New Year’s Day in Mozambique
Mozambique lists New Year’s Day, or Ano Novo, as a national holiday on 1 January. The Labour Law makes national holidays days of work suspension throughout the country, subject to exceptions for services that cannot be interrupted.[1][2]
Legal status and meaning
The government’s national-holiday list names 1 January as Ano Novo, alongside holidays tied to Mozambique’s history.[1]
The 2023 Labour Law says national holidays suspend work for employees throughout Mozambique. It includes 1 January among the holidays established by law, so the day off is a nationwide labour rule rather than a local observance.[2]
Work and services
The law allows some work to continue where activities cannot be interrupted. Its examples include medical and hospital services, water, energy and fuel supply, postal and telecommunications services, transport, hotels and restaurants, and continuous industrial production. It also permits the labour minister to authorize work on a holiday for reasons of public interest; workers involved must receive exceptional-work remuneration.[2]
These rules do not establish that every office, bank, shop or transport service closes or follows a particular schedule. The law’s general rule is work suspension for employees, while listed services may continue. Check directly with a particular business or operator for its New Year’s Day hours.[2]
Sunday observance
If a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the law defers the work suspension to the following day, except for the activities identified as unable to stop. The law therefore provides a substitute day in that circumstance; the rule does not mean every New Year’s Day receives an additional day off.[2]
The law separately provides for “tolerância de ponto,” a permission to suspend work without loss of pay that the labour minister may grant and must announce at least two days in advance. This is a distinct measure from the statutory Sunday rule, and the same exceptions for uninterrupted activities apply.[2]
Frequently asked questions
When is New Year’s Day in Mozambique?
It is listed as a national holiday on 1 January.[1]
Is it a day off work?
The Labour Law makes national holidays days of work suspension for employees throughout Mozambique, subject to exceptions for activities that cannot be interrupted.[2]
Do all services close?
Check opening hours with the office or business before you go. The law allows certain essential and continuous services, including transport, hotels and restaurants, to continue operating.[2]
Is there a substitute day if it falls on Sunday?
The law defers the work suspension to the following day when a holiday falls on Sunday, except for activities that cannot be interrupted.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for New Year's Day in Mozambique:
- Informação Geral- Portal do Governo de Moçambique
- Lei Nr 13-2023, de 25 de Agosto - Lei do Trabalho- Ministério do Trabalho, Género e Acção Social, República de Moçambique