A certificate of employment (certificat de travail) is the document an employer must hand to every employee when the contract ends, whatever the reason: in Cameroon it is issued “at the time of departure” and may only state the start date, the end date and the nature and dates of the jobs held (article 44 of the Labour Code). The other countries of the region follow the same logic with different deadlines: 8 days at most in Morocco, 2 working days in the DRC. This guide sets out each country’s rule, the required content, a certificate of employment template to copy and what to do if the employer refuses. Up to date as of 9 November 2026.
In short
- When: at the end of the contract, for any reason (resignation, dismissal, end of a fixed-term contract, retirement, termination during probation).
- Who: the employer, without the employee having to ask; after a death, for the heirs in Ivory Coast and Benin.
- Content: limited by law to dates and jobs, plus the job category in Senegal and the social security number in the DRC. No reason for leaving, no appraisal.
- Deadline: on departure in Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Benin; 8 days in Morocco; 2 working days in the DRC.
- Penalty: damages everywhere; a daily penalty set by the judge in Senegal; in Cameroon, a final judgment with no appeal on delivery of the certificate.
- Fees: the certificate is exempt from stamp and registration duties, even with the phrase “libre de tout engagement” (free of any commitment).
Certificate of employment or employment attestation?
The two are often confused. The employment attestation (attestation de travail) is requested during the contract, for a bank, a landlord or a consulate: its content is free and no Labour Code requires it. The certificate of employment closes the relationship: it is a legal duty, its content is set by the Code and the employer must issue it on its own initiative. Rule of thumb: still employed, attestation; contract over, certificate of employment.
| Certificate of employment | Employment attestation | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | End of contract | During the contract |
| Legal basis | Each country’s Labour Code | Practice, no statute |
| Initiative | Employer, automatically | Employee, on request |
| Content | Limited by law | Free, but accurate |
| Use | Prove experience, get hired, assert rights | Loan, rental, visa, paperwork |
The certificate of employment country by country
| Country | Text | Deadline | Content | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameroon | Labour Code (Law No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992), art. 44 | On departure | Only: start, end, nature and dates of jobs | Final judgment, no appeal (art. 152) |
| Senegal | Labour Code (Law No. 2026-18), art. 140 | On final departure | Only: start, end, nature and dates of jobs, collective agreement category | Daily penalty set by the judge + damages |
| Ivory Coast | 2015 Labour Code, art. 18.18 and 18.19 | When the contract expires | Only: start, end, nature and dates of jobs; with the named salary statement from the social security fund | Damages |
| DRC | Labour Code (Law No. 015/2002), art. 79 | 2 working days at most | Nature and length of service, start and end dates, social security number; nothing else | Damages (general law) |
| Benin | Labour Code (Law No. 98-004), art. 62 and 63 | Kept available at the end of the contract | Only: start, end, nature and dates of jobs, category if a text provides one | Damages |
| Morocco | Labour Code (Law No. 65-99), art. 72 | 8 days at most | Only: start, end, positions held; skills and services if both parties agree | Damages |
Cameroon: issued on departure
Article 44 of Cameroon’s Labour Code requires the certificate “on expiry of the contract, whatever the reason for termination”, at the time of departure. The content is closed: start date, end date, nature and dates of the jobs held. The phrase “libre de tout engagement” is allowed and triggers no stamp duty. Two more rules matter. Any dispute must first go to the labour inspectorate of the place of work for an amicable settlement (article 139). And judgments on the delivery of a certificate of employment or a payslip are final, with no appeal except on jurisdiction (article 152). Wages and end-of-contract allowances are due as soon as service ends (article 68): prepare the certificate together with the final pay. See our guides on severance pay in Cameroon and the Cameroon Labour Code.
Senegal: a daily penalty for delays
The 2026 Labour Code punishes a missing certificate with a daily penalty set by the judge, on top of damages (article 140). Delivery is made against acknowledgement of receipt or by any means that proves the date; if the employee does not come, the certificate is kept available. The employer may give no biased or false information. In a dispute, the labour inspector may order delivery on a provisional basis (article 383).
Ivory Coast: certificate plus salary statement
When the contract expires, the employer hands over the certificate and a named salary statement from the social security fund (article 18.18). The duty survives the employee’s death for the heirs (article 18.19). The 1977 national inter-professional collective agreement (article 41) adds the employer’s name and address and the job categories, provides for delivery with the final pay and puts the burden of proving delivery on the employer.
DRC: two working days, nothing extra
Article 79 provides for an “end-of-service certificate” due no later than two working days after the contract ends. It states the nature and length of service, the start and end dates and the social security number (the 2002 text names the Institut national de sécurité sociale). “No other indication may be added”: drop the “libre de tout engagement” phrase.
Benin and Morocco
In Benin, the employer keeps the certificate available to the employee, on pain of damages, and may not include biased, defamatory or false information (article 62); the duty benefits the heirs (article 63). In Morocco, the deadline is 8 days at most (article 72), and the certificate often goes with the final settlement receipt (reçu pour solde de tout compte), which may be challenged within 60 days of signature (articles 73 to 75).
Required content of a certificate of employment
Everywhere, the certificate sticks to verifiable facts. For a document that complies in all six countries, include:
- Employer identity: company name, address, social security fund registration number.
- Employee identity: full name; in the DRC, the social security number.
- Start and end dates: the end date is the end of the contract, notice included if worked.
- Jobs held, with dates for each after a promotion or transfer.
- Category: required in Senegal, in Benin if an agreement provides one, and in Ivory Coast under the collective agreement.
- Place, date, signature of an authorised person and the company stamp.
Never include: the reason for leaving, misconduct, sick leave, a negative appraisal or the salary. Only Morocco allows skills and services rendered, and only by mutual agreement.
Certificate of employment template to copy
Copy this template onto letterhead and adapt the bracketed items to the country. There is no file to download: the text below is enough.
[Company name]
[Registered address]
[Employer number at the CNPS, CNSS or relevant fund]CERTIFICAT DE TRAVAIL (CERTIFICATE OF EMPLOYMENT)
I, the undersigned, [first name, surname], [position] of [company name], certify that:
Mr / Ms [first name, surname] [DRC: social security number (number)]
was employed by our company from [start date] to [end date], as:
[job 1], from [date] to [date];
[job 2], from [date] to [date].[Senegal: category (no.) of the (name) collective agreement. Benin, Ivory Coast: job category under the agreement.]
[Except in the DRC: Mr / Ms (name) leaves us free of any commitment.]
Issued in [city] on [date], for all legal purposes.
[Name, position, signature and stamp]
Received on [date]: [employee signature]
In Ivory Coast, attach the named salary statement from the fund. Keep a signed copy or proof of dispatch: in a dispute, you must prove delivery.
Special cases
Fixed-term contracts, probation, resignation
The certificate is due in all these cases: the texts cover the end of the contract “whatever the reason”. An employee who leaves after a resignation letter is entitled to it just like a dismissed employee.
Absent or unreachable employee
Issue the certificate as of the end date and keep it available, as the Senegalese and Beninese texts expressly provide; if possible send it by a means that proves the date.
Loss, duplicates and errors
No text governs duplicates, but nothing stops the former employer from issuing one from the personnel file, marked “duplicate” with the issue date. A wrong date or a missing job is fixed with a new certificate that replaces the old one; a false or unfavourable entry exposes the employer to damages in Senegal and Benin.
What if the employer refuses?
- Written request: a letter delivered against receipt or sent with acknowledgement, citing the Code article.
- Labour inspectorate: in Cameroon, conciliation there is mandatory (article 139); in Senegal, the inspector may order delivery provisionally (article 383).
- Court: delivery under daily penalty in Senegal, damages everywhere; in Cameroon, the decision cannot be appealed.
For employers: never miss a certificate of employment
A company handling dozens of departures a year, with deadlines of 2 to 8 days depending on the country, should produce the certificate together with the final settlement and the last payslip. In Socium, an employee’s exit triggers the document, filled from the HR file (dates, jobs, category, fund number) with the country template; the document management and e-signature module gets it signed and archives it with proof of delivery. To cost a departure, try our payroll simulators.
Frequently asked questions about the certificate of employment
Is a certificate of employment mandatory?
Yes, in all six countries, at the end of every contract. Failing to issue it exposes the employer to damages, and in Senegal to a daily penalty.
When must the certificate be issued in Cameroon?
At the time of the employee’s departure (article 44). There is no grace period in days, unlike Morocco (8 days) and the DRC (2 working days).
Can the certificate state the reason for leaving?
No. The Codes limit the content to dates, jobs and, depending on the country, the category or social security number.
Does the employee have to ask for it?
No: delivery is the employer’s duty. If nothing arrives, a written request fixes the date of the breach.
Is an electronically signed certificate valid?
The Codes do not specify a form. A verifiable e-signature is generally accepted; keep the option of a signed and stamped paper original.
What does “libre de tout engagement” mean?
That the employee is no longer bound to the company and may be hired elsewhere. It is allowed in Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin and Morocco, without stamp duty, and forbidden in the DRC.
Is a certificate due after an employee’s death?
Yes, for the heirs in Ivory Coast (article 18.19) and Benin (article 63), at their request.
Does the certificate replace the final settlement?
No. The certificate proves employment; the settlement pays what is owed. In Cameroon, a “full and final settlement” clause cannot be enforced against the employee (article 69).
Key takeaways
- A certificate of employment is mandatory at the end of every contract, whatever the reason.
- Its content is limited: dates, jobs and, depending on the country, category or social security number.
- Deadlines: on departure in Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Benin; 8 days in Morocco; 2 working days in the DRC.
- Keep proof of delivery, especially in Senegal and Ivory Coast.
Read the Cameroon Labour Code (FAOLEX database). To produce every certificate of employment automatically, book a Socium demo.
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