Hong Kong public holidays 2027, and what they do to your deadlines
Hong Kong has 17 dated general holidays in 2027, plus every Sunday. When a legal deadline lands on one of them, or on a typhoon No. 8 or black rainstorm day, the law usually moves it to the next working day. But it doesn't move a deadline that ends on a Saturday. Here's the 2027 list and the rule, with a worked example.
Updated 1 November 2026 · by LAULEGA LIMITED, licensed TCSP (TC000573)
The 2027 general holidays
General holidays are set by the General Holidays Ordinance (Cap. 149). Every Sunday is one, and the government publishes the year's dated holidays in advance. For 2027 (GovHK):
| General holiday | Date in 2027 | Day |
|---|---|---|
| The first day of January | 1 January | Friday |
| Lunar New Year's Day | 6 February | Saturday |
| The third day of Lunar New Year | 8 February | Monday |
| The fourth day of Lunar New Year | 9 February | Tuesday |
| Good Friday | 26 March | Friday |
| The day following Good Friday | 27 March | Saturday |
| Easter Monday | 29 March | Monday |
| Ching Ming Festival | 5 April | Monday |
| Labour Day | 1 May | Saturday |
| The Birthday of the Buddha | 13 May | Thursday |
| Tuen Ng Festival | 9 June | Wednesday |
| Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day | 1 July | Thursday |
| The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival | 16 September | Thursday |
| National Day | 1 October | Friday |
| Chung Yeung Festival | 8 October | Friday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December | Saturday |
| The first weekday after Christmas Day | 27 December | Monday |
The second day of Lunar New Year 2027 falls on a Sunday, so the fourth day is a general holiday in its place. GovHK also offers the list as a calendar feed you can subscribe to.
How a holiday moves a legal deadline
Unless an ordinance says otherwise, time limits in Hong Kong legislation are counted under section 71 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1):
- The first day doesn't count. A period of days "from" an event excludes the day of the event (s.71(1)(a)).
- A last day that falls on a holiday moves. If the last day is a public holiday, a gale warning day or a black rainstorm warning day, the period runs to the next day that is none of those (s.71(1)(b)). The same applies to something that must be done on a set day (s.71(1)(c)).
- Short periods skip holidays altogether. For a time limit of six days or less, public holidays and warning days aren't counted at all (s.71(1)(d)).
A "public holiday" here means a general holiday under Cap. 149 (Cap. 1 s.3), so it includes every Sunday.
Typhoons and black rainstorms
A gale warning day is any day on which, for all or part of the day, tropical cyclone signal No. 8 (any direction), No. 9 or No. 10 is in force. A black rainstorm warning day is any day with the Black rainstorm signal in force for all or part of it (Cap. 62 s.5; Cap. 1 s.71(2)). If the last day of your deadline is one of them, the deadline moves to the next clear day, even if the signal was up for only an hour.
Saturdays don't move anything
This is the one people get wrong. Saturday isn't a general holiday, so a statutory deadline that ends on a Saturday stays on that Saturday, even though government counters are closed. File online, or file on the Friday. The exception is court offices: for acts at a court registry, Saturdays count as closure days (s.71(1A)), but that rule is for court filings, not the Companies Registry.
A worked example
Moving office just before Christmas 2027 (invented)
A company moves its registered office with effect from Friday 10 December 2027. The notice of change is due within 15 days after the change (Cap. 622 s.658(3)).
- Counting starts the next day, 11 December, so day 15 is Saturday 25 December: Christmas Day, a general holiday.
- Sunday 26 December is a public holiday too, and Monday 27 December is “the first weekday after Christmas Day”, another general holiday.
- So the last day becomes Tuesday 28 December 2027.
Had day 15 been an ordinary Saturday, the deadline would have stayed on that Saturday.
What this doesn't cover
- Contracts, banks and invoices follow their own terms, not section 71. Check the wording.
- Court rules have their own computation provisions; ask the lawyer acting for you.
- Employees' statutory holidays under the Employment Ordinance are a separate list from general holidays; see the Labour Department.
- Tax deadlines are set by the Inland Revenue Department; see Certanta's guides.
The safest plan is still the dull one: put each deadline in the calendar a week early. Our guide to the letters a company can't afford to miss covers the deadlines that arrive by post.
Deadlines in your portal, not in your head
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Business support See the virtual officeFrequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Hong Kong have in 2027?
Seventeen dated general holidays, plus every Sunday, according to GovHK's list for 2027 under the General Holidays Ordinance (Cap. 149).
What happens if a deadline falls on a public holiday in Hong Kong?
Under section 71(1)(b) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1), unless the ordinance itself says otherwise, the period runs to the next day that isn't a public holiday, gale warning day or black rainstorm warning day.
Does a deadline that ends on a Saturday move to Monday?
Generally no. Saturday isn't a public holiday, so a statutory deadline ending on a Saturday stays there. For acts at a court office, Saturdays are closure days and the deadline does move (Cap. 1 s.71(1A)).
Does a typhoon signal No. 8 extend a deadline?
Yes, if the last day is a gale warning day: a day on which signal No. 8, 9 or 10 is in force for all or part of the day (Cap. 62 s.5; Cap. 1 s.71). The same applies to a Black rainstorm warning day.
Is the first day counted in a Hong Kong time limit?
No. A period of days from an event excludes the day on which the event happens (Cap. 1 s.71(1)(a)).
Are Hong Kong general holidays the same as employees' statutory holidays?
No. Employees' statutory holidays under the Employment Ordinance are a separate list. Check the Labour Department for those.
This guide summarises GovHK's list of general holidays for 2027, the General Holidays Ordinance (Cap. 149), section 71 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1) and Cap. 62, as checked on 30 October 2026. Holiday dates can change by later gazette notice; check GovHK before relying on them. It is general information, not legal advice; for your own facts, ask your adviser. The example is invented. Written by LAULEGA LIMITED, a licensed trust or company service provider (TCSP licence TC000573).