Myanmar (aka Burma) Leave Laws & Holidays

Last updated on July 5, 2026.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in Myanmar

Types of mandatory paid leave:

• Vacation leave (also known as Annual leave or Earned leave)
• Sick leave
• Maternity and Paternity leave
• Casual leave
• Public Holidays

Vacation Leave Quota (Annual Leave)

10 days

Employees in Myanmar (ex-Burma) receive at least 10 days of paid vacation (earned leave) per year. Most companies track it monthly, with employees earning 0.83 days of leave each month.

An employee must work for at least 1 year for the employer to become eligible for vacation entitlement.

Taking a Vacation

When an employee takes vacation days, the law requires that weekends and public holidays falling within the leave period be counted as part of the annual leave. For instance, if someone takes leave from Friday to the following Thursday, any weekend days (Saturday and Sunday) in this period are considered part of the leave just like regular workdays, making it 7 days of vacation. However, most companies generally don’t count weekends and holidays as vacation days in practice.

An employee is entitled to take up to 10 consecutive days of vacation. However, this can be even more than 10 consecutive days after receiving approval from the employer.

Carry Over

Employees are allowed to carry over unused vacation days to the following year. Vacation days may be rolled over for up to 2 years from the year they were given. However, with an employer agreement, the period for using vacation days can extend to 3 years.

Payment for Unused Vacation Days on Termination

Employees in Myanmar must be compensated for any earned but unused vacation days at the time of their termination, with the compensation being based on their current salary rate. The calculation of vacation entitlement begins with the employee’s start date, which includes any probationary period.

Sick Leave in Myanmar

30 days

In Myanmar, employees are entitled to 30 days of paid sick leave per year.

An employee must have completed six months of continuous service with the company to have the right to paid leave. However, an employee who has worked less than 6 months can take unpaid sick leave.

A medical certificate must be submitted to have valid leave for any absence exceeding three consecutive days.

Unused sick days can’t be carried over to the following year, nor can they be cashed out upon resignation or termination.

Sick leave may be extended up to 26 weeks per year, but sick pay is guaranteed only for the first 30 days.

Payout

Employers are required to pay full wages for the first 30 days of illness. For leaves longer than 30 days, employees who have at least 12 months of contributions to social security can also qualify for compensation. Those employees who are covered by social security law may receive a portion of their salaries from social security funds.

On top of paid sick leave benefits, employees are entitled to extra leave benefits for specific work-related illnesses or injuries.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave in Myanmar

14 weeks

An employee who is pregnant in Myanmar is entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave.

Maternity leave consists of

• 6 weeks of prenatal leave (before childbirth);

• 8 weeks of postnatal leave (after childbirth).

Four additional weeks are provided for the birth of twins or triplets or in case of complications before, during, or after the birth of the child.

In the unfortunate event of a miscarriage, an employee is entitled to 6 weeks of leave.

Payout

An employee is paid by the goverment if she is qualified for social security benefits.

Otherwise, the employer pays for maternity leave.

Paternity Leave in Myanmar

15 days

A father in Myanmar is entitled to 15 weeks of compulsory paternity leave.

Payout

To be eligible for paid leave, an employee must have made at least six months of contributions to Social Security Board (SSB) within the 12 months before the child’s birth. Paternity leave is paid at the rate of 66.67% of regular salary, with statutory monthly wage cap (300,000 MMK). Employers often top up the difference to regular salary, so the employee receives full normal salary.

If the mother of their child is not covered by social insurance, these fathers are eligible for compensation of 25% of their average monthly wages for a regular single birth. This compensation increases to 37.5 percent for the birth of twins and 50 percent for triplets.

Adoption Leave

8 weeks

A mother who has adopted a child receives 8 weeks of paid maternity leave for child care, but the child must be under 1 year old.

Parental Leave in Myanmar

There is no parental leave required by law, except for regular maternity and paternity leave.

Casual Leave in Myanmar

6 days per year.

Employees are entitled to 6 days of casual leave per year. Casual leave is not accrued, so employees can take it from the beginning of their probation. This leave cannot be saved and carried over to the next year; unused days are lost.

Up to 3 continuous days may be taken in a single term (maximum 3 days in a row). Additionally, it cannot be combined with any other form of leave.

Bereavement Leave in Myanmar

The law does not specifically mention bereavement leave. Employees may use their vacation days or casual leave for this purpose.

However, most employers offer 3 to 5 days of paid bereavement leave for the death of immediate family members and 1 to 3 days for extended family members.

Jury Duty Leave in Myanmar

The law does not specifically mention jury duty leave. Myanmar’s courts don’t use jury trials.

Military Leave in Myanmar

The People’s Military Service Law makes service compulsory — up to 24 months — for men aged 18–35 and women aged 18–27, with longer terms for professionals. When an employee is conscripted, the employer is required to pay wages for 60 days as special leave. Employers must also reinstate returning employees to their original or a similar job after their service.

Employers who refuse to rehire an employee returning from mandatory military service face up to three years in prison, fines, or both.

Voting Leave in Myanmar

Myanmar has no statutory voting leave. Elections are scheduled on Sundays, so most employees don’t need work time to vote.

Public Holidays in Myanmar

A complete list of official holidays celebrated in Myanmar:

(*) - Dates are based on the traditional Burmese calendar.

(**) - Date for Eid al-Adha is movable every year according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

Sources

1. Local Laws and Regulations, https://www.atlashxm.com/en/countries/myanmar-burma
2. Payroll and Benefits Guide Myanmar, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/myanmar/
3. Laws & Regulations in Myanmar, https://smartmyanmar.org/en/laws-regulations

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