Mauritania: A Guideline to Payroll and Employer of Record

Run your business seamlessly with Neeyamo as we help you go beyond borders to manage your international payroll and hire new talent in Mauritania. 

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Overview

Mauritania is a country located in Atlantic coast of Africa sharing its borders to the northwest by Western Sahara. The prominent industries in the country agriculture, mining, fishing, and oil. 

Neeyamo provides assistance for onboarding and management of employees in Mauritania along with the processing of a firm's payroll, compliance, benefits, and more.  

Tools And Instances

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Global Payroll

Neeyamo’s global payroll solution covering 180+ countries

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Global Work

A tech-based EOR solution to manage your extended workforce

Facts And Stats

Capital

Nouakchott

Currency

Ouguiya 

Official Language

Arabic 

Fiscal Year

1st January - 31st December 

Date Format

DD/MM/YYYY

Country Calling Code

+22

Other Languages

Fula, Soninke, and Wolof 

Time Zone

Greenwich Mean Time(GMT) 

Global Payroll

Overview

Handling payroll for a wide spread workforce can pose as a major challenge for any firm. The added complication of compliances can make things worse and drastically effect the time and efforts that can be used in other equally important aspects of an organization's development.  

Over the years, Neeyamo has observed these complexities and strived to provide a global payroll solution through a single technology platform, Neeyamo Payroll

Payroll Taxes

Payroll tax is the percentage amount retained from an employee's salary and paid to the government to invest in the welfare of the general population. 

Employee Taxes

Employee Contribution

Social Security - 1% 

Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie - 4% 

Total Employee Cost - 5% 

Employee Income Tax: 

Taxable remuneration (MRU) Tax rate (%) 
From 6,000 to 9,000 15%
Between 9,000 and 21,000 25% 
Exceeding 21,000 and 40,000 40% 

Employer Taxes

Employer Contributions: 

Social Security - 13% 

Medical - 2% 

Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie 

Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie - 5% 

Total Employment Cost - 20% 

Payroll Cycle

Overview

Undoubtedly, payroll is a critical aspect of any organization. The Pay cycle is a notable feature of it that provides a sense of accountability for an employee to be paid consistently for their work.  

Frequency

In mauritania, the payroll frequency is monthly 

13th Month Cycle

13th month pay is not mandatory. 

Global Work

Overview

An Employer of Record service provider helps you get rid of the hassle of handling the complexities that come with setting up a new employee in remote locations. They act as the legal employer, facilitate salary payments, and handle everything from health insurance. payroll taxes, and employee benefits to comply with local tax laws and regulations. 

This ensures that the client company can focus on the employee’s everyday tasks safely in the knowledge that they have a cost-effective solution as they continue their global expansion. 

HR Mandates and Practices

Minimum Wage

The minimum wage in Mauritania is 30000 Mauritanian ouguiya per month. 

Overtime

The legal working time cannot exceed 40 hours per week, nor 8 hours per day. Overtime is paid at a premium of 150% of the hourly pay rate. 

Data Retention Policy

There is no specific provision for the data retention policy in Mauritania. 

Hiring and Onboarding Requirements

Hiring

New hire Mauritania employee, they must sign the employment contract. Then, you need to register them with the local authorities and social security (CNSS). You must obtain copies of two ID photos, their birth certificate, their criminal record, copies of their diploma. 

Mauritanian law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical disabilities in education, employment, or the provision of other state services. 

Onboarding

New employee the following are required: 

  • Two ID photos 
  • A copy of ID card (new ID card for Mauritanians) 
  • Birth certificate 
  • Copy of first page of the CNSS book (if already registered) 
  • Criminal record 
  • CV 
  • Copies of diploma 
  • Copies of experience certificates 
  • Certificate stating the new employee is free from any employment contract with anyone and allowed to engage with the company 
  • Wedding certificates 
  • Copies of the family members 
  • ID cards / birth certificates for minors 
  • Expat new starts need a work permit to be issued before starting work.  

Probation

Probationary period cannot exceed: 

  • 6 months for any worker; 

  • 12 months for the worker who has kept their usual residence outside the territory of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania; 

  • 12 months for a worker hired as a cadre as defined by collective agreements or regulations 

Leave

Public Holidays

  • 1 Jan - New Year's Day
  • 21 Apr - Eid ul-Fitr
  • 24 Apr - Eid ul-Fitr Holiday
  • 1 May - Labor Day / May Day
  • 25 May - Africa Day
  • 28 Jun - Eid al-Adha
  • 19 Jul - Muharram/Islamic New Year
  • 27 Sep - Milad un Nabi (Mawlid)
  • 28 Nov - Independence Day

Sick Leave

There is no statutory sick leave 

Maternity Leave

In virtue of the pregnancy, every woman is entitled to maternity leave for the period of 14 consecutive week, of which 8 weeks shall be taken after the birth. 

The duration of 8 weeks after the birth is irreducible no matter when the birth takes place. 

Paternity Leave

There is no statutory paternity leave. 

Termination

Notice Period

Notification of termination shall be made in writing to the other party and shall set out the reason for the termination. The duration of the notice period varies depending on the seniority of the employee. In practice, it means that a senior employee is entitled to a long notice period.

Severance Pay

There is no statutory requirement. Severance pay in Mauritania is typically decided by collective or individual agreements.

Visa

Overview

Foreign nationals who intend to travel to Mauritania have a variety of different visas to choose from based on the purpose of their visit. 

The common visa categories include: 

  • Tourist visas - Foreigners who wish to visit Mauritania for tourist purposes must obtain a tourist visa
  • Business visas - Foreigners who wish to enter Mauritania for business purposes must obtain a business visa
  • Work visas - Foreign nationals intending to work in Mauritania for over 60 days must obtain a Work Permit. 

Employee Background Checks

Legal and Background Checks

There are no restrictions on background checks by or on behalf of the employer. If an employer chooses to perform a pre-employment background check, it must be done in compliance with the Mauritanian data privacy laws. The data privacy laws were passed in 2017. 

Last updated on August 10, 2023

If you have any queries or suggestions, reach out to us at irene.jones@neeyamo.com

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