Chad's legal system combines the Constitution, national statutes, implementing texts, courts and administrative authorities. Some business matters are also governed by directly applicable OHADA acts, while customary and religious practices can affect civil-law matters where the legal framework permits their use. The relevant rule can therefore differ between a private employment relationship, a foreign national's stay, an alleged offence, a purchase from a professional supplier and a dispute between private parties. Labor law covers employment contracts, working time, pay, workplace protection, representation, disputes and termination. Immigration law covers entry, visas, residence, work, protection, citizenship and removal of foreign nationals. Criminal law defines offences, investigations, trials, sanctions and the rights of accused, convicted and harmed persons. Consumer protection addresses safety, quality, information, pricing and fair treatment in transactions with professional suppliers. Civil law covers contracts, property, family matters, inheritance, compensation and civil proceedings. The same event can involve more than one area. An unpaid employee may have a labor claim and a civil claim for payment. A foreign employee may need to satisfy both employment rules and immigration requirements. A defective product may raise consumer-protection issues and a claim for civil compensation. A suspected offence follows criminal procedures handled through the competent police or gendarmerie judiciaire, prosecution service, investigating authority or court. The first useful step is to identify the legal relationship, the location of the relevant event, the parties involved, the dates and the documents. Contracts, identity documents, residence papers, notices, receipts, medical records, messages and court papers can determine which authority can act and which deadline or procedure applies. Public servants, members of the armed forces and other specially regulated groups may follow separate statutes rather than the general private-sector rules.
Law in Chad
Law in Chad sets the rules for relationships between people, organisations and public authorities and defines rights, duties, procedures and sanctions. The main areas covered here are labor law, immigration law, criminal law, consumer protection and civil law. The applicable rules depend on the subject, the person's status, the documents available and the authority handling the matter.
Start by classifying the relationship, event, parties and documents before choosing a legal path in Chad. Keep overlapping issues separate: an employment problem involving a foreign national may require both labor-law and immigration-law checks, while a defective purchase may involve consumer protection and civil compensation. Preserve the evidence and dates before contacting the authority or court connected with the matter.
Labor law
Labor law in Chad regulates dependent work, employment contracts, working time, pay, workplace protection, representation, disputes and termination. The current framework is based mainly on Loi n°038/PR/96 of 11 December 1996 and its implementing texts; a 2026 reform project has been adopted by the Conseil des ministres, but its promulgation and entry into force are not established. The rules apply mainly to private and assimilated employment in Chad, while public servants, members of the armed forces and several other groups follow special statutes.
Immigration law
Chad's immigration law governs entry, visas, residence, work, protection, citizenship and removal of foreign nationals. Most non-privileged travelers need a valid passport and an e-Visa through evisa.td, while CEMAC nationals can generally enter and stay for up to 90 days with an accepted biometric identity document. A stay beyond 90 days usually requires a renewable one-year residence card.
Criminal law
Criminal law in Chad defines offences, personal responsibility, investigations, trials, sanctions and the rights of accused, convicted and harmed persons. The main framework is the Constitution of 17 December 2023, the Penal Code under Law No. 001/PR/2017 and the Code of Criminal Procedure under Law No. 012/PR/2017. It distinguishes crimes, délits and contraventions, with cases handled by police or gendarmerie judiciaire, prosecutors, investigating judges and criminal courts. The death penalty is currently abolished, although a commission created in 2025 was tasked with examining possible reinstatement and no reinstatement has been established in the available research.
Consumer protection
Consumer protection in Chad covers the safety, quality, information, pricing and fair treatment of people buying goods or services from professional suppliers. Loi n°005/PR/2015 protects economic interests and provides for remedies, but enforcement is divided among sectors and no verified nationwide consumer complaint portal or ombudsman currently exists. A complaint usually starts with the supplier and can then move to the relevant regulator, the Association pour la Défense des Droits des Consommateurs or a court.
Civil law
Civil law in Chad governs legal relationships between private people and organisations, including contracts, property, family matters, inheritance, compensation and civil court proceedings. Formal rules combine the Constitution, the Civil Code, special laws and directly applicable OHADA business-law acts with customary and religious practices. The applicable path depends on the subject, the documents available and whether a formal court or a non-formal authority handles the matter.
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