Employment contract Cameroon: CDI, CDD, visa, template

An employment contract Cameroon employers sign is freely agreed and may even be oral (Articles 23 and 24 of the Labour Code, Law No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992); it must however be in writing, with a copy (ampliation) sent to the labour inspector, for a fixed-term contract (CDD) of more than three months or a job that requires the employee to move away from their usual residence (Article 27). A CDD lasts at most two years and can be renewed only once for a Cameroonian employee before it becomes an open-ended contract (CDI) (Article 25). A foreign employee’s contract must be approved (visa) by the Minister of Labour before work starts. Up to date as of 5 November 2026: the 1992 Code is still in force.

In brief

• Form: free for a local CDI; written for a CDD over 3 months, a relocated employee and a foreign employee (Article 27).
• Types: CDI, CDD of up to 2 years, temporary, casual and seasonal work, agency work (Articles 25 and 26).
• Probation: in writing, at most 6 months including renewal, 8 months for managers (Article 28).
• Required clauses: listed by Decree No. 93/575/PM of 15 July 1993 for contracts that must be written.
• Visa: prior visa for foreign staff; two months of silence = visa granted (Article 27).

Employment contract Cameroon: the rules at a glance

Types of employment contract in Cameroon

The CDI (open-ended contract)

Its end date is not fixed in advance. Either party may end it, subject to notice given in writing with the reason (Articles 25 and 34). Notice periods, by category and length of service, are set by Order No. 015/MTPS/SG/CJ of 26 May 1993. After two years of continuous service, a dismissal other than for gross misconduct gives the right to a severance payment (Article 37), explained in our guide to severance pay in Cameroon.

The CDD (fixed-term contract)

Its end date is agreed in advance. It cannot exceed two years and is renewable for the same length; but for a Cameroonian employee only one renewal is allowed with the same company: if the relationship continues afterwards, the contract becomes a CDI (Article 25). Renewing a foreign employee’s contract requires the minister’s visa. A contract tied to a future, certain event or to a specific piece of work is treated as a CDD but cannot be renewed. A CDD can end early only for gross misconduct, force majeure or a written agreement of the parties (Article 38).

Temporary, casual and seasonal work

The CDD duration rules do not apply to replacing an absent employee, unforeseen peaks in activity, urgent safety work and seasonal work (Article 25(4)). These workers may come from a licensed temporary work agency; an assignment with the same user cannot exceed one year (Article 26).

Probation

It must be stipulated in writing and cannot exceed six months including renewal, or eight months for managers (Article 28). If the employee keeps working after probation without a new contract, the hiring becomes final from the start of the probation. Also check the ministerial order and your collective agreement.

Required clauses in an employment contract Cameroon employers must write

The Code sets no clauses for an oral contract or one written by choice. For the contracts that must be written under Article 27, however, Article 2 of Decree No. 93/575/PM of 15 July 1993 requires provisions on:

• the employer’s name, trade name and full address;
• the worker’s names, sex, date and place of birth, parentage, usual residence, nationality and occupation;
• the applicable collective agreement, if any;
• the type of contract, its start date and, for a CDI, the notice period;
• the job, with a description of duties and responsibilities;
• the place of work;
• the occupational category and grade (échelon);
• the actual salary, permanent bonuses, allowances and benefits in kind;
• the length and terms of probation, if any;
• the period of service giving entitlement to leave and the length of that leave;
• the employer’s registration number with the CNPS (Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale, the social security fund).

If the job requires relocation, the contract also covers family composition, travel and transport, and housing or the housing allowance (Article 3 of the decree, Article 66 of the Code). Relocation is presumed when the employee lives more than 25 kilometres from the workplace. Use the same list in every employment contract Cameroon companies issue, even when writing is optional. Pay cannot be below the minimum wage: see our page on the SMIG in Cameroon.

Copy to the inspector and visa

CDD over three months and relocated employees

A copy (ampliation) of the contract is sent to the local labour inspector (Article 27(1)). The Code requires neither a visa nor registration for this employment contract Cameroon form, and a written contract is exempt from stamp duty and registration fees (Article 24(4)).

Foreign employees

The contract must be approved by the Minister of Labour before any work begins. The employer applies; a refusal makes the contract void; if no decision is notified within two months of receipt, the visa is deemed granted (Article 27(2) to (4)). Decree No. 93/575 sets the procedure:

1. filing in person or by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt at the ministry’s services where the work will take place, in six copies dated and signed by both parties;
2. supporting documents, including a medical certificate and a criminal record extract less than three months old, diplomas, CV, job description, residence permit, a plan for replacing expatriates with Cameroonian staff and an organisation chart;
3. visa stamped on each copy (date, registration number, signature, seal), with four copies returned to the parties.

A contract for a foreigner staying on a tourist or temporary visa is automatically rejected, with a few exceptions set by the decree.

Employment contract Cameroon template (CDI) ready to copy

This employment contract Cameroon template follows the clauses of Decree No. 93/575. Replace the bracketed fields and adapt it to your collective agreement; contracts are usually signed in French or English.

OPEN-ENDED EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

Between [company name], [legal form], with registered office at [full address], registered with the CNPS under No. [number], represented by [name, position], hereinafter “the Employer”,

and [Mr/Ms] [surname, first names], [M/F], born on [date] in [place], son/daughter of [parentage], [nationality], [occupation], usually residing at [address], hereinafter “the Worker”.

Article 1 – Hiring. The Worker is hired for an indefinite period from [start date], under Law No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992 on the Labour Code and the collective agreement [name, or “none”].

Article 2 – Job. The Worker holds the position of [title], category [ ], grade [ ]. Duties and responsibilities: [description].

Article 3 – Place of work. [City, site].

Article 4 – Probation. The contract starts with a probation period of [length], renewable once in writing, within six months including renewal (eight months for managers). Either party may end it without notice or compensation.

Article 5 – Pay. Monthly gross base salary: [amount] FCFA; permanent bonuses: [list and amounts]; allowances and benefits in kind: [list]. Paid monthly by [bank transfer, mobile money], with a payslip.

Article 6 – Working time. [40] hours per week, organised as follows: [schedule].

Article 7 – Leave. The Worker is entitled to paid leave of [length] after [period of actual service], under the Code and the collective agreement.

Article 8 – Notice. Either party may end the contract by a reasoned written notice, with a notice period of [length by category and seniority], under Order No. 015/MTPS/SG/CJ of 26 May 1993.

Signed in [city] on [date], in [two] originals.

The Employer [signature] — The Worker [signature, preceded by “read and approved”]

For a foreign employee, add the visa documents and do not let the employee start before approval. When the contract ends, the employer issues a certificate of employment (Article 44): see our page on the employment certificate. An employee who leaves writes a resignation letter and works the notice period.

Common mistakes with an employment contract in Cameroon

• Renewing a CDD twice for a Cameroonian employee: it becomes a CDI (Article 25).
• Forgetting the copy of a CDD over three months to the labour inspector (Article 27).
• Letting a foreigner start before the visa: the contract may be declared void.
• Oral or excessive probation: beyond six months (eight for managers), the hiring is final (Article 28).
• Ending a CDD early without gross misconduct, force majeure or written agreement (Article 38).
• Not registering the employee with the CNPS: see our guide to CNPS contributions in Cameroon.

HR and payroll software for Cameroon generates each employment contract Cameroon teams need, keeps the signed copies and flags the end of probation or of a CDD.

See also: Cameroon labour code.

Frequently asked questions

Must an employment contract Cameroon employers use be in writing?

Yes for a CDD over three months, a relocated employee, a foreign employee, agency work and probation (Articles 26 to 28); otherwise it can be proved by any means (Article 24).

What is the maximum length of a CDD in Cameroon?

Two years, renewable once for a Cameroonian employee with the same company; after that, it becomes a CDI (Article 25).

Does an employment contract in Cameroon need a visa?

Only for foreign employees, before work starts. For a CDD over three months, the employer simply sends a copy to the labour inspector.

How long can probation last?

As set in the written contract, within six months including renewal, or eight months for managers (Article 28).

Is the contract subject to registration fees?

No: a written contract is exempt from stamp duty and registration fees (Article 24).

What if the minister does not answer the visa request?

Without a decision within two months of receipt, the visa is deemed granted (Article 27).

Can a CDD be ended before its term in Cameroon?

Only for gross misconduct, force majeure or a written agreement of the parties (Article 38).

Where can I read Cameroon’s Labour Code?

The text of Law No. 92/007 is available on FAOLEX, the FAO legal database.

Key takeaways

• An employment contract Cameroon employers sign is free in form, except for the cases in Article 27.
• A CDD lasts at most two years and is renewable once for a Cameroonian employee.
• A foreign employee’s contract only runs after the minister’s visa.

To generate each employment contract Cameroon and track probation and end dates alongside payroll, book a Socium demo.