Employment in Mozambique

Mozambique uses terms such as emprego, trabalho subordinado, relação laboral, trabalhador por conta de outrem and contrato de trabalho for dependent employment. A worker performs agreed tasks for an employer in return for pay. Work performed independently or on one's own account is a functional alternative, not dependent employment. Public servants and State agents follow a separate statute rather than Labour Law 13/2023, and domestic, home, maritime, mining, fishing, petroleum, port, rural, private-security, telework, seasonal and agency work can follow sector-specific rules. The Ministério do Trabalho, Género e Acção Social (MTGAS) sets and administers labour policy. The Inspecção-Geral do Trabalho (IGT) checks contracts, working time, wages, vulnerable workers, workplace safety, protective equipment, training and health surveillance. The Instituto Nacional de Emprego (INEP), IP provides registration, vacancy matching, career guidance, CV and interview support, and pre-professional internships through its employment centres and Portal Emprego. INEP services are free for candidates and employers, but they do not guarantee a job. Digital and in-person access varies by province and district; 23 employment centres and 9 incubators have been reported. Labour mediation, arbitration bodies and labour courts handle disputes. The general minimum working age is 18. Light work can begin at 15 with authorisation from a legal representative, while hazardous work is restricted to adults. National and foreign workers have equal employment rights, but a foreign worker normally needs proof of qualifications, evidence that no adequately qualified Mozambican worker is available or that national supply is insufficient, and an employer training and substitution plan. Decree 88/2024 applies to this assessment. Immigration and work authorisation are separate processes with case-specific costs and timing, so the competent migration and labour authorities should be checked. A written, dated and signed contract is normally required. A fixed-term task lasting no more than 90 days is an exception. The contract should identify the parties, identity details, occupational category and tasks, workplace, duration and renewal terms, remuneration, payment form and interval, start date, and the reason and end date for a fixed-term contract. Contracts may be indefinite, fixed-term or for an uncertain term. Fixed-term employment is intended for a temporary need, normally lasts no more than two years and allows up to two renewals. Micro, small and medium employers may use fixed-term contracts without that temporary-need restriction during their first eight years of activity. An unspecified duration is treated as indefinite. Probation depends on the contract and job level. For an indefinite contract, it can last up to two months in the standard case, three months for mid-level technicians, and six months for higher-level technicians or management. For a fixed-term contract, it can last three months when the contract exceeds one year, one month when it exceeds six months but is shorter than one year, and 15 days when it lasts up to six months. For an uncertain-term contract, the period is 15 days when the expected duration is at least 90 days. During probation, written notice is generally seven days, or three days for a 15-day probation period, and compensation is generally not payable. Sectoral minimum wages effective from 1 April 2026 range from MT 4,991.09 per month in Kapenta fishing to MT 20,361.43 in banking and insurance. The monthly sector amounts are MT 7,072 for agriculture, livestock, hunting and forestry; MT 7,063.22 for industrial and semi-industrial fishing; MT 16,239.06 for large extractive companies; MT 8,488.48 for quarries and medium extractive companies; MT 6,824.17 for micro and small salt producers; MT 10,622.50 for manufacturing; MT 7,500 for bakeries; MT 7,000 for cashew; MT 12,775 for large electricity, gas and water companies; MT 10,366 for small and medium companies in that sector; MT 8,652 for construction; MT 10,845 for non-financial services; MT 10,600 for hotels and tourism; MT 8,690 for private security; MT 10,079 for fuel retail; MT 17,924.17 for microfinance; and MT 20,361.43 for banks and insurers. Pay intervals cannot exceed one month, and the employer must keep a pay record. The employer registers the worker with INSS within 30 days of the contractual relationship. The file may require a BI or cédula as an identity document, a birth certificate, a DIRE for a foreign resident and a NUIT tax number. The employer contributes 4% of monthly pay and the worker contributes 3%, for a combined contribution of 7%. INSS protection includes sickness, hospitalisation, maternity, paternity, invalidity, old-age, death, funeral and survivor benefits. The employer should report termination or suspension to INSS within 30 days. The worker should verify the beneficiary number, contribution record and extract rather than relying only on a payslip. Normal working time is eight hours per day and 48 hours per week. Industry may use 45 hours over five days. Weekly rest must include at least 24 consecutive hours. An alternating regime can reach 12 effective hours per day, with a break of at least 30 minutes and rest equal to at least half of the effective working time. Employers must record overtime. Exceptional work requires compensatory rest, and overtime is generally paid at 150% up to midnight and 200% after midnight. Paid annual leave cannot be waived. The entitlement is 12 working days in the first year and 30 working days in following years. A fixed-term contract lasting more than three months but less than one year gives one working day per month. Public holidays do not reduce annual leave. Maternity leave lasts 90 consecutive days and may begin 20 days before the expected birth. Paternity leave is seven days, or 60 days when the mother dies or becomes incapacitated. For the INSS maternity benefit, the qualifying period is 12 months of contributions during the preceding 18 months, and the benefit is 100% of the average daily wage. Pregnancy and maternity receive dismissal protection, and breastfeeding and medically necessary pregnancy protections also apply. The worker has rights to equal treatment and non-discrimination and duties to attend work, follow lawful instructions, comply with safety rules and perform the contract. The employer must provide the contract, pay on time, register and contribute to INSS, maintain a safe and hygienic workplace, keep records and schedule work lawfully. Union consultation can apply to work schedules, leave planning and collective agreements. Political, union or religious grounds, gender-based harassment and violence, and missing legal formalities can indicate an unlawful dismissal. Employment can end through expiry, written mutual agreement, notice or just cause. A worker resigning from a fixed-term contract generally gives 30 days’ notice. For an indefinite contract, the notice period is 15 days after more than six months and up to three years of service, and 30 days after more than three years. A worker ending an indefinite contract for just cause generally gives at least seven days’ written notice and may claim an indemnity calculated at 45 salary-days per year. Structural, technological or market-based termination by an employer requires written notice and formalities, including communication to the IGT and the union. The general indemnity scale is 30 salary-days per year for one to seven sector minimum wages, 15 salary-days per year above seven and up to 18, and 5 salary-days per year above 18. Collective dismissal consultation can last up to 30 days. A worker generally has up to six months to challenge an unlawful dismissal or dismissal for alleged just cause. Mediation, conciliation or arbitration can be used before or alongside a labour-court case, and the result may include reinstatement or compensation. At the end of employment, keep the final-pay and indemnity record, written proof of cessation, contract, payslips, notices and INSS extract. The available official INSS benefit list does not show a direct unemployment benefit. Registering again with INEP can support the search for another job. Informal work is a major practical reality, but the available INE INFOR 2021/22 figures cover informal enterprises only and do not represent the total workforce. Within that survey, own-account workers without employees represented 40.4%, unpaid family workers 33.5%, own-account workers with employees 12.3% and private-company workers 8.8%. These figures help describe informal work arrangements; they should not be presented as national employment shares.