{"id":1361,"date":"2026-03-27T14:18:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T05:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/?p=1361"},"modified":"2026-03-30T16:43:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T07:43:05","slug":"vietnam-leave-entitlement-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/en\/attendance-en\/vietnam-leave-entitlement-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Complete Guide to Leave in Vietnam\uff5cAnnual Leave, Public Holidays, Special Leave &#038; Entitlements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For Japanese companies operating in Vietnam, <strong><span class=\"swl-inline-color has-swl-deep-01-color\">a thorough understanding of the leave system<\/span><\/strong> is essential for HR management.<br>Annual leave entitlements, treatment of unused leave, public holiday substitution rules, and paid vs. unpaid special leave \u2014 <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>many rules differ from Japan<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article provides a <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>comprehensive, practical overview of Vietnam&#8217;s leave system<\/strong><\/span> based on the Labor Code 2019 (Law No. 45\/2019\/QH14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Annual Leave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Vietnam, annual leave is granted to employees who have worked for the same employer for <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>12 months or more<\/strong><\/span> (Article 113).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Basic Entitlement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Working Conditions<\/th><th>Annual Leave Days<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Normal conditions<\/td><td>12 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Minors, disabled workers, hazardous\/dangerous work<\/td><td>14 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Extremely hazardous\/dangerous work<\/td><td>16 working days<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Seniority Bonus (Article 114)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees receive <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>1 additional day for every 5 years<\/strong><\/span> of service with the same employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border -border02 is-style-bg_grid\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>5 years of service: 12 + 1 = 13 days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>10 years of service: 12 + 2 = 14 days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>15 years of service: 12 + 3 = 15 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pro-Rata Calculation for Less Than 12 Months<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees with less than 12 months of service receive <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>pro-rata leave<\/strong><\/span> based on months worked (Decree 145\/2020\/ND-CP, Article 65).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border -border02 is-style-bg_grid\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><strong>Formula:<\/strong> (Base entitlement \u00f7 12) \u00d7 Months worked<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Month calculation:<\/strong> A month counts if actual working days plus approved leave days total 50% or more of the prescribed working days<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treatment of Unused Annual Leave<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Situation<\/th><th>Treatment<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Carryover during employment<\/td><td>Possible by mutual agreement. Up to 3 years&#8217; leave can be accumulated (Article 113, Clause 4)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cash-out during employment<\/td><td>No legal obligation. Employer is not required to pay<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Upon resignation\/termination<\/td><td>Employer must compensate unused leave in cash within 14 working days of termination (Article 48). This may be extended up to 30 days in special circumstances<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-big_icon_caution\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unlike Japan&#8217;s 2-year statute of limitations, Vietnam has no statutory carryover deadline. Clearly define carryover rules in your internal regulations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There is no legal obligation for in-service cash-out, so employee requests to receive cash instead of taking leave have no legal basis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Public Holidays (2026)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the addition of Culture Day in 2026, Vietnam now has <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>12 statutory public holidays<\/strong><\/span> per year (Article 112 + Politburo Resolution No.80-NQ\/TW).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Holiday<\/th><th>Statutory Days<\/th><th>2026 Dates<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>New Year&#8217;s Day<\/td><td>1 day<\/td><td>January 1 (Thu)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tet (Lunar New Year)<\/td><td>5 days<\/td><td>February 14 (Sat)\u201322 (Sun) *9-day break<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hung Kings Commemoration<\/td><td>1 day<\/td><td>April 26 (Sun) \u2192 April 27 (Mon) substitute<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Reunification Day<\/td><td>1 day<\/td><td>April 30 (Thu)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Labor Day<\/td><td>1 day<\/td><td>May 1 (Fri)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>National Day<\/td><td>2 days<\/td><td>September 1 (Tue)\u20132 (Wed) *5-day break<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Culture Day (NEW)<\/td><td>1 day<\/td><td>November 24 (Tue)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-big_icon_good\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When a public holiday falls on a weekly rest day, a substitute day off is granted on the next working day (Article 112, Clause 3)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The employer selects from 3 Tet schedule options and must notify employees at least 30 days in advance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working on a public holiday requires payment of at least 300% of normal wages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Special Leave (Personal\/Bereavement Leave)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees are entitled to <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>special leave<\/strong><\/span> for the following events (Article 115).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Paid Special Leave<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Event<\/th><th>Days<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Own marriage<\/td><td>3 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Child&#8217;s marriage<\/td><td>1 working day<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Death of biological\/adoptive\/in-law parent<\/td><td>3 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Death of spouse<\/td><td>3 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Death of biological\/adopted child<\/td><td>3 working days<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unpaid Special Leave<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Event<\/th><th>Days<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Death of grandparent (paternal\/maternal)<\/td><td>1 working day<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Death of biological sibling<\/td><td>1 working day<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Parent&#8217;s marriage (remarriage, etc.)<\/td><td>1 working day<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sibling&#8217;s marriage<\/td><td>1 working day<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-big_icon_caution\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In Japan, bereavement leave for grandparents and siblings is typically paid. Under Vietnamese law, it is <strong>unpaid<\/strong>. Some companies offer paid leave as a benefit, but it is not a legal requirement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sick Leave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sick leave wages are paid not by the employer but by the <strong><span class=\"swl-inline-color has-swl-deep-01-color\">Social Insurance Agency (VSS)<\/span><\/strong>.<br>The number of covered days depends on years of social insurance contribution (Social Insurance Law 2014, Article 26).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Years of SI Contribution<\/th><th>Normal Conditions<\/th><th>Hazardous Work<\/th><th>Benefit Rate<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Under 15 years<\/td><td>30 days\/year<\/td><td>40 days\/year<\/td><td>75%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15 to under 30 years<\/td><td>40 days\/year<\/td><td>50 days\/year<\/td><td>75%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>30 years or more<\/td><td>60 days\/year<\/td><td>70 days\/year<\/td><td>75%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For long-term illnesses, benefits extend up to <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>180 days<\/strong><\/span> per year.<br>For caring for a sick child under 7, entitlements are 20 days\/year (child under 3) or 15 days\/year (child aged 3\u20136).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maternity and Paternity Leave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maternity Leave<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Item<\/th><th>Details<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Duration<\/td><td>6 months (180 days)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Prenatal leave<\/td><td>Up to 2 months before delivery<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Minimum postnatal period<\/td><td>At least 4 months after delivery<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Multiple births<\/td><td>+30 days for each additional child<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Benefit rate<\/td><td>100% of SI contribution base salary<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Paid by<\/td><td>Social Insurance Agency (no direct employer cost)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Paternity Leave<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Delivery Type<\/th><th>Leave Days<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Normal delivery (single child)<\/td><td>5 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>C-section (single child)<\/td><td>7 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Twins (normal delivery)<\/td><td>10 working days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Twins (C-section)<\/td><td>14 working days<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the 2025 Social Insurance Law amendment, the eligible period has been extended from 30 to <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>60 days after delivery<\/strong><\/span>, and split usage is now permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Oversights by Japanese Companies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-big_icon_caution\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>No carryover rules in internal regulations<\/strong>: With no statutory deadline, failing to define carryover rules creates dispute risk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Missing cash-out on termination<\/strong>: Unused leave must be compensated within 14 working days of termination (Article 48). Omission easily leads to labor disputes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assuming grandparent bereavement is paid<\/strong>: Under Vietnamese law, grandparent\/sibling bereavement is unpaid \u2014 easily confused with Japanese practice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Misunderstanding sick leave payer<\/strong>: Sick leave wages come from social insurance, not the employer. Some companies accidentally pay twice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Underestimating 6-month maternity leave<\/strong>: Among the longest in Asia. Plan for the workforce impact in advance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Vietnam&#8217;s leave system spans annual leave, public holidays, special leave, sick leave, and maternity\/paternity leave \u2014 <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>each with detailed rules<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding the <span class=\"swl-marker mark_orange\"><strong>differences from Japan&#8217;s system<\/strong><\/span> \u2014 particularly carryover\/cash-out rules, paid vs. unpaid bereavement leave, and who pays for sick leave \u2014 is essential for properly reflecting these in your internal regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25b6 Related articles:<br><a href=\"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/en\/labor-law-contract-en\/vietnam-labor-contract-points\/\">5 Key Points to Watch in Vietnamese Labor Contracts<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/en\/payroll-en\/vietnam-overtime-calculation\/\">How to Calculate Overtime, Night Work, and Holiday Pay in Vietnam<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/en\/social-insurance-en\/vietnam-insurance\/\">Social Insurance in Vietnam: Eligibility and Calculation Methods<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"p-blogParts post_content\" data-partsID=\"983\">\n<div class=\"swell-block-fullWide pc-py-60 sp-py-40 has-bg-img alignfull lazyload\" style=\"background-color:rgba(247, 247, 247, 0.41)\" data-bg=\"http:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DSC_1122.jpg\"><div class=\"swell-block-fullWide__inner l-article\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cta2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cta2.png 600w, https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cta2-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-button blue_ is-style-btn_normal\"><a href=\"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/en\/download\/\" class=\"swell-block-button__link\"><span>Download Document<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cta1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cta1.png 600w, https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cta1-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"swell-block-button green_ is-style-btn_normal\"><a href=\"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/en\/contact\/\" class=\"swell-block-button__link\"><span>Contact<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Japanese companies operating in Vietnam, a thorough understanding of the leave system is essential for HR management.Annual leave entitlements, treatment of unused leave, public holiday substitution rules, and paid vs. unpaid special leave \u2014 many rules differ from Japan. This article provides a comprehensive, practical overview of Vietnam&#8217;s leave system based on the Labor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1360,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"swell_btn_cv_data":"","_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/?p=1358","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attendance-en","en-US"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/column7.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1361"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1368,"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361\/revisions\/1368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/est.haro-inc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}