Singapore and Hong Kong: one time zone, two holiday calendars

Same hours, different days

Regional teams are often split between Singapore and Hong Kong. Neither city uses daylight saving time and both are eight hours ahead of UTC, the same as Beijing, so on any day both offices are open their working hours line up exactly.

The friction is in the dates. Over 2026 Singapore has 251 working days and Hong Kong 247, counting Monday to Friday, but they are not the same days: each city takes holidays the other works through.

How Hong Kong sets its holidays

Hong Kong has 17 general holidays a year, plus every Sunday, under the General Holidays Ordinance. The list for the following year is published in the Gazette, usually in May or June. Banks, schools and government offices close on them.

When a holiday falls on a Sunday, another day is given in its place, usually the next day. A holiday on a Saturday is not moved. A separate, shorter list of statutory holidays under the Employment Ordinance applies to every employee; whether an office closes on the rest of the general holidays depends on the employment contract.

How Singapore sets its holidays

Singapore has 11 public holidays, announced in advance by the Ministry of Manpower: New Year's Day, two days of Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day, Hari Raya Haji, National Day, Deepavali and Christmas Day. Most follow lunar or religious calendars and move every year.

A holiday on a Sunday is followed by a holiday on the Monday. A holiday on a Saturday gets no weekday in the official list; employers give employees another day off or extra pay instead.

Lunar New Year 2026: three return dates

Both cities are off on 17 and 18 February 2026, the first two days of the Lunar New Year. Hong Kong also takes the third day, 19 February; Singapore is back at work. Mainland China, by contrast, is off from 15 to 23 February.

Suppose a job is agreed on Friday 13 February and promised in three working days. In Singapore the third working day is Friday 20 February:

The same job in Hong Kong

Hong Kong takes one more day off for the New Year, so the same count runs one working day longer.

Its third working day is Monday 23 February:

The mainland, for comparison

Mainland China does not reopen until Tuesday 24 February, so on its calendar the same promise runs to Wednesday 25 February: three different dates for one sentence.

Easter and Ching Ming

Easter shows the difference in rules. Singapore takes Good Friday only. Hong Kong takes Good Friday, the day after, and Easter Monday, and Ching Ming often falls close by. In 2026 Ching Ming falls on Easter Sunday, so Hong Kong gives Monday 6 April for Ching Ming and Tuesday 7 April for Easter Monday. Over the two weeks from 30 March to 10 April, both cities work on only seven days:

Days only one city takes off

Hong Kong's list follows Chinese and Christian festivals and its own anniversaries; Singapore's reflects its Chinese, Malay, Indian and Christian communities. Even a shared festival can land on different dates: Hong Kong's Buddha's Birthday holiday is Monday 25 May 2026, while Singapore's Vesak Day is Sunday 31 May, so its day off is Monday 1 June.

Across 2026 both cities are at work on 243 days. The ones they don't share:

• Hong Kong only: the third day of the Lunar New Year, the Easter days after Good Friday, Ching Ming, Tuen Ng, HKSAR Establishment Day (1 July), National Day (1 October) and Chung Yeung.
• Singapore only: Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, National Day (9 August) and Deepavali, plus any Monday in lieu.

Questions

Which city has more working days in 2026?

Singapore, with 251 working days against Hong Kong's 247, counting Monday to Friday. In 2027 the figures are 253 and 248.

Is Buddha's Birthday the same day as Vesak Day?

It is the same festival, but the two cities set different dates. In 2026 Hong Kong's holiday is Monday 25 May, and Singapore's Vesak Day falls on Sunday 31 May, so Monday 1 June is the day off.

Does either city have makeup workdays like mainland China?

No. Neither Singapore nor Hong Kong turns a weekend into a working day.

Do the two cities share the Lunar New Year holiday?

Mostly. In 2026 both are off on 17 and 18 February and Hong Kong also on 19 February. In 2027 the New Year falls on a weekend: Singapore gives Monday 8 February in lieu, while Hong Kong gives 8 and 9 February.