Global Hiring Guide
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 Arabic and use the Tunisian Dinar currency (TND).
Working Hours
A work week is 5 days and should not exceed 48 hours.
Overtime
A workday should not exceed 10 hours per day or 60 hours per week.
Public Holidays
There are 15 public holidays.
For the year 2024:
- Jan 1: New Year’s Day
- Mar 11: Ramadan Start (Tentative)
- Mar 20: Independence Day
- Apr 9: Martyrs’ Day
- Apr 10: Eid al-Fitr (Tentative)
- Apr 11: Eid al-Fitr Holiday (Tentative)
- Apr 12: Eid al-Fitr Holiday (Tentative)
- May 1: Labour Day
- Jun 16: Eid al-Adha (Tentative)
- Jun 17: Eid al-Adha Holiday (Tentative)
- Jul 7: Muharram (Tentative)
- Jul 25: Republic Day
- Aug 13: Women’s Day
- Sep 15: The Prophet’s Birthday (Tentative)
- Oct 15: Evacuation Day
- Dec 17: Revolution and Youth Day
Annual Leave (vacation)
Employees receive one vacation day per month. After one year of work, they will accumulate 12 working days as paid time off.
Sick Days
For an employee to receive sickness benefits, they must have at least 50 days of covered employment in the last two quarters or 80 days in the last fourth quarters before sickness began. The insured employee receives 66.7% of their daily average earnings for 180 days after a five-day waiting period. For up to 180 days a year for each next year, they receive 50%.
Maternity and Paternity
Maternity Leave
Female employees receive 30 days of leave. In order to receive 66.7% of their daily earnings, the employee must have contributed to social insurance for at least 80 days in the four quarters leading up to the birth.
Paternity Leave
Fathers receive one day of paid leave within the first seven days following the birth of the child.
Parental Leave
A lump sum of the insured’s daily average quarterly earnings is given.
Other Leave
Work-related injury leave: There is no qualifying period, but the accident must be reported to the employer within 48 hours and be assessed. The injured employee will receive 66.7% of their average daily earnings for the highest-paid period before the disability began. Payments will be given after a three-day waiting period and last until the employee has recovered.
Employee Severance and Terminations
Termination Process
For an employer to terminate an employee, they must present a significant and just cause. Before the dismissal, the employee has the right to appeal their case before a discipline council.
Notice Period
One month’s notice period should be given in writing.
Severance Pay
Employees are entitled to severance pay unless they have been terminated for misconduct. Payment is calculated as one day’s pay for each month of employment. The maximum amount of severance is three months’ pay.
Probation Period
Depending on the type of employment, the probation period ranges from 6 to 9 months.
Payroll Cycle
Employees are paid either weekly or monthly no later than the end of the month.
Minimum Wage: Industrial and agricultural workers – 459.26 dinars per month (based on 40 hours). Non-agriculture sectors – 390.69 dinars per month (based on 48 hours).
13th Salary
Not required.
Employer Payroll Contributions
VISA
A residence visa is required for all foreigners residing in Tunisia for more than 3 consecutive months or 6 non-consecutive months in one year. There are two types of residence visas.
- Temporary Residence Visa – A one-year visa that is intended for foreigners who do not wish to set up a permanent residence.
- Permanent Residence Visa – Permanent resident visas are given to foreigners who have been living in Tunisia on a temporary basis for five uninterrupted years.
A residence permit is normally granted for a period of 2 years on a renewable basis. These permits must be renewed with each new work contract. Residence permit renewals can be valid for up to 5 years.
Foreign workers are not allowed to change employers in Tunisia without permission.
The standard rate of VAT in Tunisia is 19.00%