How do you hire an employee in Cameroon in 2026?
A Cameroon hire works at most 40 hours a week outside farming and builds paid leave at one and a half working days a month. A fixed-term contract over three months must be in writing, and a foreign national's contract needs the Labour Minister's visa first. If you are hiring in Cameroon, Teamed is the best EOR. With Teamed, you get real HR and legal experts assigned within 24 hours, 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes, and a designated person who runs your first hire from signed terms to first payslip.
· Cameroon guide
Photo: Ariel Nathan ADA MBITA on Unsplash
Cameroon caps the working week at 40 hours outside farming. Night work runs from 10pm to 6am, and the Code leaves the overtime premium to a decree.
Employees build paid leave at one and a half working days a month. Maternity leave is 14 weeks, and the minimum wage depends on the sector.
What type of contract can you offer in Cameroon?
Either an open-ended contract or a fixed-term one. A fixed-term contract runs for at most two years and can be renewed for the same length.
A fixed-term contract longer than three months must be written down.
| Rule | What the Labour Code sets |
|---|---|
| Fixed-term length | Up to 2 years, renewable for the same length |
| Renewals for a Cameroonian national | Once with the same company, then it becomes open-ended if work continues |
| Written contract | Required for a fixed term over 3 months |
| Foreign national | Contract visa from the Labour Minister before work starts |
| Visa request unanswered | Deemed granted after 2 consecutive months |
The renewal of a foreign national's contract also needs the Minister's visa. If the visa is refused, the contract is void. The employer is the one who applies.
Temporary and seasonal work follows separate rules in the Code. Ask us before you plan a short assignment.
How does probation work in Cameroon?
Probation is optional and must be in writing. The Code caps it at six months including renewal, and at eight months for managers.
A ministerial order sets shorter limits by job category.
The order of 26 May 1993 runs from 15 days for the lowest categories to four months for the highest, and probation can be renewed once. The renewal has to be notified in writing before the first period ends. If the employee simply carries on after the probation ends, the hire becomes final from the start of the probation.
During probation the contract can be ended without notice and without an indemnity, unless a collective agreement says otherwise. Put the probation period in the written contract, and match it to the job category.
What are the working-hours rules in Cameroon?
Working time cannot exceed 40 hours a week in non-agricultural businesses. Farming businesses work to 2,400 hours a year, with a limit of 48 hours a week.
Night work runs from 10pm to 6am.
Weekly rest is at least 24 consecutive hours, usually on Sunday, and cannot be swapped for a payment. Women and children may not do night work in industry, with exceptions for managers and for women in services that involve no manual work.
Overtime is paid at a premium that a decree fixes, not the Code. We apply the rate for the role and the sector. Check it before you promise overtime pay in a contract.
What is the minimum wage in Cameroon?
It depends on the sector. The 2023 Prime Minister's decree sets FCFA 60,000 a month for other sectors and FCFA 45,000 for agriculture and related sectors.
For State agents under the Labour Code it set FCFA 41,875, and a 2024 decree raised that to FCFA 43,969.
| Group | Monthly minimum | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Other sectors of activity | FCFA 60,000 | Decree 2023/00338/PM, 21 March 2023 |
| Agriculture and related sectors | FCFA 45,000 | Decree 2023/00338/PM, 21 March 2023 |
| State agents under the Labour Code | FCFA 43,969 | Decree 2024/0168/PM, 23 February 2024 |
The 2024 decree sets only the State-agent rate, and it repeals contrary provisions of the 2023 decree. We read the other two rates as unchanged and confirm that before an offer goes out. A collective agreement can set a higher minimum for a sector.
How much leave do Cameroonian employees get?
Paid leave builds at one and a half working days for each month of effective service, and the right to take it arrives after one year of service.
Maternity leave is 14 weeks.
| Leave | Entitlement |
|---|---|
| Annual leave | 1.5 working days per month of effective service |
| Employees under 18 | 2.5 working days per month |
| Length of service bonus | 2 working days for every full 5 years of service |
| Family events | Up to 10 paid days a year, outside annual leave |
| Maternity leave | 14 weeks, paid by the CNPS |
| Nursing breaks | Up to 1 hour a day for 15 months after the birth |
A period of four weeks, or 24 days of work, counts as a month of effective service. Leave over 12 working days can be split, and one part must be at least 12 continuous working days. A right to leave is lost three years after the work stops. Public holiday dates are set outside the Code, and we confirm the list for the year.
What maternity leave must you give in Cameroon?
A pregnant employee is entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave, starting four weeks before the presumed date of birth.
Illness from the pregnancy or birth can add six weeks.
The CNPS pays a daily allowance equal to the pay the employee was receiving when her contract was suspended. If the birth is early, the leave runs on until the 14 weeks are used. If it is late, the leave before the birth is extended and the leave after it is not cut.
The employer may not end the contract because of the pregnancy, or during the leave. The employee can end her contract without notice and without paying the indemnity that applies to a worker who gives no notice.
What other rules shape a Cameroon employment contract?
An employer cannot fine a worker, and the only disciplinary sanction that removes pay is a suspension of up to eight working days.
The suspension must be in writing with the reasons, and reported to the labour inspector within 48 hours.
A clause that stops a worker competing after the contract can cover a radius of at most 50 kilometres and one year. It is allowed only if the worker ends the contract after the employer paid to move them to the job, or if the contract ends because of the worker's gross misconduct.
Wages are paid in legal tender at intervals of at most one month, and no later than eight days after the end of the month worked. A signed mention that a worker accepts a payment as full settlement does not bind the worker. The employer hands over a work certificate at the end of any contract.
The minimum age for work is 14 unless the Labour Minister grants a derogation.
How does Teamed handle a Cameroon hire from offer to payslip?
Teamed issues the Cameroon contract and runs the hire from offer to first payslip, from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX markup in any currency.
Your designated person runs the first hire from signed terms to first payslip.
Real HR and legal experts apply the Labour Code's contract, probation and leave rules to your offer, and you direct the work. There is no setup fee and no client exit fee, on month-to-month terms.
Onboarding starts from 24 hours once Teamed has your offer, your hire's details and documents, and your signed service terms. Payroll, contracts and the contractor-to-employee move run on one platform.
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Agree the offer
Role, job category, gross pay and sector. Check the pay against the right minimum wage level.
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Sign the service terms
Teamed employs your hire and issues the Cameroon employment contract in writing.
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Set up payroll
Teamed registers the hire for the CNPS and for tax withholding, and sets the levies for the first payslip.
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Run the first payroll
Your designated person's first-hire role ends at the first payslip, and the ordinary service continues.
Start from the Cameroon hiring overview, or run the Employer Cost Calculator before your first offer goes out. EOR is the right model for a first Cameroon hire, until it isn't.
Frequently asked questions
What is the monthly minimum wage in Cameroon?
It depends on the sector. The 2023 decree sets FCFA 60,000 for other sectors and FCFA 45,000 for agriculture. For State agents under the Labour Code it set FCFA 41,875, and a 2024 decree raised that to FCFA 43,969.
How long can a probationary period last in Cameroon?
The Code caps probation at six months including renewal, and at eight months for managers. A ministerial order sets limits by job category, from 15 days to four months, and probation can be renewed once, in writing.
Is there a thirteenth-month payment in Cameroon?
The Labour Code sets no thirteenth-month or year-end payment. A collective agreement for the sector can add pay rules, so check the agreement for the role before you fix the contract.
Does a foreign national need a visa on the employment contract?
Yes. The contract of a foreign national must be visa-stamped by the Labour Minister before work starts, and the employer applies. If the Minister is silent for two consecutive months, the visa is deemed granted. If it is refused, the contract is void.
How much overtime pay does Cameroon require?
The Labour Code leaves the circumstances and the premium to a decree. We do not quote a rate from memory. We apply the rate for the role and the sector and confirm it before the first payslip.
Cameroon gives you a 40-hour week, leave that builds at one and a half days a month and 14 weeks of maternity leave paid by the CNPS.
The traps sit in the details: three minimum wage levels, a foreign national's visa before the first day and an overtime premium that lives in a decree.
Your designated person runs the first hire from signed terms to first payslip.
Looking for a job in Cameroon yourself? Teamed does not hire people directly. Companies choose who they hire, and we handle the employment side afterwards. Here is why we cannot help with your search.
