Benin

The public holidays in Benin are as follows;

Date & Holiday

• 1 Jan – New Year’s Day
• 10 Jan – Vaudoun Day
• 10 Apr – Easter Monday
• 21 Apr – Korité
• 1 May – Labour Day
• 18 May – Ascension Day
• 29 May  – Whit Monday
• 28 Jun – Tabaski
• 1 Aug – Independence Day
• 15 Aug – Assumption Day
• 27 Sep – Maouloud
• 1 Nov – All Saints’ Day
• 25 Dec – Christmas Day

Probation period is up to 3 months

Female employees should get six weeks of paid leave before the birth and another eight weeks after the birth. Employers pay for half of this leave, and social insurance covers the other half.

Fathers typically get three days of paid paternity leave, but you can choose to offer more.

The due process for sick leave in Benin is as follows;

• Employees with less than 2 years of service are generally entitled to 6 months’ sick leave.
• Employees with 2+ years of service are generally entitled to 12 months’ sick leave.
• Employees with 1-5 years’ service are generally entitled to three months at full pay and three months at half pay.
• Employees with 5+ years of service are entitled to full pay for 6 months.

Employees are entitled to severance pay. The amount depends on length of service:

• First 5 years of employment–30% of average monthly salary
• 6-10 years of service–35% of average monthly salary
• 10+ years of service–40% of average monthly salary

Accurately estimate your costs when employing in Benin in 2023. Includes base salary, dependents, benefits, taxes, social contributions, and payroll costs. Monthly or yearly calculation period.

13th / 14^th Month Salary: There is no statutory requirement to pay the 13th or 14th month salary. Instead, the holiday will need to be taken within twelve months and it is set by the employer as opposed to the employee. Domestic workers are added to the labor code, and they are entailed to seniority bonus after a certain time. There seem to not be the same requirement for other industries.

Requirements to Obtain Benin Work Visas

The requirements to obtain a working visa in Benin depend on the type of visa employees need and whether they want a single- or multi-entry option. Some of the documents they must provide include:

• A passport-style photo
• A scanned copy of the passport
• A copy of their flight itinerary
• Proof of yellow fever vaccination
• A business letter from your company
• A completed visa application form

The letter from you, as the employer or sponsoring company, must be on your company’s letterhead. You’ll need to introduce the applicant and include their name, date of birth, passport number, employment status, and purpose for visiting Benin. It’s important for you to claim financial responsibility for the applicant and provide detailed contact information about how to reach you in Benin.

After submitting these documents to the embassy or consulate in the employee’s home country, you’ll need to wait about two to 15 days for the visa to process. However, you may be able to request rush or emergency service for an additional fee if you need the employee to come to Benin for work immediately.

Once your employees obtain work visas, they’ll need to also get work permits. As an employer, you will handle the application process on behalf of employees. Keep in mind that it can take up to 90 days to get a work permit, so it’s best to start the process early by applying for:

• An expatriate quota approval
• A Subject to Regularization (STR)
• A Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC)

For step two, you’ll need copies of your company’s expatriate quota grant, the employment offer, the employee’s letter of acceptance, and the applicant’s CV. When you apply for the CERPAC, you must have a letter of appointment, acceptance of the employment offer or appointment, a copy of the applicant’s passport, and a package containing the STR documentation from the Nigerian embassy.

It’s important to remember that you cannot obtain work permits for employees until you have a registered entity in Benin. This process can take weeks or even months, which delays the entire hiring process.

Other Important Considerations

Another option is for your employees to obtain an eVisa through Benin’s web-based visa issuance system. The eVisa proves that the government has given your employees electronic authorization to enter Benin even though there is no stamp or label in the individual’s passport. Eligible travelers must:

• Have a passport that’s valid for at least six months after entry
• Have one blank visa page in the passport
• Have proof of sufficient funds
• Show proof of return travel
• Comply with all requirements on the application

A probationary period of up to 3 months is allowed. Employers may terminate a worker for a valid reason, including:

• worker health
• inability to hold employment
• competence or conduct
• changes in the organization or technology
• economic hardship or closure of the company

If the employer dismisses the employee on personal grounds, the employer must notify the employee in writing and include the reasons for termination. The labour inspector must also be notified in writing. Notice periods are as follows:

• Hourly employees are entitled to 15 days’ notice.
• Employees, workers, and laborers are entitled to one month of notice.
• Supervisors and executives are entitled to 3 months’ notice.
• Employees on notice may spend 2 days per week looking for a new job.

Employees are entitled to severance pay. The amount depends on length of service:

• First 5 years of employment–30% of average monthly salary
• 6-10 years of service–35% of average monthly salary
• 10+ years of service–40% of average monthly salary

An employee terminated for gross negligence is not generally entitled to severance pay.

These are obligatory benefits to employees. They include, public holidays, paid annual leaves, maternity leaves, paternity leaves, and other social security benefits.