Annual Leave in Mozambique: Days and Rules
Mozambique annual leave under Law 13/2023: 12 working days in year one and 30 from year two, how they are scheduled, and what to do if unused.
Annual leave in Mozambique is 12 working days in the first year of employment and 30 days from the second year onward, always paid — as established by Article 108 of the Labor Law 13/2023, in force since February 2024.
What's new under the law: the 30 days now apply from the 2nd year, rather than the 3rd as under the old law. This guide explains how leave is scheduled, what counts as "working days", how to handle public holidays falling during leave, and what to do when an employer fails to schedule it.
The right to annual leave exists for your health and productivity — and it is a right, not a favor from your employer. Even so, it is one of the most violated rights in the Mozambican market: leave periods are postponed for consecutive years, cut short "because the company has too much work", or cashed out without agreement. Knowing the rules is your best defense.
The short answer
- 1st year of actual work: 12 working days of paid leave.
- From the 2nd year onwards: 30 days — the major improvement of Law 13/2023 (under 23/2007, the 2nd year gave 24 days and 30 only in the 3rd).
- Leave is paid: you receive your normal pay during the period.
- Scheduled by mutual agreement between employer and worker, considering the needs of both parties.
- Counted in working days: weekends within the period do not consume leave days — confirm the count with HR.
- Unused leave does not expire: if the company postpones leave due to service requirements, the entitlement remains for the agreed period.
How many days you get: 12 in the 1st year, 30 after
The rule in Art. 108 is simple and applies to employment contracts in general: in the first year of actual work, 12 working days; in subsequent years, 30 days.
A comparison with the previous law shows the change: under Law 23/2007, a worker accrued 1 day per month in the 1st year (12), 2 days per month in the 2nd year (24), and only reached 30 days in the 3rd year. The new law brought forward full entitlement.
"Working days" means the days you normally work — it excludes weekly rest days, national holidays, and official public holidays. If your work schedule includes Saturdays, Saturday is a working day for you; therefore, the exact number of calendar days may vary from company to company, but the principle is always the same: only days you would work are counted.
How leave is scheduled
The leave period is set by agreement between employer and employee. In Mozambican business practice, this usually happens in one of two ways: an annual leave schedule planned at the start of the year, or an individual request approved by the employer based on the work roster.
In both cases, agreement is the core principle — the company does not impose dates arbitrarily, and the employee does not demand dates while ignoring the schedule.
Practical tips for negotiating your leave period:
- Request early: the earlier you submit your request, the higher the chance of approval and the better for your team's planning.
- Avoid peak periods in your sector: year-end in retail, harvest seasons, financial year-end closures — negotiating outside peak times makes it easier to get consecutive days off.
- Confirm in writing: get an email or message with your approved dates — this prevents "lost leave" if management changes.
- Split your leave strategically: if the company prefers staggered time off, taking one longer block plus a shorter one is usually better than scattering single days.
Paid leave: what you receive
During leave, you receive regular pay — this is what the law calls paid leave. The payment date for this period is arranged with HR; many companies pay in the pay cycle prior to the start of the leave so that the worker has money before traveling — ask your company about its practice.
Do not confuse paid leave with other payments: food, transport, or 13th-month allowances have their own rules — the salary allowances guide explains what the law provides for each.
And remember: standard legal deductions are taken from your pay (3% employee INSS contribution and IRPS) — the net vs gross salary guide shows the
Public holidays during leave do not count
Vacation days are counted in working days — weekly rest days are not vacation days, which is why a period of "10 calendar days" with 2 weekends inside can correspond to only 6 working days of rest.
As for public holidays and optional days off that fall within the period, confirm the exact count with HR: always check before booking travel — it is a common misunderstanding, and expensive if you buy tickets.
Untaken annual leave: what happens
If the company postpones your rest due to operational needs, the right does not expire — it carries over to the agreed period. What the law does not permit is systematic neglect: annual leave is meant to be actually taken — cash compensation is not the rule.
In a specific case (for example, at the end of a contract), check with HR or the Labour Inspectorate how the untaken period should be handled.
If your leave has been accumulating for years:
- Submit a written request to the employer, detailing the history of untaken periods.
- Propose a realistic schedule — even if staggered, but genuine.
- Document everything (requests, replies, rosters): in a dispute, evidence decides.
- If refusal persists: the Labour Inspectorate is the authority responsible for enforcement.
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Read also
- Employment contract in Mozambique: types and rules
- Probation period in Mozambique: timeframes and rules
Where these numbers come from
- Vacation: Art. 108 of Law No. 13/2023, of 25 August (12 working days in the 1st year; 30 days in subsequent years), effective 21/02/2024.
- Comparison with Law 23/2007 (1 day/month in the 1st year; 2 days/month in the 2nd; 30 days from the 3rd year) — analysis by ASG Advogados, "The new Labor Law and its substantial amendments".
- Employee INSS 3% and IRPS — published article by Guia Inademy on salary deductions.
How to plan annual leave around salary and work arrangements
Annual leave is not a bonus; it is a right with a statutory minimum duration. Planning it well, within the company schedule, avoids end-of-year disputes.
There is also the question of pay. The law sets a minimum rate per day of leave, and employees can receive cash compensation instead of taking the days off when their contract ends.
Part-time workers receive proportional leave, and leave does not replace overtime hours. Each arrangement is different, and the difference is paid out at the end of the year.
It is also worth planning leave at the start of the year, when the company sets the schedule, to ensure days are taken rather than lost through a lack of communication.
In short, workers are entitled to paid leave, and the company cannot force them to waive this right. It is one of the most strongly guaranteed rights in the legal framework.
Frequently asked questions
Am I entitled to vacation after 8 months with the company?
The right to 12 working days applies to the first year of actual work. In practice, companies schedule the first vacation upon completion of the full year—some may grant proportional leave earlier by mutual agreement. What the law does not allow is for the 1st year to pass without those 12 working days.
Can the company pay for vacation days instead of granting the leave?
As a rule, no. Vacation is meant for actual rest—"I'll pay you and you come back tomorrow" undermines the rest period the law protects. In specific cases (for example, at contract termination), check with HR or the Labor Inspectorate on how the unused leave should be compensated.
Does Saturday count as a working day?
It counts if Saturday is a regular working day in your schedule. Working days = days on which you normally work, excluding weekly rest days, public holidays, and official bridge days.
I fell ill during my vacation. What now?
Notify your employer of the illness with a medical certificate as soon as possible and clarify the situation with HR before assuming any days will be reinstated—do not handle overlapping illness and vacation on your own. Always keep the medical document.
Can the company cancel an already approved leave period?
As a rule, only due to imperative service needs, with rescheduling to an agreed date—never to forfeit the right. Repeated last-minute cancellations are an abuse: document and report them. Vacation is a planned right, not an optional promise.
In summary, what to do today
- Check your contract and HR to confirm how many days of annual leave you have and how many you have already taken this year.
- If you have accrued leave from previous years, claim it in writing with your record history.
- For your next request, confirm the dates in writing (email or message).
- Before traveling, confirm the working day count and advance payment with HR.
- Keep receipts and records — documentation is what turns legal rights into money.
- Looking for an employer that complies with the law? Free profile on Inademy with new job alerts by email and WhatsApp.
Official source: Law No. 13/2023 (Labour Law) is available as a PDF on the website of Mozambique's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo): official text (PDF).
