The Hong Kong Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, which focuses on progressively increasing statutory annual paid public holidays to 17 days by 2030, entered into effect on 5 March 2021. The first of the five additional public holidays, the Birthday of Buddha, became effective in 2022. The second one, which falls on the first weekday after Christmas, became available to employees in December 2024.
Update: As part of the phased implementation of the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, Easter Monday became a statutory holiday in Hong Kong in 2026, falling on 6 April 2026. This increases the total number of statutory holidays from 14 to 15 days in 2026. Good Friday and the day following Good Friday take effect from 1 January 2028, falling on 14 April 2028 and 15 April 2028 respectively.
Key details
The first weekday after Christmas (26 December 2024) became a permanent statutory public holiday in Hong Kong in 2024, increasing the total number of public holidays to 14 days.
Hong Kong statutory public holidays will continue to be added according to the schedule below until fully enacted in 2030:
Good Friday will be effective from 1 January 2028, and
The day following Good Friday day will be effective from 1 January 2028.
Next steps
Employers should ensure compliance by amending their HR internal policies and practices, employment agreements and company-level collective bargaining agreements, as needed.
