Tunisia Leave Laws & Holidays

Last updated on August 18, 2026.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in Tunisia

Vacation (Annual Leave) Quota

At least 12 working days.

Employees in Tunisia are entitled to 1 day of vacation leave per working month, up to a maximum of 15 days, with 12 of those being working days. This applies to all regular employees with a five-day workweek who complete at least 1 month of work in a given year. The Labor Code guarantees this right. In addition to vacation leave, employees also receive at least six paid public holidays.

Nevertheless, some collective bargaining agreements and employers with flexible PTO policies provide their employees with 30 days of vacation.

Vacation Days According to Seniority

The number of days of vacation leave increases with the length of employment. Employees earn an additional day of vacation for every 5 years in the same company, up to a maximum of 18 days.

Young Workers

For workers under 18, vacation is limited to 30 calendar days (which is 24 working days), accrued by 2 working days per working month. For employees aged 18 to 21, vacation is capped at 21 calendar days (which is 18 working days), accrued monthly by 1.5 working days.

Carry Over

Vacation days should be taken between June 1 and October 31 or at another time agreed upon through an individual employment contract, a collective agreement, or set by the employer. Tunisian leave laws permit dividing vacation days, but a minimum of 6 working days must be taken at once.

PTO Payout at Termination

When the employment contract ends and an employee still has unused days of vacation leave, they are entitled to payment for these days. This is not applied in cases where the contract was terminated due to the employee’s gross negligence.

Sick Leave in Tunisia

Unspecified number of sick days

Tunisia leave laws do not state a specific number of paid sick days. Instead, absence due to sickness temporarily suspends the employment contract. Termination due to illness is only justified if the sickness is severe or extended enough that the employer must substitute the employee to meet the company’s requirements.

An employee who becomes sick must notify their manager within 48 hours of the beginning of sickness or injury. A medical certificate must be provided as well.

Payout

Sick leave is paid by the social insurance fund (the Caisse Nationale de l’Assurance Maladie (CNAM). Employers only pay if a contract or collective agreement says so.

State social insurance covers sick payments yearly for up to 180 days, after a waiting period of 5 days. Employees receive 2/3 (67%) of their average salary for the initial three years and 50% of their salary for up to 180 days each following year. These payments are made every two weeks.

Benefits due to an Occupational Injury

An employee who is injured or becomes sick because of an occupational accident or disease, they are entitled to special rights and benefits. For temporary or total disability, the employee must receive at least 50% of their regular salary. In the unfortunate event of a deadly injury, the family members are eligible to receive 40% of the departed employee’s salary in periodical pay.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave in Tunisia

3 months

Pregnant employees in Tunisia are entitled to at least 3 months of partially paid maternity leave. It changed dramatically in 2024 (effective August 12, 2024) when maternity leave in Tunisia jumped from 30 days to 3 months.

In case of multiple birth (like twins), premature delivery, or a newborn with a disability maternity leave is extended to 4 months.

Prenatal leave: If requested by a doctor, pregnant employees are legally entitled to up to 15 days of leave during their final month of pregnancy.

While on maternity leave, employees are guarded from discharge or other types of discriminatory or legal actions against them. A medical certificate must be provided for justified maternity leave.

In the unfortunate event of stillbirth, an employee is entitled to 1 month of leave.

Payout 

Maternity leave benefits are provided by social security - the Caisse Nationale de l’Assurance Maladie (CNAM) - at two-thirds (66,7%) of the employee’s standard salary.

Paternity Leave in Tunisia

7 calendar days

Employees in the private sector receive 7 calendar days of paid paternity leave. It changed from 1 day to 7 days in 2024. In special cases, such as the birth of twins, a child with disabilities, or a premature baby, paternity leave is extended to 10 days. In the unfortunate case of stillbirth, a father is entitled to 3 days of paid leave.

Payout

The employer pays for paternity leave as a regular employee’s wages.

Bereavement Leave in Tunisia

2 to 4 days

Employees in Tunisia are entitled to bereavement leave, and the number of days that they are entitled to depends on the family relationship to the deceased member of the family:

• 4 consecutive days of leave are provided for the death of an immediate family member, such as a father, mother, sibling, spouse, child, grandparent, grandchild, or uncle.
• 2 days of leave are provided for the death of a relative, including an aunt, uncle, or one of their family members.
• 2 days of leave are also provided for the death of a member of the spouse’s family, such as a father, mother, sibling, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, or nieces and nephews.

Exact terms may vary by industry because the Tunisian workforce is governed by collective agreements.

Payout

Bereavement leave in Tunisia is fully paid by the employer.

Jury Duty Leave in Tunisia

Jury duty leave is not specified by Tunisia leave laws because they don’t use citizen juries.

Military Leave in Tunisia

Unpaid leave

Employees completing their mandatory military service (men aged 20–35, lasting one year) are protected against dismissal. They are considered on unpaid leave, but they maintain their seniority and promotion rights. They are legally guaranteed reinstatement to their previous position upon discharge. In practice, conscription rules are not always applied due to numerous exemptions, and proposed reforms may allow working individuals to pay a fee instead of serving.

Payout

Military leave is unpaid by the employer; conscripts are paid by the military.

Voting Leave in Tunisia

Voting leave is not specified by law. Elections are always held on Sundays, the standard weekly rest day.

Public Holidays in Tunisia

12 public holidays

Employees have the right to paid time off on legal national holidays.

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

Sources

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

2. Payroll and Benefits Guide Tunisia, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/tunisia/

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

4. Labor Law, Chapter Four: Leaves, https://www.abl.org.lb/Library/Files/Files/conv%20chap%204.pdf (in Arabic)

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