

Employers should: Make sure their HR system / payroll software separates statutory and general holidays to avoid mistakes in granting paid leave. 

Long Weekends & Best Leave-Planning Chances in 2026 

People often look up “Hong Kong long weekends 2026” to plan trips and staycations. Here are the simplest ones for workers and HR teams to handle: 

1. Lunar New Year – 4-day Holiday Break (or Longer) 

• Tue 17 Feb – Thu 19 Feb: 3 back-to-back public holidays 

• A lot of companies also give Mon 16 Feb or Fri 20 Feb as extra time off or let staff use annual leave around this time. 

HR tip: Plan for many leave requests from Mainland & overseas employees. Set firm deadlines to apply for LNY leave and make sure you have enough staff for key operations beforehand. 

2. Easter & Ching Ming Cluster – Big Break in Early April 

2026 brings a bunch of holidays close together in early April: 

• Fri 3 Apr – Good Friday 

• Sat 4 Apr – Day after Good Friday 

• Mon 6 Apr – Day after Ching Ming Festival (moved) 

• Tue 7 Apr – Day after Easter Monday 

If your business doesn’t work weekends, this could turn into a 5 or even 6-day break without using much annual leave. 

HR / Payroll Tips: 

• Choose if Saturday 4 Apr is a day off or a workday with holiday pay / comp time for retail, logistics and food service. 

• Sync deadlines for March payroll so bank holidays don’t hold up pay deposits. 

3. Labour Day & Buddha’s Birthday – Back-to-back May breaks 

• Fri 1 May – Labour Day 

• Mon 25 May – Day after the Buddha’s Birthday (substitution) 

Smart workers will ask for time off on Fri 22 May or Tue 26 May to get 4-day weekends. 

4. Summer & National Holidays 

• Fri 19 Jun – Tuen Ng Festival  (Dragon Boat Festival)

• Wed 1 Jul – HKSAR Establishment Day 

• Thu 1 Oct – National Day 

• Sat 26 Sep – Day following Mid-Autumn Festival 

• Mon 19 Oct – Day following Chung Yeung Festival (substitution) 

These dates work well to take quick getaways, but they also bring in lots of tourists. HR teams should expect employees to plan time off in waves and talk about how to keep the business running well ahead of time. 

5. Christmas & Year-End Peak 

• Fri 25 Dec – Christmas Day 

• Sat 26 Dec – First weekday after Christmas Day 

A lot of businesses also give: 

• New Year’s Eve early release, or 

• Vacation time connecting Christmas and New Year’s Day (which happens on Thu 1 Jan 2027). 

For payroll & finance, this is also the time to close the year, so match holiday schedules with: 

• Processing bonuses 

• MPF contribution cut-off dates 

• Year-end tax and reporting schedules 

HR & Payroll To-Do List for Hong Kong Public Holidays 2026 

To follow the rules and skip payroll troubles, HR and SME owners should: 

1. Bring Your HR & Payroll Systems Up To Date Now 

• Put the complete 2026 public holiday schedule into your payroll / HRIS or leave management system. 

• Label each holiday as “General” and/or “Statutory” in line with Labour Department rules.  

2. Make Your Company’s Stance Clear On: 

• If you stick to all general holidays or just statutory ones. 

• How you deal with substitute holidays for shift workers or when holidays land on rest days. 

• How you figure out holiday pay for:  

• Part-time and shift employees 

• People working on commission 

• Staff with changing hours 

3. Let Employees Know Early 

During Q4 2025, tell them: 

• Official 2026 holiday calendar 

• Company rules: when employees can begin asking for time off during busy seasons (Lunar New Year, Easter/Ching Ming, Golden Week, Christmas) 

• Any no-go dates where vacation time is restricted because of work demands 

4. Schedule Staff & Shifts For Crucial Areas 

If your business is in retail, hospitality, food service, transport, healthcare, call centers, logistics, or customer-facing roles: 

• Create holiday schedules at least 2–3 months in advance. 

• Give holiday bonuses, extra pay for shifts, or compensatory time off to employees who work on public holidays, as per the Employment Ordinance and company rules. 

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