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How to budget your annual leave for dental treatment in Vietnam
How many days annual leave do you need for dental treatment in Vietnam? An Australian employee's guide by treatment type, with school holiday and public holiday planning tips.
Most Australian employees need 10 working days of annual leave for a single implant trip or short veneer case, and 12–14 calendar days for a full veneer set. With careful use of Australian public holidays and school holidays, you can stretch 10 days of leave into 14–16 calendar days off work. Australian employees have at least 20 days of annual leave, which is sufficient for two Vietnam trips in a single year.
Annual leave required by treatment type
| Treatment | Days in Vietnam | Travel days | Calendar days off | Working days of leave (weekends excluded) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 veneers | 10–11 | 2 | 12–13 | 8–9 |
| 6–10 veneers (full set) | 13–14 | 2 | 15–16 | 10–11 |
| Single implant — Trip 1 | 10–12 | 2 | 12–14 | 8–10 |
| Single implant — Trip 2 | 7–9 | 2 | 9–11 | 6–7 |
| All-on-4 — Trip 1 | 14–18 | 2 | 16–20 | 12–14 |
| All-on-4 — Trip 2 | 7–10 | 2 | 9–12 | 6–8 |
How to minimise leave use with smart booking
Rule 1: Depart on a Sunday, return on a Sunday
Capturing both weekends of a 14-day trip eliminates 4 days of leave. Depart Sunday (travel day 1), arrive Monday (day 1 in Vietnam). Return Saturday night, land Sunday (no work day lost). You use 10 leave days instead of 14.
Rule 2: Attach to Australian public holidays
| Public holiday | How to attach | Extra free days gained |
|---|---|---|
| Easter (Fri + Mon) | Depart Thursday night; return Tuesday | 4 days |
| ANZAC Day (25 April) | Depart 24 April (Wed PM); return 28 April (Mon) | 2–3 days |
| Queens/Kings Birthday (June, state-specific) | Depart Sunday before; return Tuesday after | 2 days |
| Christmas–New Year block | Depart 23 December; return 8 January | Potentially 4–5 days at no additional leave (if your workplace closes) |
Note: Vietnamese public holidays to avoid (clinic closures): Tet (late January–February), April 30, May 1, September 2. Check clinic availability around these dates before booking.
Rule 3: Use school holidays if you are a teacher or parent
| School holiday window | Vietnam season | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| January school holidays (late Jan–Feb) | Avoid if near Tet; check clinic availability | Possible but verify |
| Easter school holidays (April) | Good weather in Da Nang; dry season | Excellent for veneer trip |
| July school holidays | Peak Da Nang season; best beach weather | Highly recommended — book 3+ months ahead |
| September–October (some states) | Da Nang shoulder season; good weather | Good option |
| December school holidays | Wet season end in Da Nang; book carefully | Verify weather for the specific weeks |
July is the standout window for Australian dental tourists — Da Nang’s dry season, Australian school holidays, and Picasso’s full staffing align.
Australian leave entitlements — how much you have
Under the National Employment Standards (NES), full-time employees accrue:
- 20 days (4 weeks) of paid annual leave per year
- Part-time employees: pro-rata equivalent
This is sufficient for two Vietnam trips in a calendar year — for example, Trip 1 (implant placement) in April using Easter leave, and Trip 2 (crown fitting) in July using school holidays.
Leave in addition to annual leave
- Sick leave (10 days/year NES) — not applicable for elective overseas dental treatment, but relevant for post-operative recovery if needed
- Long service leave — employees with 7+ years may have accumulated 8–13 weeks; dental tourism is a common use case
- Unpaid leave — negotiate with employer for extended trips if annual leave is insufficient
Sample leave plans — two common scenarios
Scenario A: Veneer set for a Sydney office worker (July school holidays)
| Date | Day | Leave status |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 5 July | Fly SYD → HCMC (overnight) | Weekend — no leave |
| Monday 6 July | Arrive Da Nang; rest | Annual leave day 1 |
| Tuesday 7 July | Consultation | Annual leave day 2 |
| Wednesday 8 July | Preparation + temporaries | Annual leave day 3 |
| Thursday–Sunday | Hoi An / beach (lab days) | Annual leave days 4–5; Sat–Sun free |
| Monday–Wednesday | Continue lab days | Annual leave days 6–8 |
| Thursday 16 July | Try-in | Annual leave day 9 |
| Friday 17 July | Bonding | Annual leave day 10 |
| Saturday 18 July | Buffer day | Weekend — no leave |
| Sunday 19 July | Fly home | Weekend — no leave |
Total annual leave used: 10 days. Calendar time away: 14 days.
Scenario B: School teacher — two implant trips across school holidays
Trip 1 (Easter school holidays):
- Depart Thursday 2 April (night flight)
- Treatment Days 1–10: 4–13 April
- Return Sunday 19 April
- Leave used: 8 days (Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays)
Trip 2 (July school holidays, 4 months later):
- Depart Sunday 5 July
- Treatment Days 1–7: 7–13 July
- Return Sunday 19 July
- Leave used: 7 days
Total annual leave for both implant trips: 15 days. Remaining annual leave balance: 5 days.
Vietnamese public holidays — avoid these for appointments
| Holiday | Approximate dates | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) | Late Jan – mid Feb (varies) | Clinic closure 5–10 days; avoid entirely |
| Reunification Day | 30 April | 1–2 day closure |
| Labour Day | 1 May | 1 day closure |
| National Day | 2–3 September | 1–2 day closure |
Confirm clinic availability with Picasso before booking flights around any of these dates.