Labour Law Basics in Côte d'Ivoire: CDI, CDD, Probation and CNPS Social Security

Once you have set up a presence in Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer), the first management question you usually face is hiring. Local labour law sets out clear rules on contract types, probation periods and social security. Below is an overview of the basics; for actual hiring decisions, consult a local lawyer or the labour authorities.

The legal framework and the two contract types

The current Labour Code (Code du travail) is Law No. 2015-532 of 20 July 2015, supplemented by a number of implementing decrees.

• CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée, open-ended contract): has no set end date. An employer terminating the contract must have a legitimate reason and give notice based on length of service. According to Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), notice periods range from 8 days to 4 months — for example, 8 days for up to 6 months' service and 4 months for more than 16 years.
• CDD (contrat à durée déterminée, fixed-term contract): GTAI notes that most fixed-term contracts must be in writing and may not exceed 2 years. In addition, companies benefiting from incentives under the Investment Code may not have fixed-term employees making up more than one third of their total workforce.

Probation: the 2024 rules

Decree No. 2024-900 of 16 October 2024 overhauled the rules on probation, replacing the 1996 decree. The probation period must be agreed in writing, with the following maximums:

Probation may be extended once, but written notice must be given before it ends (for example, 8 days in advance for a one-month probation). Pay during probation may not fall below the minimum wage for the job category, and the probation period counts towards length of service.

Working hours, leave and minimum wage

According to GTAI's 2025 overview, the standard working week is 40 hours; employees are entitled to at least 24 consecutive hours of rest per week, usually on Sunday; and paid leave accrues at 2.2 working days per month, with additional days for length of service or for dependent children under 18. Since 1 January 2023, the statutory minimum wage (SMIG) has been 75,000 CFA francs per month.

CNPS social security

Social security contributions are collected by the national social security fund, CNPS (Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale). The rates below are those published by CLEISS, the French liaison centre for international social security, effective 1 January 2025:

Since July 2020, CNPS has also collected CMU contributions. Employers must additionally pay payroll taxes, which are calculated separately from social security.

One line for Asian companies

Decide on contract type and probation before you hire, build CNPS rates into your staffing costs, and have a local lawyer review your template contracts — it will save you labour disputes later.

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References: GTAI – Côte d'Ivoire: Arbeitsrecht (2025); Droit Médias Finance – Nouvelles règles pour la période d'essai (2024); CLEISS – Les cotisations en Côte d'Ivoire (2025); CIVLII – Code du travail, loi n° 2015-532; CIVLII – Ordonnance n° 2018-646 portant Code des investissements