Singapore Public Holidays 2026: MOM Official Dates and Calender

Key Takeaways:

• The official MOM calendar confirms 11 official public holidays in Singapore for 2026.
• Employees can leverage the 2026 schedule for a total of six long weekends, maximising their extended breaks while minimising the use of annual leave.
• MOM rules stipulate that any public holiday falling on a Sunday is automatically observed as a paid holiday-in-lieu on the following Monday.
• Employees required to work on a gazetted public holiday are entitled to either an extra day's salary or a mutually agreed-upon day off-in-lieu.

Full List of Singapore Public Holidays 2026 (MOM Official Update)

To ensure seamless payroll and leave management, here is the complete, official quick reference detailing all 11 gazetted public holidays in Singapore for 2026.

Singapore Public Holidays for 2026

Note: When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a public holiday.

• Monday, 1 June 2026, will be a public holiday if your rest day falls on 31 May 2026.
• Monday, 10 August 2026, will be a public holiday if your rest day falls on 9 August 2026.
• Monday, 9 November 2026, will be a public holiday if your rest day falls on 8 November 2026.

💡 Smart HR Tip: QuickHR Leave Management System automatically syncs with the latest changes on public holidays and MOM regulations in Singapore. Plus, you can easily add company-specific holidays and off-days, keeping everything in one convenient place.

Singapore Long Weekends in 2026

Six glorious long weekends are on the calendar for Singapore in 2026! For HR leaders, this can be a strategic advantage for boosting employee morale and maximizing talent retention.

Let’s explore how you can proactively encourage smart leave planning to ensure a well-rested, high-performing team while minimizing operational disruptions.

Major Festivals in 2026 (Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali)

Singapore’s multicultural calendar means HR needs to be mindful of key cultural periods beyond the official public holidays.

Chinese New Year (17 & 18 February 2026)

As the most significant two-day public holiday, HR should be prepared for the traditional practice of allowing early release on the eve of Chinese New Year (16 February) to facilitate reunion dinner preparations, especially in non-essential sectors. Clear and early communication on this helps manage expectations.

Hari Raya Puasa (21 March 2026) & Hari Raya Haji (27 May 2026)

These are key periods for the Muslim community. HR should be mindful of the solemn yet celebratory nature of these days, which involve congregational prayers and family visits, ensuring scheduling respects these cultural needs.

Deepavali (8 November 2026)

The Festival of Lights creates a natural long weekend for all employees as it falls on a Sunday with Monday gazetted as the holiday-in-lieu.

How to Plan Leaves Around Public Holidays (2026 Leave Hacks)

Guiding your team on smart annual leave planning around the Singapore public holidays 2026 is a high-value benefit that drives workforce planning efficiency.

• Leave Optimisation: Encourage employees to strategically cluster their annual leave days around Thursday/Friday or Monday public holidays to achieve 4- or 5-day extended breaks.
• Off-in-Lieu Rules Clarity: Ensure mandatory and clear communication regarding the default MOM rule: when a public holiday falls on a Sunday (Vesak Day, National Day, Deepavali), the following Monday is automatically a paid public holiday.
• Leave Blackout Periods: Maintain operational continuity by clearly defining and communicating any necessary leave blackout periods, particularly around high-volume times like Chinese New Year, to manage critical staffing needs effectively.

Everything You Need to Know About Public Holidays Entitlement and Pay in Singapore

In Singapore, every employee is entitled to 11 paid public holidays a year. According to the Employment Act, employees are entitled to a gross rate of pay on a public holiday, if: 

• They were not absent on the working day immediately before or after a holiday without consent or a reasonable excuse.
• They are on authorised leave (e.g. medical leave, annual leave, unpaid leave) on the day immediately before or after a holiday.

If an employee is not covered by the Employment Act, the terms will be based on the employment contract.

Do employees get paid for working on public holidays?

If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, the employer should pay an extra day’s salary or grant time off in lieu.

An employee can request a public holiday in lieu, in which the employee and the employer can mutually agree to substitute a public holiday for another working day.

What if a public holiday falls on a non-working day?

In accordance with the Employment Act, if a public holiday falls on a non-working day, an employee is entitled to another day off or one extra day's salary in lieu of the public holiday at the gross rate of pay.

What if a public holiday falls on a rest day in Singapore?

If a public holiday falls on the employee’s rest day, the following working day will be a paid public holiday.

What happens if a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday?

For a public holiday that falls on a Saturday, an employee should get either a day off or salary in lieu.

For a public holiday that falls on a Sunday, the following day on Monday would be gazetted as a public holiday (also called holiday-in-lieu).

What if an employee is not covered under Part IV of the Employment Act?

If an employee is not covered under Part IV of the Employment Act, the employer can grant time off in lieu for working on a public holiday. The time off should consist of a mutually agreed number of hours.

If there is no mutual agreement on the duration of time off in lieu, the employer can decide on one of the following:

• Pay an extra day’s salary at the basic rate of pay for one day’s work.
• For working 4 hours or less on a holiday, grant time off in lieu of 4 hours on a working day.
• For working more than 4 hours on a holiday, grant a full day off on a working day.

You can also use this public holiday pay calculator to check the employee’s pay for working on a public holiday that falls on a working day or non-working day.

NOTE: This calculator is only applicable for full-time employees covered by the Employment Act.

Simplify Your Public Holiday and Leave Management

Imagine never having to manually update your leave system for public holidays or worry about MOM compliance!

QuickHR Leave Management System offers streamlined and transparent leave processing, benefiting both employees and organisations alike:

• Auto-sync MOM Public Holidays: The system automatically updates with the official Singapore public holidays 2026 and observed dates, ensuring your internal calendar is instantly compliant.
• Streamlined Off-in-Lieu Management: Ensure employees are correctly credited with a day off-in-lieu or the next working day is gazetted as the holiday.
• Seamless Leave Planning: Visualise leave schedules across departments with calendar integration to prevent staffing conflicts, especially during the long weekend peaks.
• Accurate Payroll Processing: Leave data is automatically integrated with payroll, ensuring accurate calculation of public holiday pay, off-in-lieu, and overtime, maintaining strict CPF and MOM compliance.
• Flexible Leave Request Rules: Employees may apply for Advanced Carry Forward leave using their last year’s remaining leave balance. The advanced days will be deducted from the carried-forward balance when the new year begins.
• Clear Segregation of PH Normal & PH OT Hours: Timesheets display PH Normal and PH OT hours separately. A detailed breakdown appears when clicking OT hours, improving accuracy and visibility for payroll and approvals.

To learn more about QuickHR, you may contact us or start your 14-day FREE trial with absolutely no terms and conditions!

References:

https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/public-holidays

https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/public-holidays-entitlement-and-pay

https://blog.moneysmart.sg/travel/singapore-2026-public-holidays-leave-hacks/