Tanzania Leave Laws & Holidays

Last updated on August 17, 2026.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in Tanzania

Vacation (Annual Leave) Quota

28 consecutive days

Tanzanian employees are entitled to at least 28 consecutive days of vacation leave each year, including weekends and any public holidays that fall within that period.

They are entitled to this vacation leave quota once they’ve worked for at least 6 months.

Carryover

An employee is obligated to use vacation leave within 6 months of earning it. However, if an employer needs changes in this regard and an employee agrees, an employee can take it within 12 months.

Vacation Pay

Vacation pay must be given to employees in advance and is equal to the amount they would have earned as if they had regularly worked during that time. If an employee doesn’t use their days of vacation leave within the allowed period or is asked to work during their vacation, they will receive one month’s salary as compensation.

PTO Payout at the Termination

If employment ends for an employee in Tanzania, the employer must pay them for all unused vacation days, including those from the current year that they haven’t used yet.

Sick Leave in Tanzania

126 days

Employees in Tanzania can take up to 126 days of paid sick leave available over a 36-month period. This period of 3 years is considered a sick leave cycle, and it starts when an employee begins their employment or after they’ve used up their previous sick leave entitlement. It’s important to remember that this 36-month cycle period only applies to paid sick leave.

In order to qualify for paid sick leave, an employee must have worked for their employer a minimum of six months during the previous twelve months.

Payout

Employees receive their full wages for the first 63 days of sick leave and half their wages for the remaining 63 days. Employees must provide a medical certificate to their employer in order to be paid during sick leave. If not provided, an employer is allowed to refuse to pay an employee’s sick days.

Dismissal

If an employee is still unable to return to work after using all their sick leave, the employer can end the employment contract with at least 28 days’ notice or payment instead of notice.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave in Tanzania

84 days

Tanzanian female employees who are going into labor are permitted 84 days of paid maternity leave once every three years. This entitlement increases to 100 days if they have multiple births (like twins or triplets). Maternity leave can start up to four weeks before the expected date of labor, or earlier if a doctor says that the mother’s or baby’s health requires so. On the other hand, mothers are not permitted to work for six weeks after childbirth unless a doctor claims it.

In order to take maternity leave, they need to tell their superiors at least 3 months before their child’s anticipated birthdate and provide a medical certificate from a qualified medical center or doctor.

If the child passes away within one year of birth, the mother can take another 84 days of paid maternity leave.

Payout

Maternity leave is fully paid by the employer - employees receive their regular wages.

Paternity Leave in Tanzania

3 consecutive working days

Male employees of Tanzania get three consecutive working days of paid paternity leave. This leave must be taken within the first 7 days of childbirth. To be eligible, the worker must be employed with the same employer for at least 6 of the 12 months before the childbirth, or be working on a seasonal basis.

UPDATE: Tanzania leave laws of 2025 extended paternity leave to 7 days when the child is born prematurely.

Payout

Paternity leave is fully paid by the employer - employees receive their regular wages.

Bereavement Leave in Tanzania

4 days

Employees working in Tanzania may take at least 4 days of paid bereavement leave in each 12-month leave cycle, to deal with the death of a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, or spouse. Employees can take a maximum of four days of leave per 12-month cycle, regardless of how many family members pass away during that time.

Jury Duty Leave in Tanzania

Jury duty leave is not applicable. Tanzania has no jury system.

Military Leave in Tanzania

Military leave is not specified by law. National military service (JKT) applies to secondary school graduates before they enter the workforce.

Voting Leave in Tanzania

Voting leave is not specified by Tanzania leave laws. However, the President of Tanzania may declare additional holidays at their discretion—for example, on general election days. This has been the practice in the last few elections.

Public Holidays in Tanzania

Employers must pay their employees double wages for every hour of work if they work on a public holiday, which is stated in the Public Holidays Ordinance.

The President may declare discretionary holidays (e.g., elections). Example: 4 Nov 2015, holiday declared to mark Magufuli’s election victory.

(*) - Dates are movable every year according to the Islamic lunar calendar and are approved as the date of the holiday approaches.

(**) - The dates of Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday vary each year according to the Christian Church calendar.

Sources

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

2. Payroll and Benefits Guide Tanzania, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/tanzania/

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

4. Sick leave cycle length, https://fbattorneys.co.tz/sick-leave-cycle-length/

5. The Tanzania Government Portal (with an option in English), https://www.tanzania.go.tz/

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