Singapore Public Holidays in 2024: How To Make Full Use Of Your Annual Leave

Here’s the roundup on the upcoming 2024 public holidays and the 7 long weekends that you can look forward to. 

I’m not sure about you but something about long weekends leaves me feeling more refreshed. Maybe it’s the lack of Monday blues, or maybe a 4-day work week feels less daunting and more manageable.

Like how Singaporeans devour their delicious food, we also have an insatiable appetite for long weekends. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has released the complete lineup of public holidays for 2024, and guess what? There are a whopping seven long weekends waiting to be seized!

But hold on, 2023 is not over yet. We still have three public holidays left to savour this year. So, if you're in need of a quick refresher before diving into some last-minute plans, check out our 2023 Public Holiday guide.

If you're the type of person who loves to map out your holidays in advance and extract every ounce of fun from them. Our guide spills the beans on upcoming long weekends and how to strategically make use of them to unlock longer getaways.

Table of content

• Public Holidays in 2024
• Optimising your annual leave for longer weekends
• Things to do
  • Going for a getaway
  • Rest and relax
• Prudence is key

Public Holidays in 2024

*Monday is off-in-lieu 
Those highlighted in blue indicate long weekends. 

Optimising your annual leave

Based on MOM guidelines, each first year employee is entitled to seven days of annual leave, but this number is subjective to each company’s human resource policy. 

Companies typically offer around 14 to 16 days of annual leave, which might not seem like much but we’ve cracked the code to allow you to use 13 days of annual leave to get 40 days off work!

**This is only applicable if you have annual leave left in 2023.

With long weekends, the dates to take leave would be highly contested among the office so be sure to lock in plans early and speak with your team so that you do not leave the office completely empty. 

Things to do

Going for a weekend getaway

Just like the majority of Singaporeans, you're probably itching to explore overseas destinations now that the borders have reopened and we're back to the good old pre-pandemic days. The exciting news is that you have a whole year ahead of you to meticulously plan your travels. So, rally up your buddies and let the planning begin!

When it comes to travel, flights tend to eat up a significant chunk of your travel budget. With a generous one-year timeframe to organize your holidays, why not consider using credit cards to accumulate miles that can whisk you away to your dream destination without costing you a dime?

Not sure which credit card will give you the best miles per dollar? Check out the best air miles card to use and spend your way to a getaway!

Best Miles & Travel Credit Cards

Maximise your budget holiday spend even further with the best air miles credit cards and best credit cards for travelling in Singapore. Get rewarded whenever you spend locally or overseas, plus access awesome perks like airport lounges, discounted travel insurance rates, and even free gifts for first sign ups!

Credit Card	Best for/Benefits	Details	Min. Annual Income
Citi PremierMiles Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 10 miles on Bookings at Kaligo - S$1 = 7 miles on Hotel Bookings at Agoda - S$1 = 2 miles on Foreign Spend   - S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend   - 2 free airport lounge visits per year with Priority Pass - Up to S$1 million complimentary Travel Insurance coverage when you charge travel tickets to card	- Miles awarded as Citi Miles, which never expire - S$27 per redemption - Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$42,000
DBS Altitude Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 3 miles on Agoda Bookings - S$1 = 2.2 miles on Foreign Spend   - S$1 = 1.3 miles on Local Spend   - 2 free airport lounge visits per year with Priority Pass	- Miles awarded as DBS Points, which never expire   - 5,000 DBS Points = 10,000 KrisFlyer Miles - S$27.25 (incl. GST) per redemption - Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$45,000
OCBC 90°N Miles Card Apply Now Apply Now	- S$1 = 1.3 miles on Local Spend   - S$1 = 2.1 miles on Foreign Spend   - S$1 = 7 miles on Agoda Bookings in Foreign Currency   - S$1 = 6 miles on Agoda Bookings in Local Currency	- 90°N Miles never expire   - 1 90°N Mile = 1 KrisFlyer Mile   - 90°N Miles can be redeemed per blocks of 1,000 Miles   - Exchange 90°N Miles for cash rebates, vouchers, or offset travel costs too   - Annual fee: S$196.20 (Frist year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000   - Foreigner = S$45,000
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 2.8 miles on Overseas Spend and Air Tickets (All Airlines)* - S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Retail Spend^ on Shopping, Dining, Food Delivery, Supermarket, Transport, Hotels, Cruises, Travel Packages, Car Rentals - S$1 = 0.25 miles on Utilities, Education, Insurance, and Medical expenses - Complimentary access to Selected VIP Airport Lounges - Up to S$1 million Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage	- Min. S$800 spend per month required, otherwise 1.2 mpd only   - Miles awarded in the form of TREATS Points   - *Capped at 40,000 Bonus TREATS Points per calendar month for Air Tickets. Up to 3.2 mpd for a limited time only. T&Cs apply.   - ^No min. spend, no cap - Annual fee: S$196.20 (First 3 years free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Malaysian Citizen: S$45,000 - Foreigner: S$60,000
UOB PRVI Miles Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 6 miles on Selected Online and Flight Bookings at Agoda, Expedia, and UOB Travel - S$1 = 2.4 miles on Overseas Spend - S$1 = 1.4 miles on Local Spend - Up to S$500,000 complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage	- Miles awarded as UNI$   - S$25 per redemption - Annual fee: S$261.60 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$40,000
HSBC TravelOne Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 2.4 miles on Foreign Spend   - S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend   - 4 Complimentary Airport Lounge Visits per year (Primary cardholders only)   - Up to US$100,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage (including COVID-19)	25,000 Rewards Points = 10,000 Miles   5 free supplementary cards   No conversion fee for air miles or hotel points (Until 31 May 2024)   Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner/Self-Employed: S$40,000
Standard Chartered Journey Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 2 miles on Foreign Spend   - S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend   - S$1 = 3 miles on Select Local Online Categories like Transportation, Grocery, and Food Delivery*   - 2 Complimentary Priority Pass Airport Lounge Visits per year   - Up to S$500,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage	- Rewards Points never earned from SC Journey Card never expire   - 25,000 Rewards Points = 10,000 KrisFlyer Miles   - *Capped at S$1,000 spend per statement month   - 45% off MSIG TravelEasy Travel Insurance (Single Trip) (Valid till 30 Jun 2024)   - Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$60,000
KrisFlyer UOB Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 3 miles on Everyday Spend (e.g. Dining, Online Food Delivery, Online Shopping, Online Travel, Local Transport)*   - S$1 = 3 miles on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, KrisShop, and Kris+ purchases   - S$1 = 1.2 miles on All Other Spend   - Up to S$500,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage   - Fast track to KrisFlyer Elite Silver Status   - Other Membership Privileges on Scoot	- *Min. S$800 annual spend on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and KrisShop required   - Earn KrisFlyer Miles directly to KrisFlyer Membership Account   - No cap on miles earned but only credited within 2 months of paying annual fee   - Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$40,000
AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 1.1 miles on Local Spend - S$1 = 2 miles on Foreign Spend during June and December - S$1 = 2 miles on Singapore Airlines-Related Spend - S$1 = 3.1 miles on Grab Singapore Transactions, capped at S$200 per month -S$1 = 0.5 miles on Singapore Airlines Instalment Plans via PaySmall for eligible purchases - Up to S$350,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance coverage - Exclusive Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Loyalty Programme Perks	- Earn KrisFlyer Miles directly to KrisFlyer Membership Account   - Annual fee: S$179.85 (First year free)	Subject to American Express' approval
AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend - S$1 = 2 miles on Foreign Spend during June and December - S$1 = 2 miles on Singapore Airlines-Related Spend - S$1 = 3.2 miles on Grab Singapore Transactions, capped at S$200 per month - Up to S$1 million Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage - Exclusive Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Loyalty Programme Perks	- Earn KrisFlyer Miles directly to KrisFlyer Membership Account   - Annual fee: S$343.35 (First year free)	Subject to American Express' approval
HSBC Revolution Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 4 miles on Online and Contactless Spend (e.g.Shopping, Groceries, Dining, Food Delivery, Ride-hailing) - S$1 = 0.4 miles on All Other Spend - Up to S$300,000 Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage	- Capped at S$1,000 spend / 9,000 Bonus Rewards Points per calendar month   - No annual fee	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner/Self-employed: S$40,000
Citi Rewards Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 4 miles on Selected Online Transactions (e.g. Shopping, Ride-hailing, Food Delivery, Groceries) and In-Store Shopping - S$1 = 4 miles on All Other Retail Spend - Up to S$1 million Complimentary Travel Insurance Coverage	- Capped at S$1,000 spend / 9,000 Bonus Rewards Points per statement month   - Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$42,000

When you're on the go, the last thing you need is to fret about potential injuries or falling ill. Safeguard yourself and enjoy peace of mind by securing travel insurance.

Where to go

So you have decided to head overseas but you are not quite sure where to go just yet. Depending on which long weekend you plan to take advantage of, it could mean the difference between a short JB getaway or a week over in Hanoi. 

Check out our 10 most affordable holiday destinations guide and get picking!

Rest and relax

Long weekends offer a fantastic chance to hit the brakes and slow down the pace of life. Not everyone is bitten by the travel bug, so if jet-setting isn't your cup of tea for those extended weekends, fret not! There are plenty of other options to explore. You could dive into a new hobby that tickles your fancy or head over to Sentosa for some well-deserved relaxation.

Amidst the responsibilities at work and home, it's crucial to pause and reset. Take a moment to indulge in activities that bring you pure bliss and focus on what truly brings you happiness!

If redeeming your hard-earned miles for flights doesn't float your boat, there is a nifty alternative for you. You can put those miles to even better use by redeeming them for your significant purchases. Check out these five other ingenious ways to redeem them right here.

Prudence is key

While it can be tempting to lock yourself into travel plans early to get the best deal, it is important to also be aware of the financial implications from travelling. You might save S$200 on your flight but you could end up spending S$1000 on your whole trip. 

Indulgence from time to time, especially when well-deserved, is important but financial health is equally important. 

Get the most bang for your buck by being smart with your credit card usage. Whether its cashback or miles, credit cards can be a fantastic tool to unlock rewards without extra expenditure! 

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