Singapore Public Holidays 2026: Bridge Day Guide

Singapore's 2026 Holiday Calendar

Singapore guarantees 11 gazetted public holidays per year under the Employment Act. That is fewer than Japan's 16 or India's 14, but the placement matters more than the count. In 2026, three holidays fall on Sundays (each triggering a Monday substitute), three fall on Fridays, and Chinese New Year lands on a Tuesday--Wednesday. The result is a calendar packed with natural bridge opportunities where a small number of annual leave days produce disproportionately long breaks. Four holidays are moveable -- Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, Vesak Day, and Deepavali -- and their final dates depend on religious calendar determinations.

Under Singapore law, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a paid holiday. (Saturday-falling holidays do not generally trigger a substitute under the Employment Act, except for shift workers whose contractual rest day is Saturday.) This matters a lot in 2026: three holidays -- Vesak Day (31 May), National Day (9 August), and Deepavali (8 November) -- all fall on Sundays, each triggering a Monday substitute holiday.

Here is the full list of Singapore's 2026 gazetted public holidays, with each rated for bridge potential.

*Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, Vesak Day, and Deepavali are gazetted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) but follow lunar/Islamic calendars. Islamic holidays in particular may be re-confirmed close to the date based on moon sighting; verify against the official MOM list before booking.

Several things stand out immediately. Three holidays fall on Fridays (Good Friday, Labour Day, Christmas), each creating a free three-day weekend. Chinese New Year lands on Tuesday--Wednesday, the best mid-week placement for a high-efficiency bridge. Three holidays fall on Sundays (Vesak Day, National Day, Deepavali) -- each triggers a Monday substitute, creating another three free three-day weekends. Hari Raya Puasa lands on Saturday and largely "wastes" the holiday for typical Mon-Fri workers, since there is no substitute Monday. Even with that loss, the 2026 calendar is generous for Singapore workers who plan ahead.

What Are the Best Bridge Windows of 2026?

Here are the top five bridge opportunities, ranked by efficiency -- total days off divided by annual leave days spent.

1. Chinese New Year (17--18 February): The Best Bridge of the Year

Chinese New Year Day 1 falls on Tuesday 17 February and Day 2 on Wednesday 18 February. This mid-week placement creates the highest-efficiency multi-day bridge window of 2026.

The basic bridge: take Thursday 19 February and Friday 20 February off. That connects the two-day public holiday to the following weekend.

Result: 2 annual leave days for 6 consecutive days off (Tue 17 Feb -- Sun 22 Feb). That is a 3.0x return.

For the strongest version, also take Monday 16 February off, which closes the gap to the preceding weekend.

Extended result: 3 annual leave days for 9 consecutive days off (Sat 14 Feb -- Sun 22 Feb). That is a 3.0x return -- the best multi-day bridge of the year.

Most Singapore employers expect reduced staffing around CNY. Submit your leave request in January at the latest -- CNY bridge slots fill fast, especially in companies with large Chinese Singaporean workforces. If your employer follows the common practice of granting CNY eve (16 February) as a half-day, the Monday bridge becomes even cheaper.

2. New Year's Day (1 January): The Highest Single-Day Return

New Year's Day falls on Thursday 1 January. Take Friday 2 January off and you bridge the public holiday to the weekend.

Result: 1 annual leave day for 4 consecutive days off (Thu 1 Jan -- Sun 4 Jan). That is a 4.0x return.

This is the single most efficient PTO day of 2026. One day produces four days off. If you want to extend further, take Monday 29 December through Wednesday 31 December 2025 off as well, connecting to the Christmas 2025 holiday on Thursday 25 December.

Extended result: 4 annual leave days for 10 consecutive days off (Thu 25 Dec 2025 -- Sun 4 Jan 2026). That is a 2.5x return.

Flight prices to regional destinations peak in late December, but booking 8--10 weeks ahead can soften the premium.

3. Christmas (25 December): A Clean Friday Placement

Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December. That is a free three-day weekend with no leave required.

Take Monday 28 December through Thursday 31 December off. Combined with the New Year's Day holiday on Thursday 1 January, this creates a substantial year-end break.

Result: 4 annual leave days for 10 consecutive days off (Fri 25 Dec -- Sun 3 Jan 2027). That is a 2.5x return.

New Year's Day 2027 falls on a Friday, which means the year-end window naturally extends through the following weekend at no additional leave cost: Fri 25 Dec 2026 through Sun 3 Jan 2027 already covers it. To stretch even further, take Monday 4 January 2027 off for an 11-day run.

The Christmas-to-New-Year bridge is the longest single break you can engineer in 2026. Ten days for four PTO days is strong value, and many Singapore offices operate at reduced capacity during this period. If your employer grants the 24th or 31st as half-days (common in MNCs), the effective cost drops further.

4. Hari Raya Haji + Vesak Day Cluster (27 May -- 1 June): The Hidden Mid-Year Bridge

This is the year's most overlooked window. Hari Raya Haji falls on Wednesday 27 May. Four days later, Vesak Day falls on Sunday 31 May, with Monday 1 June as the gazetted substitute.

Take Thursday 28 May and Friday 29 May off. That connects Hari Raya Haji straight through to the Vesak substitute Monday.

Result: 2 annual leave days for 6 consecutive days off (Wed 27 May -- Mon 1 Jun). That is a 3.0x return.

For an even longer stretch, also take Monday 25 May and Tuesday 26 May off, connecting back to the preceding weekend.

Extended result: 4 annual leave days for 10 consecutive days off (Sat 23 May -- Mon 1 Jun). That is a 2.5x return.

Note that Hari Raya Haji is moveable and could shift by a day depending on moon sighting. Confirm the date with MOM before locking in flights, but Vesak Day on 31 May is a fixed astronomical determination and the Monday substitute is guaranteed.

5. Good Friday (3 April) and National Day Substitute (10 August): Free Long Weekends

Good Friday falls on Friday 3 April, creating an automatic three-day weekend. To extend, take Monday 30 March through Thursday 2 April off, connecting the preceding weekend through the Easter weekend.

Good Friday extended result: 4 annual leave days for 9 consecutive days off (Sat 28 Mar -- Sun 5 Apr). That is a 2.3x return.

National Day falls on Sunday 9 August, so Monday 10 August becomes a substitute public holiday. That gives you a free three-day weekend. Take Tuesday 11 August through Friday 14 August off to extend the break through the following weekend.

National Day extended result: 4 annual leave days for 9 consecutive days off (Sat 8 Aug -- Sun 16 Aug). That is a 2.3x return.

A similar 2.3x bridge exists for Deepavali: Sunday 8 November / Monday 9 November substitute. Take Tuesday 10 November through Friday 13 November off for 9 consecutive days off (Sat 7 Nov -- Sun 15 Nov).

August overlaps with Singapore school holidays, so regional flights to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand see price increases. Book early.

The Challenge of Limited Leave?

Singapore's Employment Act guarantees 7 days of annual leave in the first year, increasing by 1 day per year to a maximum of 14 after 8 years. Many employers offer more, but workers in SMEs and operational roles often operate near the statutory minimum.

With only 7 days, every allocation decision carries real weight. The priority strategy is straightforward:

Tier 1 -- Book immediately: Chinese New Year bridge (2 days for 6 off) and New Year's Day bridge (1 day for 4 off). These two windows consume just 3 leave days and produce 10 days off. That is a 3.3x average return.

Tier 2 -- Book if available: Christmas-to-New-Year bridge (4 days for 10 off). This uses your remaining 4 days but delivers the longest single break of the year.

Tier 3 -- Free days, no leave required: Good Friday (3-day weekend), Labour Day (3-day weekend), Vesak Day substitute (3-day weekend), National Day substitute (3-day weekend), and Deepavali substitute (3-day weekend). These cost nothing and still add 15 days off to your total. (Hari Raya Puasa falls on Saturday 21 March 2026 with no Monday substitute, so it does not generate a free long weekend for typical Mon--Fri workers.)

Workers with 14 or more leave days have room to also cover the National Day extension, the Deepavali extension, the Hari Raya Haji + Vesak cluster, and a buffer for personal needs.

Moveable Holidays: How Should You Plan Around Hari Raya?

Four of Singapore's 11 gazetted holidays follow non-Gregorian calendars, and their dates shift each year. This creates a planning challenge that workers in countries with fully fixed holiday calendars do not face.

Islamic Holidays: Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji

The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is approximately 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. This means Hari Raya Puasa (Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan) and Hari Raya Haji (Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice) shift roughly 11 days earlier each Gregorian year.

For 2026, MOM has gazetted Hari Raya Puasa as Saturday 21 March and Hari Raya Haji as Wednesday 27 May. Note that these remain subject to moon-sighting re-confirmation closer to the date and could shift by a day.

Hari Raya Puasa on a Saturday is the unfortunate placement: there is no Monday substitute under the Employment Act, so for typical Monday-Friday workers, it does not produce a free long weekend. Hari Raya Haji on a Wednesday sits mid-week and pairs powerfully with Vesak Day -- see Bridge #4 above (2 leave days for 6 days off at 3.0x).

Vesak Day and Deepavali

Vesak Day follows the lunar calendar and shifts between May and June. Deepavali follows the Hindu calendar and typically falls in October or November. Both are confirmed by MOM well before the year begins. For 2026, Vesak Day falls on Sunday 31 May (Monday 1 June substitute), and Deepavali falls on Sunday 8 November (Monday 9 November substitute). Both Sunday placements trigger Monday substitutes -- so each effectively becomes a guaranteed three-day weekend, and Deepavali in particular opens a strong 4-day-leave / 9-day-off bridge mirroring the National Day pattern.

The practical advice: do not commit annual leave to bridge these holidays until MOM publishes the gazette. Plan your Tier 1 bridges around fixed-date holidays first, then layer in moveable holiday bridges once dates are confirmed.

Month-by-Month Breakdown

Q1: January -- March

January opens with the New Year's Day bridge -- the single most efficient PTO day of 2026 (1 day for 4 off at 4.0x). February is the highlight with Chinese New Year (Tue--Wed 17--18 Feb), the best multi-day bridge of the year (2 days for 6 off at 3.0x, or 3 days for 9 off in the extended version). March brings Hari Raya Puasa (Sat 21 Mar), but with no Monday substitute, it does not add a long weekend for most workers. Q1 still delivers 10 days off for just 3 annual leave days.

Q2: April -- June

April starts with Good Friday (Fri 3 Apr), a free three-day weekend extendable to 9 days with 4 PTO. May features Labour Day (Fri 1 May, free three-day weekend) and Hari Raya Haji (Wed 27 May). May into June is the standout window: the Hari Raya Haji + Vesak Day cluster (Wed 27 May plus Sun 31 May / Mon 1 June substitute) lets you take just 2 leave days (Thu--Fri 28--29 May) for 6 consecutive days off. June is otherwise quiet but overlaps with the mid-year school holiday period.

Q3: July -- September

August revolves around National Day (Sun 9 Aug, substitute Mon 10 Aug). The 3-day weekend is free; 4 additional leave days extend it to 9 days. This is peak family travel season. July and September have no public holidays.

Q4: October -- December

October has no public holidays in 2026. November brings Deepavali (Sun 8 Nov, substitute Mon 9 Nov) -- a free three-day weekend, extendable to 9 days off (Sat 7 Nov -- Sun 15 Nov) with 4 PTO days at 2.3x. December is the closer: Christmas (Fri 25 Dec) bridges seamlessly into New Year's Day 2027, creating the year-end mega-window.

How Far Can 7 Days of Annual Leave Go?

First-year workers in Singapore receive the statutory minimum of 7 days. Here is the optimal allocation for 2026, prioritizing efficiency.

Add the free public holiday long weekends that require no leave:

Grand total: 7 annual leave days produce 20 days of planned breaks, plus 15 free long-weekend days, for 35 days off across the year.

Compare that to using 7 days in isolation (no bridging): you would get 7 individual days off plus weekends. The bridge strategy more than triples your time away.

Workers with 14 days can add the Hari Raya Haji + Vesak cluster (2 days for 6 off), the Good Friday extension (4 days for 9 off), the National Day extension (4 days for 9 off), and the Deepavali extension (4 days for 9 off), pushing total planned days off past 50.

Singapore's Employment Act requires employers to grant leave on gazetted public holidays. If you are required to work on a public holiday, your employer must pay an extra day's salary or grant a substitute day off. This applies to all employees covered by the Act, including part-time workers on a pro-rated basis. Check your employment contract for details.

What Makes Singapore's Calendar Unique?

Singapore's 11 gazetted holidays span five religions and three secular occasions, reflecting the country's multiracial identity. The practical effect for bridge planning: holidays are spread across the year rather than clustering in one season, so you are never more than a few weeks from the next public holiday.

The trade-off is unpredictability. Four holidays follow non-Gregorian calendars and shift each year. Workers in Japan or the UK can plan all bridges in January. Singapore workers should lock in fixed-date bridges first, then layer in moveable holiday bridges once MOM publishes the gazette.

Plan Your 2026 Bridges

Singapore's 2026 holiday calendar rewards strategic planning. Chinese New Year's Tuesday--Wednesday placement is the standout bridge of the year, and the Christmas-to-New-Year corridor delivers the longest single break. Even with just 7 statutory leave days, bridge planning produces 35 days off -- and workers with 14 days can push past 50.

The key is to lock in your fixed-date bridges first (New Year's, CNY, Christmas), then layer in moveable holiday bridges once MOM confirms the gazette. Do not wait until the holidays approach -- popular bridge periods fill up fast at most employers.

Map out your optimal leave windows and see how many consecutive days off you can generate from your annual leave balance.

Try the free optimizer at leavewise.co

For more on how bridge days work, our guide to the best long weekends in 2026 for Singapore, or a full breakdown of annual leave rights in Singapore, explore our other guides.

Disclaimer

Singapore's moveable holiday dates (Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, Vesak, Deepavali) follow lunar/Islamic calendars and are gazetted by MOM. Verify against MOM before booking.