Guide to Cameroon Social Security: National Insurance Fund CNPS 2026

This comprehensive guide explains the Cameroonian social security, national insurance fund, contributions, etc.

A. General

1) Structure

Cameroonian social security has 3 branches managed by the Caisse Nationale de la Prévoyance Sociale (CNPS):

• family benefits,
• accidents at work – occupational diseases,
• old-age, invalidity, and death (survivors’) pensions.
• Cameroonian social security legislation does not provide coverage for health care and unemployment.

2) Obligations of the employer

The Labor Code obliges employers to:

provide medical care services to their employees. However, since 1962, a certain amount of health care has been provided free of charge in government health establishments,

ensure salary maintenance in the event of temporary incapacity for work,

pay compensation in the event of dismissal.

There is no unemployment insurance, but employers are required to pay severance pay to an employee:

dismissed after a period of work of at least 2 years;

who had a permanent contract;

Who has not committed a serious fault?

The amount paid represents a percentage for each year of service, which varies according to the length of work:

• 20% per year for the first 5 years;
• 25% from 6th to 10th year;
• 30% from 11th to 15th;
• 35% from 16th to 20th;
• 40% after the 21st year.

Since 2014, the Caisse Nationale de la Prévoyance Sociale has offered voluntary insurance to self-employed workers and students.

Read Also: Categories of Workers in Cameroon.

2) Organization

The National Social Security Fund (CNPS) manages the social protection system under the Ministry of Labor and Social Security supervision.

3) Funding

B. Family benefits

Family benefits include prenatal allowances, maternity allowances, family allowances, daily maternity allowances, and payment of medical expenses related to pregnancy and maternity.

Eligible for family benefits payments:

• Any salaried worker whose remuneration is at least equal to the SMIG and who has at least 18 days or 120 hours of monthly work,
• the holder of a pension who received family allowances on the date of his retirement,
• the surviving spouse of a beneficiary, even if he does not exercise any professional activity, provided that he provides care and maintenance for the children who were dependent on the deceased beneficiary,
• the worker dismissed for force majeure, subject to providing proof of this by a certificate of inability to work (AIT) issued by the Labor Inspector of the place of performance of the employment contract, for 3 non-renewable months from the date of dismissal.
• The right to benefits is granted first and foremost by the father’s activity, then, failing that, of the mother.

1. Prenatal allowances

Prenatal allowances are granted to any employee or spouse of an employee on the occasion of each pregnancy declared to the CNPS.

They are calculated based on 9 times the monthly rate of the family allowance paid for a child, i.e., 9 x 2,800 CFA francs. They are paid in 2 fractions of 12,600 CFA francs.

The allocation of prenatal allowances is subject to 2 medical examinations:

the 1st performed between the 3rd and 4th month of pregnancy,

the 2nd during the period between the beginning of the 7th month and the end of the 8th month.

See Also: Minimum and Maximum Salary Amounts of Workers in Cameroon.

2) Maternity allowance

A maternity allowance is granted to any employed woman or spouse of an employed worker who gives birth, under medical supervision, to a viable child.

The birth must be declared within 12 months of the date of delivery.

In the case of multiple births, each of them is considered separate maternity.

The maternity allowance amounts to 33,600 CFA francs (2,800 CFA francs x 12) for each birth.

3) Family allowances

They are granted for each dependent child aged:

under 14 years old,

18 years for the child placed in apprenticeship,

21 years old if he is studying or if, due to infirmity or incurable illness, he cannot exercise a salaried activity.

They amount to 2,800 CFA francs per month and per child.

4) Daily allowances paid to female employees on maternity leave

The indemnities are paid to any female employee who can justify 6 consecutive months of work with one or more employers at the time of the suspension of the contract.

They are equal to the total salary actually received at the time of the suspension of the employment contract and paid by the CNPS.

The duration of maternity leave is 4 weeks before the expected date of birth and 10 weeks after. It can be extended for a maximum of 6 weeks in the event of a continuation of pathological childbirth.

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5) Pregnancy and maternity medical expenses benefits

In addition to providing the services referred to above, the CNPS takes

to pay part of the medical costs incurred by follow-up examinations of pregnancy, childbirth, and medical follow-up examinations of the child up to the age of 6 months:

1,400 CFA francs for employed women at the time of birth,

200 CFA francs for each medical examination.

C. Accidents at work, occupational diseases

The following are considered occupational risks:

• accidents arising out of or in the course of employment,
• accidents occurring during the journey between the insured’s home and his place of work,
• illnesses appearing on the list of compensable occupational diseases and resulting from the exercise of professional activity.

The employer must declare within 3 working days any accident at work or any occupational disease observed. If he does not do this, the worker (or his heirs in the event of death) benefits from a limitation period of 3 years.

The compensation granted to the victim includes benefits in kind and help in cash, from the 1st day of sick leave without the condition of the contribution period.

1) Care

The victim is entitled to the payment or reimbursement of the costs incurred by:

• treatment (consultations, care, pharmacy),
• surgery, hospitalization,
• laboratory tests, x-rays,
• functional rehabilitation, equipment,
• rehabilitation, vocational retraining,
• transportation.
• Benefits in kind (care) granted to victims are 100% reimbursed by the CNPS within the rates’ limits.
• Equipment and transport costs can be paid directly by the CNPS to the service providers after approval by the medical adviser of the fund.

2) Temporary incapacity

In the event of a work stoppage, the compensation for the day of the accident is entirely due to the employer. The CNPS pays compensation from the next day until the insured is wholly cured or recognized as incapacitated.

The amount of the daily allowance is equal to 2/3 of the victim’s average daily earnings.

This average daily remuneration is obtained by taking the average of the 90 days preceding the month when the accident at work or the medical observation of the occupational disease occurred.

3) Permanent incapacity

A permanent incapacity pension is due to the victim whose degree of incapacity approved by the medical adviser of the fund is at least equal to 20%.

The monthly amount of an insured’s permanent incapacity pension equals the degree of incapacity multiplied by 85% of his average monthly remuneration.

If the victim is obliged to resort to the assistance of a third party, he is granted a pension increase of an amount equal to the minimum wage.

In the event of partial incapacity (less than 20%), the victim is entitled to an incapacity allowance paid all at once (lump sum) equal to 10 times the annual amount of the pension corresponding to the rate of incapacity of the victim.

4) Funeral expenses

This benefit is granted to beneficiaries who have borne the funeral expenses of an insured person who died due to an accident at work or an occupational disease.

It includes the reimbursement of the coffin, the transport of the body and the family between the place of death and the habitual residence.

5) Deaths (survivors)

In the event of the insured’s death following an accident at work or an occupational disease, the beneficiaries benefit from a survivors’ pension.

Are considered to have rights:

• the surviving spouse who has not remarried,
• the victim’s children as defined by the family benefits code,
• the 1st-degree ascendants who were dependent on the victim.

The total amount of survivors’ pensions are equal to the permanent disability pension to which the victim would have been entitled.

This amount is distributed among the beneficiaries according to the following coefficients:

• widow or widower: 5 shares,
• per orphan of father and mother: 4 shares,
• per orphan of father or mother: 3 parts,
• per ascendant: 2 shares.

The total amount of survivors’ pensions must not exceed the initial amount of the pension.

D. Old age, invalidity, death (survivors)

Salaried workers and voluntarily insured persons are entitled to pension insurance benefits under the same conditions.

Decree No. 2014/2377 of August 13, 2014, sets the terms and conditions for the coverage of voluntary insured persons under the pension scheme.

Pensions are paid by the CNPS by bank transfer at the beginning of each month of the calendar year. Between October 1 and December 31 of each year, the pensioner provides a certificate of life and a certificate of non-function salary.

1) Old age

with conditions

Insured persons who reach the age of 60 are entitled to an old-age pension if they meet the following conditions:

have been registered with the CNPS for at least 20 years;

have completed 180 months of insurance, of which at least 60 during the 10 years preceding the date of admission to the pension;

• have ceased all salaried/remunerated activity.
• An early old-age pension can be granted from the age of 50 in 2 situations if the conditions mentioned above are met:
• for premature wear and tear: to the insured who does not meet the definition of disability and is suffering from certified premature wear and tear of his physical or mental faculties, which prevents him from exercising a salaried/paid activity,
• For personal convenience: it is granted to the insured who voluntarily requests it, subject to prior agreement from the CNPS.
• An older worker who has at least 12 months of insurance and who, at the required age, does not meet the conditions for entitlement to an old-age pension receives an old-age allowance in the form of a single payment.

b) Amount

The amount of the old-age pension (or invalidity pension, early pension, or old-age allowance) is fixed according to the average monthly remuneration defined as 1/36th or 1/60th part of the total remuneration collected during the last 3 or 5 years preceding the date on which the insured person ceased to fulfill the conditions for being subject to social security, the choice being dictated by the interest of the insured person.

The monthly amount of the old-age (or invalidity or early pension) pension equals 30% of the insured’s average monthly earnings.

If the total of the months of insurance exceeds 180 months, the percentage is increased by 1% for each period of 12 months beyond 180 months.

The monthly amount of the old-age (or invalidity or early pension) pension may not be less than 50% of the SMIG nor be greater than 80% of the average monthly remuneration of the insured.

In the event of assistance from a third person, the pension amount is increased by 40%.

The old-age allowance is equal to as many times the average monthly earnings* of the insured as there are periods of 12 months of insurance.

The monthly amount of the old-age allowance may not be less than 50% of the SMIG or greater than 80% of the average monthly remuneration of the insured.

Retirement pensions and allowances were increased by 5% on January 1, 2020.

2) Disability

An insured person who has suffered a permanent reduction in his physical or mental capacities, making him incapable of earning more than 1/3 of the remuneration that a worker with the same training can obtain through his work, is considered disabled.

with conditions

• Insured persons who become disabled before the age of 60 are entitled to a disability pension if they meet the following conditions:
• have been registered with the CNPS for at least 5 years;
• have completed 6 months of insurance during the 12 calendar months preceding the onset of the incapacity leading to invalidity;
• have ceased all salaried/paid activity;
• be suffering from a disability duly established and certified by the medical adviser of the CNPS, the assessed rate of which is at least 66%.

If the disability is due to an accident, the insured must only meet these 2 conditions:

have held a regulated job,

have been registered with the CNPS on the date of the accident.

The invalidity pension is transformed into an old-age pension when the beneficiary reaches the age of 60.

b) Amount

See old age.

3) Deaths (survivors)

The beneficiaries of an insured with at least 180 months of insurance on the date of his death or of a deceased pensioner are:

• the non-divorced legitimate spouse;
• the dependent children of the deceased as defined by the legislation relating to family benefits;
• 1st-degree dependent ascendants.

Survivor’s pensions are calculated as a percentage of the old-age or invalidity pension or of the early pension to which the insured person was or would have been entitled on the date of his death based on:

• 50% for the spouse;
• 25% for each orphan of father and mother;
• 15% for each orphan father or mother;
• 10% for ascendants.

The total of survivors’ pensions cannot exceed the amount of the assistance to which the insured was or would have been entitled; if the total exceeds this amount, the pensions are reduced proportionally.

The surviving spouse’s right to a pension ceases in the event of remarriage.

If the insured person could not claim an old-age pension and had less than 180 months of insurance on his death, a survivor’s allowance is paid in one go to the beneficiaries.

This allowance equals 30% of the average monthly remuneration of the insured multiplied by the number of periods of 6 months of insurance completed by the insured on the date of his death.

The allowance amount is divided into equal shares if there are several beneficiaries.

4) Funeral expenses

Reimbursement of funeral expenses

damages to the person who actually bore them concern a deceased insured person who:

• left no heirs,
• had not received any benefits from the pension scheme,
• could not claim an old-age or invalidity pension,
• had less than 180 months of insurance.

These costs include the reimbursement of the coffin and the body’s transportation.

Read Also: How to Download and Print Payslips in Cameroon.