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Free tools › Annual leave by country

Annual leave: Singapore vs United Kingdom

Statutory annual leave in Singapore and the UK, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How does annual leave compare between Singapore and UK?

Singapore: 7 days in year one, rising a day per year to 14 days from year eight, plus 11 paid public holidays. United Kingdom: 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it. At five years' service that means 11 days in Singapore and 5.6 weeks in the UK.

Singapore vs United Kingdom, side by side

SingaporeUnited Kingdom
The rule7 days in year one, rising a day per year to 14 days from year eight, plus 11 paid public holidays.5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it.
At 1 year7 days5.6 weeks
At 5 years11 days5.6 weeks
At 10 years14 days5.6 weeks
Key numbersYear one: 7 days; From year eight: 14 days; Public holidays: 11Entitlement: 5.6 weeks (28-day cap); Bank holidays: 8 in England and Wales, countable within the 5.6 weeks; Part-time: Pro rata

Singapore

Singapore has the leanest statutory leave scale of the six markets: the Employment Act minimum starts at 7 days and adds one per year of service, capping at 14 from the eighth year. Contracts commonly provide more. All Employment Act employees are covered, managers and executives included, after 3 months' service. Public holidays add 11 paid days.

  • Year one7 days
  • From year eight14 days
  • Public holidays11
  • Qualifying service3 months
Length of serviceEntitlement
1st year7 days
2nd year8 days
3rd year9 days
4th year10 days
5th year11 days
6th year12 days
7th year13 days
8th year onwards14 days
  • Don't tie leave to the S$2,600 salary threshold; that gates hours-of-work protections, not leave.

Source: Ministry of Manpower (Employment Act s.88A). Checked July 2026.

United Kingdom

Almost all UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, which is 28 days on a five-day week and stays 28 for six-day workers because of the cap. There is no statutory right to bank holidays off; the 8 in England and Wales can be counted inside the 5.6 weeks. Since April 2026 employers must keep holiday pay records for six years.

  • Entitlement5.6 weeks (28-day cap)
  • Bank holidays8 in England and Wales, countable within the 5.6 weeks
  • Part-timePro rata
  • Scotland has 9 bank holidays and Northern Ireland 10, so the countable days differ by nation.

Source: GOV.UK (Working Time Regulations 1998). Checked July 2026.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Singapore) and True cost of an employee (UK). The complete six-market picture is on the Annual leave by country page.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
SingaporeMinistry of ManpowerEmployment Act s.88AChecked July 2026
United KingdomGOV.UKWorking Time Regulations 1998Checked July 2026
Where Compono fits

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

What is the rule on annual leave in Singapore?

7 days in year one, rising a day per year to 14 days from year eight, plus 11 paid public holidays. Singapore has the leanest statutory leave scale of the six markets: the Employment Act minimum starts at 7 days and adds one per year of service, capping at 14 from the eighth year.

What is the rule on annual leave in the UK?

5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it. Almost all UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, which is 28 days on a five-day week and stays 28 for six-day workers because of the cap.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Singapore and the UK government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with the Ministry of Manpower, GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.