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$249/month
$49/month
2% of gross salary / month
Tonga is a small nation comprised of 175 islands in the South Pacific. Located roughly 1100 miles from the north coast of New Zealand, this small nation has had a large influence on the history of Polynesia. Though a protected state under the British Crown in the 1900s, Tonga has been an independent state for centuries. For the past two decades, the Tongan economy has grown steadily, almost tripling since 2000 to reach $550 million in 2023. This growth is expected to continue at 2.5% in 2024. The small population of just 107,773 people is stretched out over 45 inhabited islands, though the majority live on Tongatapu, the country’s main island. The working-age population is 64,900, and the country has low unemployment at 2.37% in 2023. This makes for a reasonably tight labor market. If you’re thinking of hiring Tongan workers to work for your company, you may very well need an EOR to help you recruit and hire them.
Hire in Tonga, and pay employees through our platform or app.
Our Tonga EOR solution is the most affordable on the market.
Fast Tonga onboarding, hire in as little as 24 hours.
We draft compliant Tonga labor contracts.
We manage all Tonga mandatory benefits.
It doesn’t stop with Tonga — we hire employees globally.
An EOR is an employer of record, a service provider that works with other companies to recruit and hire employees on their behalf. This term may also be used interchangeably with a PEO or professional employment organization. An EOR in Tonga can allow client companies to hire workers without having to own registered businesses in the country. It can also recruit these employees efficiently and take care of their long-term human resources (HR) needs. EORs normally look after contract management, payroll, employment taxes, benefits administration, leave scheduling, and other services as necessary. Their clients pay them a regular fee for each employee they manage, as well as paying salaries and contributions through them.
Hiring workers in Tonga without an EOR can be a real challenge. Partnering with an EOR, however, can produce numerous advantages, including:
Horizons stands out as a Tonga EOR through:
You can partner with a Tonga EOR to recruit and manage your workers for you. You’ll pay a fee for each employee, and the EOR will provide you with regular services that normally include:
Tonga’s relevant laws are laid down in the Tonga Constitution (revised in 2013), the Employment Relations Bill of 2020, the Price and Wage Control Act of 1988, the National Retirement Benefit Funds Act of 2016, and various other laws. Below is a summary of the most important points to help you know what to provide for your Tongan workers.
Contracts in Tonga can be oral but must be written for periods of longer than two months. Contracts can be permanent or fixed-term.
No probationary period.
At completion of the project.
Not applicable
Typically up to 3 months
30 days (minimum and maximum allowed by labor law)
Not applicable
Typically up to 3 months
30 days (minimum and maximum allowed by labor law)
1 month salary per year of service
Normal working hours in Tonga are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break included.
An employee’s total hours of work, including overtime, should not exceed 48 hours.
150% of the standard hourly rate
200% of the standard hourly rate
200% of the standard hourly rate
Tonga has 12 paid public holidays each year. These are a mixture of national days and religious observances (Christian).
Tonga’s public holidays for 2025 include:
| Date | Holiday name |
|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2025 | New Year’s Day |
| 18 Apr 2025 | Good Friday |
| 21 Apr 2025 | Easter Monday |
| 25 Apr 2025 | ANZAC Day |
| 3 Jun 2025 | Emancipation Day of Tonga |
| 4 Jul 2025 | Birthday of His Majesty King Tupou VI |
| 17 Sep 2025 | Birthday of Crown Prince Tupouto’a’Ulukalala |
| 15 Aug 2025 | Assumption Day |
| 4 Nov 2025 | Constitution Day |
| 4 Dec 2025 | King Tupou I Day |
| 25 Dec 2025 | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec 2025 | Family Day |
A worker is entitled to a 30-minute unpaid break for every four hours of work and one 24-hour rest period every week.
no leave entitlement
10 days of paid leave annually
10 days of paid leave annually
10 days of paid leave annually
If an employee has worked for at least six months for an employer, they are entitled to 10 days of fully paid sick leave. Unused sick leave is automatically rolled over to the next year. The employer may request a medical certificate to certify the reason for the leave.
(percentage of regular wages owed to the employee)
no leave entitlement
10 days of paid leave annually
10 days of paid leave annually
10 days of paid leave annually
Varied (specified in the contract or policies)
Varied (specified in the contract or policies)
Varied (specified in the contract or policies)
In order for employees to receive the full wages due to them, workers must present a valid medical certificate from a certified doctor to their employer.
An expecting mother is entitled to 30 consecutive work days for maternity leave. This leave may be taken at any time so long as at least 15 days are taken following her confinement. No paternity leave is currently mandated in Tonga.
After completing one year of service to an employer, an employee is entitled to one day of leave for every month of work performed or 12 days of leave per year. This leave can be taken in one period or divided as long as one period is at least one week long.
Except for cases of gross misconduct, employers or employees who terminate employment agreements must provide notice to the other party. This should be one week’s notice for a period of service under two years. After two years, two weeks’ notice must be given. If a worker is made redundant, they must be given redundancy pay of one week’s wages for each year of service they’ve provided.
Social security contributions are primarily governed by the National Retirement Benefits Fund (NRBF). Contributions to the NRBF are intended to provide financial support to employees upon retirement, ensuring they have a source of income after leaving the workforce.
Employers are required to match the employee’s contribution by contributing an additional 5% of the employee’s gross salary to the NRBF.
All employees working in Tonga are generally covered by the NRBF, including both local and foreign workers.
In Tonga, individual income tax rates are progressive, meaning that the tax rate increases as the taxable income increases. Taxable income includes wages, salaries, bonuses, and other earnings.
There is no comprehensive national health insurance system like those found in many other countries. However, the government does provide some public health services, and there are also private health insurance options available.
Private health insurance is available in Tonga and can be purchased through local or international insurance companies. Private health insurance plans may offer comprehensive coverage, including dental, optical, and specialist care, which may not be fully covered by public healthcare.
Tonga currently has no mandated minimum wage. Skilled workers take in average salaries of about 1000-1500 TOP (Tongan Pa’anga)/month (roughly 425-640 USD).
In Tonga, overtime must be paid at a rate of at least 125% of normal wages. If an employee works on a public holiday, they must be paid 150% of normal wages or, with their agreement, receive another day off instead.
A 13th-month annual bonus is not mandatory in Tonga. Some employers may, however, offer this bonus to enhance their compensation packages.
Employers in Tonga contribute 10% of a worker’s salary to the National Retirement Fund, which covers old age, disability, and survivors’ benefits. Employees are also deducted 5% of their salaries toward these same benefits, for a total of 15%.
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Tonga EORs have staff who are fully versed in local employment and tax law. They know how to create solid contracts that are in line with these statutes, and they monitor employees’ working conditions to ensure they’re correct and appropriate. EORs also handle payroll and employee taxes so they can be sure that these amounts are properly calculated and paid in a timely manner.
When you work with an EOR, you’re able to hire staff in Tonga without needing to register a business entity. This, in itself, is a huge benefit, but not the only one you’ll gain. You can also get employees on board with your company much faster than if you recruited them on your own and usually higher-quality hires as well. The EOR will also take care of all of the employees’ HR needs in Tonga and ensure their employment is strictly in line with all labor laws.
Holiday Schedule in Tonga [2025]
