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.

The following are the official national public holidays in China for 2026: New Year's Day (January 1); Chinese New Year/Spring Festival (February 15–23); Qingming Festival/Tomb-Sweeping Day (April 5); Labour Day (May 1–5); Dragon Boat Festival (June 19–21); Mid-Autumn Festival (September 25–27); National Day/Golden Week (October 1–7).

In addition to national holidays, some regions in China observe local public holidays. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region observes the Zhonghe Festival (Double Third Festival) on April 17–19.

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.

Mainland China: February 15–23, 2026. Taiwan: February 16–20, 2026. South Korea (Seollal): February 16–18, 2026. Singapore: February 17–18, 2026. Malaysia: February 17–18, 2026. Indonesia: February 17, 2026. Vietnam (Tết): February 14–22, 2026. Hong Kong: February 17–19, 2026. Macau: Similar multi-day observance.

During the Chinese New Year period, activities that require interaction with government bodies or public agencies may be unavailable or delayed. This includes: 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.

Remote People proactively plans for Chinese New Year each year to minimize disruption and support clients as effectively as possible. Continuous Support: Remote People 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.

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.

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; and allowing additional time for filings that require government or social security registration.