Rwanda labour law 2026: Law 66/2018, its amendment and the official PDFs

The four texts you need

Read them together. A rule that looks missing from the law is often in one of the orders. Each PDF prints Kinyarwanda, English and French side by side.

• Law 66/2018 regulating labour in Rwanda (PDF)
• Law 027/2023 amending the labour law (PDF)
• Ministerial Order 01/MIFOTRA/23 on working hours and overtime (PDF)
• Ministerial Order 02/MIFOTRA/23 on leave, safety, foreign employees and more (PDF)
• amategeko.gov.rw, the official law portal

What changed in 2023

• The working week became 40 hours, in effect from 1 January 2023. The 2020 order that said 45 hours for the private sector was repealed.
• Maternity and paternity days moved from the law into an order. It's now 14 weeks of maternity leave and 7 calendar days of paternity leave.
• A new Article 24 bis stops an employer from ending a woman's contract because of her pregnancy.
• Hours, daily breaks and weekly rest moved into a ministerial order. Articles 44 and 57 of the law were repealed.

Where to find each rule

These are the numbers people look up most in Law 66/2018. The article is in brackets.

• Probation: at most 3 months. After a written evaluation, your employer can have you retake it for up to 3 more, for valid reasons (13).
• Notice: at least 15 days under one year of service, at least 30 days over one year, in writing and with reasons. No notice during probation (24).
• Time to look for work: one day a week during the notice your employer gives you (24).
• Gross misconduct: no notice, with written reasons within 48 hours (26).
• Unfair dismissal: 3 to 6 months' salary in damages, up to 9 months' net salary with over 10 years at the same employer (30).
• Certificate of service: refusing it within 15 days of a written request costs the employer one month's salary (34).
• Annual leave: 1.5 working days a month, and one more day for each 3 years with the same employer, up to 21 (46).
• Sick leave: up to 15 days on a doctor's certificate (54).
• Breastfeeding: one paid hour a day for 12 months after you return (59).
• Minimum wage: set by an order of the Minister in charge of labour (68).
• Pay intervals: daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly, depending on how you were hired (70).
• Payslip: a monthly statement on your request (71).
• Disputes: first your employees' representatives, then the labour inspector, then the court (102).
• Claims: they lapse after 2 years (104).

Terminal benefit if you're made redundant

Article 31 applies when a contract ends for economic reasons, a change of technology or sickness, and you've served at least 12 months in a row. A contract or collective agreement can give more, but not less than this.

• Under 5 years with the employer: 2 x your average monthly salary
• 5 to 10 years: 3 x
• 10 to 15 years: 4 x
• 15 to 20 years: 5 x
• 20 to 25 years: 6 x
• Over 25 years: 7 x

The average is your last 12 months' salary divided by 12, without allowances for doing the job. Payments for redundancy are employment income for PAYE.

Where the 2023 orders come in

• Order 01/MIFOTRA/23: hours, breaks, overtime and how it's paid (Articles 10 to 18 for the private sector, Articles 3 to 9 for the public service).
• Order 02/MIFOTRA/23: foreign employees (44 to 53), maternity leave (54 to 57), paternity leave (58), circumstantial leave (59) and the list of occupations in demand (Annex 3).

Who the law covers

Article 2 applies the law to employment contracts in the private sector, and in the public service unless the general statutes say otherwise. It also covers apprentices and interns. Someone working in the informal sector gets part of it, including health and safety, the right to join a union, the right to a salary and any minimum wage set by order.

Use the law with real numbers

• Overtime pay calculator
• Compare two job offers
• Minimum wage in Rwanda: what the law says

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