WORLD Policy Analysis Center

What is the minimum age for admission to employment with exceptions?

Employment is any work that is not specified as hazardous or light work.

Exceptions are cases where the legislation allows children to do work at a younger age under specific circumstances. For general employment and light work, exceptions include specific types of work, such as agricultural, temporary, or seasonal work; exceptions to allow children to work with family members; and exceptions that require only minister or government approval; or exceptions for when the work is deemed indispensable for the child or their family, because these may not be adequately protective in practice.

Countries

Antigua and Barbuda - No national minimum age

Australia - No national minimum age

Barbados - No national minimum age

Belize - No national minimum age

Burundi - No national minimum age

Cameroon - No national minimum age

Central African Republic - No national minimum age

Republic of the Congo - No national minimum age

Cyprus - No national minimum age

Denmark - No national minimum age

Egypt - No national minimum age

France - No national minimum age

Gabon - No national minimum age

Greenland - No national minimum age

Grenada - No national minimum age

Italy - No national minimum age

Lesotho - No national minimum age

Madagascar - No national minimum age

Malawi - No national minimum age

Malaysia - No national minimum age

Mali - No national minimum age

Malta - No national minimum age

Marshall Islands - No national minimum age

Mexico - No national minimum age

Micronesia, Federated States of - No national minimum age

Monaco - No national minimum age

New Zealand - No national minimum age

Niger - No national minimum age

Pakistan - No national minimum age

Palau - No national minimum age

Poland - No national minimum age

Qatar - No national minimum age

San Marino - No national minimum age

Senegal - No national minimum age

Solomon Islands - No national minimum age

Somalia - No national minimum age

Sri Lanka - No national minimum age

Sudan - No national minimum age

Sweden - No national minimum age

Togo - No national minimum age

Tonga - No national minimum age

Trinidad and Tobago - No national minimum age

United States of America - No national minimum age

Uruguay - No national minimum age

Vanuatu - No national minimum age

Yemen - No national minimum age

Bhutan - 12 or 13 years old

Costa Rica - 12 or 13 years old

Dominica - 12 or 13 years old

Fiji - 12 or 13 years old

Iran - 12 or 13 years old

Mozambique - 12 or 13 years old

Papua New Guinea - 12 or 13 years old

Paraguay - 12 or 13 years old

Thailand - 12 or 13 years old

Bangladesh - 14 years old

Belarus - 14 years old

Benin - 14 years old

Bolivia - 14 years old

Chad - 14 years old

Dominican Republic - 14 years old

El Salvador - 14 years old

Eritrea - 14 years old

Ethiopia - 14 years old

Guatemala - 14 years old

Guinea-Bissau - 14 years old

Honduras - 14 years old

India - 14 years old

Kiribati - 14 years old

Laos - 14 years old

Lebanon - 14 years old

Lithuania - 14 years old

Mauritania - 14 years old

Nepal - 14 years old

Nicaragua - 14 years old

Nigeria - 14 years old

Panama - 14 years old

Peru - 14 years old

Sao Tome and Principe - 14 years old

South Sudan - 14 years old

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - 14 years old

Suriname - 14 years old

Tanzania - 14 years old

Tuvalu - 14 years old

Uganda - 14 years old

Venezuela - 14 years old

Austria - 15 years old

Azerbaijan - 15 years old

Bahrain - 15 years old

Belgium - 15 years old

Bosnia and Herzegovina - 15 years old

Botswana - 15 years old

Cambodia - 15 years old

Cabo Verde - 15 years old

Colombia - 15 years old

Comoros - 15 years old

Democratic Republic of the Congo - 15 years old

Croatia - 15 years old

Cuba - 15 years old

Czech Republic - 15 years old

Ecuador - 15 years old

Estonia - 15 years old

Finland - 15 years old

Germany - 15 years old

Ghana - 15 years old

Greece - 15 years old

Guyana - 15 years old

Haiti - 15 years old

Iceland - 15 years old

Indonesia - 15 years old

Iraq - 15 years old

Israel - 15 years old

Jamaica - 15 years old

Japan - 15 years old

Republic of Korea - 15 years old

Kuwait - 15 years old

Kyrgyzstan - 15 years old

Latvia - 15 years old

Liberia - 15 years old

Liechtenstein - 15 years old

Luxembourg - 15 years old

North Macedonia - 15 years old

Mongolia - 15 years old

Montenegro - 15 years old

Morocco - 15 years old

Norway - 15 years old

Oman - 15 years old

The Philippines - 15 years old

Samoa - 15 years old

Saudi Arabia - 15 years old

Serbia - 15 years old

Seychelles - 15 years old

Sierra Leone - 15 years old

Singapore - 15 years old

Slovakia - 15 years old

Slovenia - 15 years old

South Africa - 15 years old

St. Lucia - 15 years old

Eswatini - 15 years old

Switzerland - 15 years old

Syria - 15 years old

Tajikistan - 15 years old

Timor-Leste - 15 years old

Türkiye - 15 years old

Ukraine - 15 years old

United Arab Emirates - 15 years old

United Kingdom - 15 years old

Uzbekistan - 15 years old

Vietnam - 15 years old

Zambia - 15 years old

Afghanistan - 16 years old or older

Albania - 16 years old or older

Algeria - 16 years old or older

Andorra - 16 years old or older

Angola - 16 years old or older

Argentina - 16 years old or older

Armenia - 16 years old or older

Bahamas - 16 years old or older

Brazil - 16 years old or older

Brunei - 16 years old or older

Bulgaria - 16 years old or older

Burkina Faso - 16 years old or older

Canada - 16 years old or older

Chile - 16 years old or older

China - 16 years old or older

Cote d'Ivoire - 16 years old or older

Djibouti - 16 years old or older

Equatorial Guinea - 16 years old or older

The Gambia - 16 years old or older

Georgia - 16 years old or older

Guinea - 16 years old or older

Hungary - 16 years old or older

Ireland - 16 years old or older

Jordan - 16 years old or older

Kazakhstan - 16 years old or older

Kenya - 16 years old or older

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - 16 years old or older

Libya - 16 years old or older

Maldives - 16 years old or older

Mauritius - 16 years old or older

Moldova - 16 years old or older

Myanmar - 16 years old or older

Namibia - 16 years old or older

The Netherlands - 16 years old or older

Portugal - 16 years old or older

Romania - 16 years old or older

Russian Federation - 16 years old or older

Rwanda - 16 years old or older

Spain - 16 years old or older

Tunisia - 16 years old or older

Turkmenistan - 16 years old or older

Zimbabwe - 16 years old or older