Public Holidays in China and planning during Chinese New Year



Modified on: Fri, 30 Jan, 2026 at 3:00 PM

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China observes a number of national public holidays each year, many of which are accompanied by extended non‑working periods due to official holiday arrangements and weekend substitutions. These holidays can affect business operations, particularly where processes rely on government offices, public institutions, or statutory registrations.

Understanding the structure of China’s public holidays and planning accordingly is essential for avoiding delays in employment‑related activities.

Regular National Public Holidays in China (2026)


The following are the official national public holidays in China for 2026, during which employees are generally not required to work and government offices are closed or operating at limited capacity:

  • New Year’s Day: January 1
  • Chinese New Year (Spring Festival): February 15–23
  • Qingming Festival (Tomb‑Sweeping Day): April 5
    • Includes an observed weekday substitution
  • Labour Day: May 1–5
    • Extended holiday period
  • Dragon Boat Festival: June 19–21
  • Mid‑Autumn Festival: September 25–27
  • National Day (Golden Week): October 1–7

During extended holiday periods such as Chinese New Year, Labour Day, and National Day Golden Week, it is common for offices to close for consecutive days, with staggered reopenings afterward.


Regional Public Holiday Observance

In addition to national holidays, some regions in China observe local public holidays.

  • Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region:
    • Zhonghe Festival (Double Third Festival): April 17–19
    • Recognised as a local public holiday and may affect operations in that region


Chinese New Year 2026 – Operational Impact and Holiday Schedule

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the most significant public holiday in China and across much of East and Southeast Asia.


In 2026, Chinese New Year falls on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Around this period, government authorities, social security agencies, and public institutions in China and neighbouring jurisdictions are typically closed or operating at reduced capacity.

As a result, employment‑related processes that depend on government systems or filings may be temporarily paused or delayed.


Official Public Holiday Periods by Country and Region

The following dates represent the periods during which government offices are generally closed:


Mainland China

  • Public holiday: February 15–23, 2026

Taiwan

  • Public holiday: February 16–20, 2026

South Korea (Seollal)

  • Public holiday: February 16–18, 2026

Singapore

  • Public holiday: February 17–18, 2026

Malaysia

  • Public holiday: February 17–18, 2026

Indonesia

  • Public holiday: February 17, 2026

Vietnam (Tết)

  • Public holiday: February 14–22, 2026

Hong Kong and Macau

  • Public holidays typically span multiple days, for example:
    • Hong Kong: February 17–19, 2026
    • Macau: Similar multi‑day observance

In practice, many businesses and authorities begin winding down operations before the official holiday start date and resume full activity after the published end date.


Impact on Horizons Operations

During the Chinese New Year period, activities that require interaction with government bodies or public agencies may be unavailable or delayed. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Employee onboarding requiring registration with social security or labour authorities
  • Offboarding processes involving deregistration with government systems
  • Contract amendments that require official filings
  • Statutory registrations or updates processed through government platforms

These processes generally resume only once the relevant authorities reopen and return to normal operations.


How Horizons Manages Chinese New Year

Horizons proactively plans for Chinese New Year each year to minimize disruption and support clients as effectively as possible.

  • Continuous Support: Horizons teams remain available throughout the holiday period for general enquiries and advisory support.
  • Government‑Dependent Processes: Requests that require government action, third‑party processing, or statutory filings may experience longer turnaround times.
  • Response Times: While support continues, response times may be slower than usual due to reduced availability of external partners and authorities.


Cut‑Off Timelines

Standard cut‑off timelines remain unchanged across all countries. However, meeting these timelines does not guarantee processing during the holiday period if government offices are closed.


Planning Recommendations

To reduce the risk of delays during Chinese New Year and other extended public holidays, we recommend:

  • Submitting onboarding requests and documentation well in advance of mid‑February
  • Finalizing contract amendments before early February
  • Initiating offboarding processes ahead of the holiday period
  • Allowing additional time for filings that require government or social security registration

Early planning helps ensure that required steps can be initiated before public offices close and supports smoother processing once operations resume.

 

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