Last updated on January 16, 2024.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in Rwanda

Vacation (Annual Leave) Quota

18 days per year (1.5 day per month)

Full-time employees and workers in Rwanda are entitled to 18 working days of vacation. The accrual rate is 1.5 (one and a half) work days of vacation per month of service. Because the accrual rate is not a whole number, the calculation for an employee’s vacation days results in a fraction. Therefore, this is rounded up to the next whole number (for example, 15.5 days will count as 16 days).

Employees may benefit from vacation leave after serving one full year at the same business.

An employee may be eligible for more vacation days if his or her employment contract or a collective agreement between their employer and employees has more favorable terms.

Minors

Employees who are under 18 years old are entitled to 24 working days of vacation, with the accrual rate of 2 days per month.

Additional Vacation Days by Seniority

An employee staying longer with the same employer benefits from more vacation days. For every three years of work at the same employer, he or she shall earn an additional day of leave, which can go up to 21 days in total. The employment contract and Rwanda’s leave laws contain the specifics.

Vacation Pay

Employees receive their standard salary in its full amount during their vacation time. This also includes bonuses and other benefits from the past year, but not any expense refunds. This payment must be made before an employee goes on vacation leave!

Carry Over

The employer may not make an employee take a vacation more than three months earlier or later than planned. An employee may also agree with their employer to postpone the vacation if needed.

PTO Payout at the Termination

If an employment contract ends before an employee has taken all their vacation days, he or she shall receive payment for those unused days. This payment is estimated based on their usual pay and accrued benefits.

Sick Leave in Rwanda

Short-Term Sick Leave

Up to 15 days

Rwandan employees may take up to 15 days of regular paid sick leave per year but must provide their employees with doctor’s notes as soon as practicable. This applies to both private and public sector employees.

If an employee is sick for more than two days, he or she must give his or her employer a doctor’s note to get regular time off. In the lack of doctor’s notes, an employer does not have to pay for this leave.

Payout

Regular, short-term sick leave in Rwanda is paid by the employer.

Long-Term Sick Leave

Up to 6 and half months (196 days)

Rwandan employees may take up to 6 and a half months (196 days) of long-term sick leave per year, which is partially paid by the employer.

An employee must present a medical certificate to be excused from work. In case of a long-term illness, a committee of three official doctors will assess an employee’s condition. He or she can be granted sick leave for up to six months in total. The first three months are paid, and the remaining three months are unpaid.

Payout

Long-term sick leave is paid according to its duration in the following manner:

• The first 15 days: Paid by the employer => 100% of regular earnings.

• From the 16th to the 106th day: Paid by the employer => 100% of regular earnings.

• From the 107th to the 196th day: Unpaid leave (suspended employment contract).

If an employee is still unable to return to work after this maximum period, the employer may terminate his or her contract. Nevertheless, an employee must receive a severance payment of two to seven salaries, determined by how long they’ve worked at the company.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave in Rwanda

12 weeks

Female employees of Rwanda obtain 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, beginning typically 2 weeks of prenatal leave (before birth). However, in case of labor complications, an employee is entitled to one more month of paid maternity leave.

To start maternity leave, an employee is required to provide a medical certificate that confirms the pregnancy.

Additional Provisions

Employers are not allowed to fire a woman while she’s on maternity leave. Also, a pregnant or breastfeeding mother shall not be made to do any work that is too physically demanding, hazardous, or harmful to their pregnancy and overall health. And for the first 15 months after their delivery, mothers are entitled to two half-hour breaks each day for the purpose of breastfeeding.

Payout 

During her maternity leave in Rwanda, an employee receives full salary. Maternity leave is paid by the system of social security.

Extended Leave due to a Pregnancy-Related Illness

If an employee with a baby is unable to return to work after her maternity leave due to a pregnancy or childbirth-related illness, her employer is not allowed to terminate her for at least six months.

Leave in Case of the Death of Mother

If the mother tragically dies during delivery, the father is entitled to 20 extra days of leave in addition to the paternity leave he may be entitled to.

Paternity Leave in Rwanda

7 days

Starting in 2023, new fathers in Rwanda may take 7 days of paternity leave following the birth of their child. (Paternity leave used to be 4 days before). If there are any labor complications, they can take an additional 5 days.

Bereavement Leave in Rwanda

Up to 7 days

Bereavement leave in Rwanda is under the definition of circumstantial leave, and the number of days of leave is determined by the relation with the deceased and is as follows:

• 7 working days: death of an employee’s spouse;

• 5 working days: a child;

• 4 working days: a mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law; a sister or brother;

• 3 working days: grandmother or grandfather.

Jury Duty Leave in Rwanda

Jury duty leave is not specified by law.

Military Leave in Rwanda

Military leave is not specified by law.

Voting Leave in Rwanda

Voting leave is not specified by Rwanda leave laws.

Public Holidays in Rwanda for 2024

Public holidays are not included and are independent from vacation (annual leave) entitlements.

Sources

1. Local Laws & Regulations, https://www.atlashxm.com/en/countries/rwanda

2. Payroll and Benefits Guide Rwanda, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/rwanda/

3. Definitive Guide to Hiring in Rwanda, https://www.globalexpansion.com/countrypedia/Rwanda

4. Rwanda Leave Laws Updated: Employment Terms, https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/employment-2024/rwanda

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