Employment and labor laws vary from country to country. This guide is intended to provide the most up to date information available. We will update this guide as needed when changes are made to the laws.
Employment Contracts
Employers are legally required to provide formal written contracts for all employees that include salary/wage, termination terms, job title, etc. The contracts must be written in Swahili/French/English and use the Rwandan Franc (RWF).
Working Hours
The standard workweek consists of 45 hours per week, with 7.5 hours across six days.
Overtime
All work exceeding the standard working hours a week is to be paid as overtime and is regulated by a collective labor agreement.
Working Week
Monday-Friday
Public Holidays
There are 19 national holidays.
- Jan 1: New Year’s Day
- Jan 2: New Year Holiday
- Jan 3: New Year Holiday
- Feb 1: National Heroes Day
- Apr 7: Tutsi Genocide Memorial Day
- Apr 15: Good Friday
- Apr 18: Easter Monday
- May 1: Labour Day
- May 2: Labour Day Holiday
- May 3: Eid al-Fitr
- Jul 1: Independence Day
- Jul 4: Liberation Day
- Jul 9: Eid al-Adha
- Jul 11: Eid al-Adha Holiday
- Aug 5: Umuganura
- Aug 15: Assumption Day
- Dec 25: Christmas Day
- Dec 26: Boxing Day
- Dec 27: Christmas Holiday
Paid Time Off
Employees are entitled to a minimum of 18 days of paid annual leave (increasing to 24 days for employees under the age of 18) The number of days increases in accordance with the length of service as stipulated in the employment contract and labor law.
Sick Leave
An employee is entitled to up to six months of sickness absence per year, with three months paid and three months unpaid (evidence will need to be provided).
Maternity Leave
Female employees are entitled to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave in Rwanda, with no less than 14 days of leave prior to the due date. Maternity confirmation certificates must be provided before any maternity leave can commence.
Paternity Leave
In Rwanda, a father is entitled to an unpaid leave of up to four working days in one calendar year.
Other Leave
There are no provisions in the law regarding other types of leave.
Employee Severance and Terminations
Termination Process
Employers can terminate a fix term contract by giving the following reasons – business, personal, or employee misconduct. It requires notice and a written explanation for the termination
Notice Period
The statutory notice period in Rwanda is 15 days’ notice for employees within the first year of service, increasing to 1 month following completion of one year of service.
Probation Period
In Rwanda, probationary periods must be no longer than six months.
Severence Pay
Severance pay in Rwanda is calculated in accordance with the completed length of service as follows:
- 1 month’s salary for employees that have been in service for less than five years of service
- 2 months’ salary for employees that have been in service for between 5 and 10 years of service
- 3 months’ salary for employees that have been in service for between 10 and 15 years of service
- 4 months’ salary for employees that have been in service for between 15 and 20 years of service
- 5 months’ salary for employees that have been in service for between 20 and 25 years of service
- 6 months’ salary for employees that have been in service for greater than 25 years of service
Payroll Cycle
The typical payroll cycle in Rwanda is on a monthly basis.
13th Salary
There is no statutory requirement to provide a 13th salary in Rwanda.
Employee Income Tax
VISA
Expatriates may work in Rwanda, provided they have a work permit issued by the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration. The work permits are usually granted to foreign enterprises approved to operate in Rwanda if the applicants are key personnel. However, any enterprise may recruit any category of expatriate skilled labor if Rwandans are not available. The enterprise will be required to prove that it has conducted a labor market test and failed to get local candidates who meet the requirements.
A foreigner with a contract of employment for longer than 90 days must apply for a work permit within 15 working days from the day of entry to Rwanda. The employee may also be allowed to change employers and renew his/her work permit by informing the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration in writing.
VAT
The standard rate of VAT in Rwanda is 18%.