Expand your global workforce in Tonga

Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in Tonga

Capital

Nuku'alofa

Currency

Tongan paʻanga (TOP)

Languages

Tongan, English

GDP per Capita

$5,800

Employer Tax

Payroll Frequency

Daily/Weekly/Bi-monthly/Monthly

Talent overview

The Kingdom of Tonga is a polynesian archipelago located in the southern part of the Pacific Islands. Their main economic activity is agriculture and is known for exporting products such as vanilla bean, yam, squash, cocoa, coffee, and fish. Tonga is undergoing plans in developing its private sector and optimizing its agricultural production to encourage investors in the country.

Major economic hubs:

Nuku'alofa, Lapaha, Neiafu

Skills in demand:

Healthcare, Education, Sales and Marketing, IT services

Top local universities in Tonga

Atensi Institute

RANKING

Local: 1

World : 24299

Top Local Job Boards:

Jora , JobIsland

Number of LinkedIn users:

12,800

Top Recruitment Agencies:

TYEE

Where to find talent

Top Local Job Boards:

Top Local Job Boards

Number of LinkedIn users:

Number of LinkedIn users

Top Recruitment Agencies:

Salary Data

Average monthly salaries for some job positions in Tonga are as follows;

Job Title	Average Monthly Salary (in TOP)	Average Monthly Salary (in USD)
Product Engineer	1,770	761.45
Software Engineer	1,790	770.06
Data Analyst	1,770	761.45
User Experience Designer	1,660	714.13
Project Manager	2,140	920.63
National Sales Manager	4,010	1725.10
Management Accountant	1,490	641

Employ in Tonga

Employing in Tonga

The workers from the Kingdom of Tonga are protected by the country’s elaborate labor code. Employers are expected to be familiar with the regulations before looking into hiring locals in the country.

Employee Contract

Employment contracts or agreements in Tonga may either be written or verbal. It must provide details of the job roles and responsibilities and the terms & conditions of their employment. These agreements are communicated in the country’s official languages.

Probation Period

Employees in Tonga are given a probation period of not more than 6 months.

Public and Provincial Holidays

Date	Name	Type
January 1	New Year’s Day	National Holiday
April 18	Good Friday	National Holiday
April 21	Easter Monday	National Holiday
April 25	ANZAC Day	National Holiday
June 2	Day off for Emancipation Day	National Holiday
July 4	Birthday of His Majesty King Tupou VI	National Holiday
September 17	Birthday of Crown Prince Tupouto’a-‘Ulukalala	National Holiday
November 3	Day off for Constitution Day	National Holiday
November 4	Constitution Day	National Holiday
December 4	Anniversary of the Coronation of King Tupou I	National Holiday
December 8	Day off for Anniversary of the Coronation of King Tupou I	National Holiday
December 25	Christmas Day	National Holiday
December 26	Boxing Day	National Holiday

Employee Leaves

Type of Leave	Time Period	Mandatory
Annual Leave	12 days	Yes
Sick Leave	10 days	Yes
Maternity Leave	30 days	Yes

Probation period

Leave compliance

Public and provincial holidays

Payroll in Tonga

Payroll cycle

Payroll schedule for employees in Tonga varies depending on what was stated in their contract. They may be paid daily, weekly, bi-monthly or monthly.

Minimum wage

There is no required minimum wage amount for employees in Tonga. Salary will be negotiated directly with the employer or will be based on a collective agreement.

Overtime pay

The overtime rate may depend on what was agreed upon on the employment contract or may be calculated by multiplying 125% by the amount of overtime work performed.

How taxes work

Employer Payroll Tax

Type of Contribution	Tax Rate
National Retirement Benefit Scheme	10%

Employee Payroll Tax

Type of Contribution	Tax Rate
National Retirement Benefit Scheme	5%

Employee Income Tax

Gross Income (TOP)	Tax Rate
0 – 12,000	0%
12,001 – 30,000	10%
30,001 – 50,000	15%
50,001 – 70,000	20%
70,001 and over	25%

VAT

The standard VAT in Tonga is 15%

Bonus

13th Month Pay

There are no regulations for a 13th month pay in Tonga.

Employee Benefits

Some of the employee benefits in Tonga includes:

Mandatory Leaves
Retirement Benefits
Death Benefit
Social Security

Employee offboarding

Termination process

Termination of employment contract by the employer may occur in the following instances:

Summary Dismissal
Unsatisfactory performance and conduct
Redundancy

A notice must be given to inform the employee of the decision to end the contract. In the case of termination due to misconduct, an employer is not obliged to provide a notice.

Notice period

The notice period for employees in Tonga under probation is up to one week while regular employees are given up to 2 weeks.

Severance pay

Employers are expected to pay their employees’ remaining wages and the accrued amount of their benefits upon termination. For termination due to redundancy, an employee is entitled to one week’s worth of pay on top of their other entitlements (leaves and unpaid wages).

Visa and
immigration

Foreign workers must secure an employment visa to stay in Tonga for employment. They must apply for this visa a month prior to their stay in Tonga to prevent penalties. Employment visas are valid for up to 2 years and can be renewed thereafter.

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