Tihar 2026: Laxmi Puja on November 8, Bhai Tika on November 11 — When to Ask for Annual Leave and When to Send Money

Tihar 2026 dates

Date	Day	Event	Nepali banks
November 6	Fri	Friday in Nepal	Half day (open until 12:30 PM)
November 7	Sat	Kag Tihar	Closed (every Saturday)
November 8	Sun	Laxmi Puja, Kukur Tihar	Tihar holiday
November 9	Mon	Gai Puja	Tihar holiday
November 10	Tue	Govardhan Puja, Mha Puja	Tihar holiday
November 11	Wed	Bhai Tika	Tihar holiday
November 12	Thu	—	Tihar holiday
November 13	Fri	—	Half day
November 14	Sat	—	Closed
November 15	Sun	Chhath	Closed

• Festival dates can change by 1 day, depending on how the calendar (panchanga) is read. Check the dates again with your family.
• Bank holidays and opening hours come from the 2083 holiday list of Nepal Rastra Bank (Nepal's central bank). From November 2, bank hours become shorter: Sunday to Thursday, 10 AM to 3 PM. Ask your family to check the real hours at their own bank.

Who is this for?

• People who want to go to Nepal for Tihar
• People who want to take Bhai Tika (Wednesday) off while in Korea
• People who want to send money to their family before Tihar

The annual leave rules apply if your workplace usually has 5 or more workers. Workplaces with fewer than 5 workers do not have to give annual leave by law. In that case, you must agree on time off with your company.

How to ask for annual leave

1. Check how many leave days you have left. Subtract the days you already used for Dashain. If you have worked less than 1 year, you get 1 day for each full month with no absences. To calculate, see the annual leave calculation article.
2. Choose your dates. If you only want Bhai Tika off, ask for 1 day: November 11 (Wednesday). If you want to go to Nepal, ask for leave only on your working days, for example between November 7 (Saturday) and November 15 (Sunday). If your company is closed on weekends, that is 5 days: November 9 (Monday) to November 13 (Friday).
3. Ask in writing right now. As of mid-October, there are about 3 weeks left until Bhai Tika. Send your request in a way that leaves a record, like a text message or KakaoTalk.
4. Get the answer by text message. If the company wants to change the dates, ask why. Then choose other dates together.
5. Buy your plane ticket only after the leave is approved.

The Dashain annual leave request article has example messages and explains how to agree on unpaid leave. Tihar works the same way.

Request message card (copy and use it)

안녕하세요, [이름]입니다. 네팔 명절 티하르(바이 티카)로 [11월 11일(수)] 연차 [1]일을 신청합니다. 확인 부탁드립니다.

(Meaning: "Hello, this is [name]. For the Nepali festival Tihar (Bhai Tika), I am asking for [1] day of annual leave on [November 11 (Wednesday)]. Please confirm.")

When to send money and what to watch out for

1. Send by November 5 (Thursday). Korea has no fixed public holidays in November. But banks in Nepal are closed for a long time from November 7. Money sent to a bank account may arrive only after the holidays.
2. Compare 2 or 3 companies with the same amount. Look at the fee, the exchange rate they use, and how long it takes. Compare by how many rupees your family actually gets.
3. Check that the company is registered. Search for the company name in "소액해외송금업자 등록현황" (list of registered small overseas money transfer companies) on 금융감독원 (Financial Supervisory Service) FINE website (fine.fss.or.kr). Banks are always allowed.
4. Watch out for holiday scams. You may get a message like "My phone is broken" or "I need money urgently" that asks you to send money to a different account. Do not send it until you call the person's usual number and hear their voice.
5. If you sent money by mistake, act fast. Call 112 (police) or 1332 (Financial Supervisory Service) and the money transfer company's customer center right away. Ask them to stop the payment.

No one can predict the exchange rate. The most important thing is that the money arrives before the day your family needs it. For more ways to compare, see the Dashain remittance timing article.

What to prepare

• Proof of your remaining leave days (급여명세서 (pay slip), or confirmation from the company)
• Screenshot of your leave request message (with the date showing)
• Passport and 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card) (check the date your stay ends)
• Money transfer comparison table (fee, exchange rate, amount received)
• Receiver's name, bank, and account number (check them against a photo your family sends)

Important warnings

• If you leave without approval, it counts as absence without permission. If you are absent for 5 days or more without following the proper process, the company can report you to 고용센터 (Employment Center). This can cause problems with your visa status.
• Keep a record if your request is refused. As a rule, leave you could not use because of the company does not disappear, even after 1 year (Labor Standards Act Article 60(7)).
• Share the dates with coworkers who do the same job. If many people ask for the same day, the company can ask you to change.
• Do not use 환치기 (illegal hundi-style transfers). Giving Korean won to an unregistered person so your family gets rupees in Nepal is illegal. If they steal your money, it is hard to get protection.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Laxmi Puja is on a Sunday. Do I still need annual leave? A. If your company is closed on Sundays, you can rest without using leave. If your company works on Sundays, you must ask for leave for that day too.

Q. I used all my annual leave for Dashain. A. You can talk with your company about unpaid leave. Unpaid leave always needs the company's agreement. Write down the leave period, the day you will return, and how your pay will be handled. Then get it signed.

Q. The company only says, "We are busy, so no." A. The law lets the company change your dates only when your leave would cause "serious harm" to the business. Ask why, and offer other dates. If they keep refusing, call 1577-0071 or 1350 for advice.

Q. If I send money on November 6 (Friday), will it arrive before Tihar? A. We cannot promise that. Nepali banks are open only until 12:30 PM on Friday, and the holidays start on Saturday. Check the expected arrival time in the company's app. If you can, send it 1 or 2 days earlier.

Where to get help

Organization	Phone / website	What they help with
외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workers Counseling Center)	1577-0071	Problems with annual leave and time off. Many languages, including Nepali. Open 365 days, 09:00–18:00 (staff on duty on Saturdays and public holidays)
고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) Customer Center	1350	Advice when your leave is refused
외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center)	1345	Questions about leaving Korea, re-entry, and your stay period. Nepali on weekdays, 09:00–18:00
금융감독원 (Financial Supervisory Service)	1332 / fine.fss.or.kr	Check if a money transfer company is registered, advice on money transfer scams
Police	112	Report scams, ask to stop a payment