Republic of Congo Leave Laws & Holidays

Last updated on July 27, 2026.

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Nota bene: The Republic of the Congo, with its capital Brazzaville, whose laws we cover in this article, distinguishes itself from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (capital Kinshasa).

DR Congo leave laws are covered in a separate section of our blog.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in the Republic of the Congo

Vacation Quota (Annual Leave)

26 working days

Employees in the Republic of the Congo are entitled to a statutory minimum of 26 working days of paid vacation leave. Seniority adds an additional day of vacation leave every five continuous years with the same employer, up to 31 working days.

Employees become entitled to this leave after one full year (or in rare cases two years, depending on the contract) of service for the employer.

PTO Payout at the Termination

Receiving cash for unused vacation days is allowed only upon termination of employment.

Sick Leave in Congo

Up to 6 months.

Employees have the right to take up to six months of unpaid sick leave. (This leave is typically unpaid unless specified otherwise by individual employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements.)

To have an authorized leave, an employee must provide a certified doctor’s note that confirms their illness.

Maternity and Paternity Leave in the Congo

Maternity Leave in the Congo

15 weeks

Pregnant female employees in Congo are entitled to 15 weeks of fully paid maternity leave.

This includes:

• 6 months before childbirth, and

• 9 months after childbirth.

Maternity leave can be extended by 3 weeks in cases of illness resulting from pregnancy or childbirth.

Payout

Maternity benefit is 100% of regular salary. The payment is funded 50% by the employer and 50% by the social security system (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale - CNSS).

The National Social Security Fund (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale, CNSS) covers the costs of childbirth and any medical expenses incurred as a result of illness during pregnancy or childbirth.

Paternity Leave in the Congo

2 days

Employees who become fathers of a newborn child are entitled to 2 mandatory days of paid paternity leave.

Bereavement Leave in the Congo

3 days

Employees are entitled to 3 days of paid leave in the event of the death of a first-degree relative.

Jury Duty Leave in the Congo

Jury duty leave is not specified by law, as the country’s legal system doesn’t use juries.

Military Leave in the Congo

Military leave is not specified by law. There’s no conscription; military enlistment is voluntary and treated as leaving employment or contract suspension, not leave.

Voting Leave in Congo

Not identified in publicly available online sources. Please consult official or offline legal materials.

Marriage Leave in Congo

3 days

An employee who is getting married is entitled to 3 days of paid leave for their wedding.

Public Holidays in the Congo

10 public holidays

The Republic of Congo observes 10 national holidays, with additional holidays that may vary by state. They are mostly based on the Christian religious calendar, with some of them (Easter Monday, Ascension Day, and Whit Monday) changing each year according to the date of Easter. It’s mandatory for employers to recognize these holidays every year, irrespective of their specific dates.

A complete list of official holidays in the Republic of the Congo:

(*) - The date of Easter and all holidays related to it varies each year.

Sources

1. Compensation & Benefits in Republic of the Congo., https://www.globalization-partners.com/globalpedia/republic-of-the-congo/compensation-benefits/

2. Republic of Congo, ROC Employer of Record & Payroll, https://africa-deployments.com/employer-of-record/republic-of-the-congo/

Check out our Leave Laws page to learn more about laws in various countries.