How often wages must be paid, by country
The statutes answer two different questions: how long the pay period may be, and when pay falls due. Australia, Spain and Japan set a monthly ceiling, Norway is the strictest and requires payment twice a month unless the parties agree otherwise, and Germany, Austria and the Netherlands give no fixed interval, only a due-date rule that depends on the agreed or customary pay period. Austria is the only one that gives hourly and piece-rate workers a weekly pay day by default.
| Country | Longest interval between payments | When pay falls due |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Default: end of each month if pay is for longer periods; weekly for hourly or piece-rate pay | After the work is done, or at the end of each pay period; earned pay falls due when the employment ends |
| Australia | At least monthly | |
| Germany | After the work is done; if pay is measured by periods, after each period ends | |
| Spain | Pay period may not exceed one month | On the agreed date and place, or by custom; late pay carries 10% interest |
| Japan | At least once a month | On a fixed date set in advance |
| Netherlands | At the agreed time | |
| Norway | At least twice a month, unless otherwise agreed |
Country by country
Austria
- Rule
- ABGB § 1154
- These are defaults that apply only if nothing else is agreed or customary for that kind of work.
- Hourly and piece-rate pay is due weekly, but monthly for services of a higher kind.
Wenn nichts anderes vereinbart oder bei Diensten der betreffenden Art üblich ist, ist das Entgelt nach Leistung der Dienste zu entrichten.ist es nach längeren Zeiträumen bemessen, am Schlusse eines jeden Kalendermonats zu entrichtenam Schlusse einer jeden KalenderwocheIn jedem Falle wird das bereits verdiente Entgelt mit der Beendigung des Dienstverhältnisses fällig. Australia
- Rule
- Fair Work Act 2009 s 323
- Covers national system employees. The same section also requires payment in full and by an approved method.
- The ingested section sets a minimum frequency only, not a pay date.
An employer must pay an employee amounts payable to the employee in relation to the performance of workat least monthly Germany
- Rule
- BGB § 614
- The section gives no maximum interval; the period comes from the contract or collective agreement.
- It covers service contracts including employment, and the parties may agree otherwise.
Die Vergütung ist nach der Leistung der Dienste zu entrichten.Ist die Vergütung nach Zeitabschnitten bemessen, so ist sie nach dem Ablauf der einzelnen Zeitabschnitte zu entrichten. Spain
- Rule
- Estatuto de los Trabajadores art. 29
- The one-month limit applies to periodic and regular pay; commission is paid at the end of the year unless otherwise agreed.
- Employees may draw advances on work already done.
en la fecha y lugar convenidos o conforme a los usos y costumbresEl periodo de tiempo a que se refiere el abono de las retribuciones periódicas y regulares no podrá exceder de un mes.El interés por mora en el pago del salario será el diez por ciento de lo adeudado. Japan
- Rule
- 労働基準法 第24条
- Temporary pay and bonuses of the kinds set by ministerial order are excepted from the monthly rule.
- The same article requires payment in currency, directly to the worker and in full, with listed exceptions.
賃金は、毎月一回以上、一定の期日を定めて支払わなければならない。臨時に支払われる賃金、賞与その他これに準ずるもので厚生労働省令で定める賃金 Netherlands
- Rule
- BW Boek 7 art. 616
- The article sets no interval; the pay period is whatever the parties fixed.
De werkgever is verplicht de werknemer zijn loon op de bepaalde tijd te voldoen. Norway
- Rule
- Arbeidsmiljøloven § 14-15
- The twice-monthly rule gives way to a different agreement. Holiday pay is governed by the Ferieloven.
- Pay in money must go through a bank to the employee's account, with exceptions where that is impossible or very burdensome.
Hvis ikke annet er avtalt skal det foretas lønnsutbetaling minst to ganger i måneden. Countries not in this table yet
France, Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States are left out: the ingested acts for those countries do not state a pay interval (for example the French monthly-pay rule of Code du travail L3242-1 and the Canada Labour Standards Regulations are not ingested).
How this table was built
Every row is taken from the official, consolidated text of the statute, which LawAsked loads from each government’s legislation service.
Each figure is tied to a passage quoted word for word from that text. When the page is served, it checks that every quoted passage is still in the current text of a law that is in force; if a law is amended and its wording changes, that row is hidden until a person reviews it again.
The table shows the statutory minimum only. Collective agreements, awards and individual contracts often give more than the statute, and some countries let a collective agreement set different terms.
Use this data
The table and the CSV are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit LawAsked and link to this page. Quoted statute text stays under the terms of its official source.
How to cite this page
LawAsked, “How often wages must be paid, by country”, https://lawasked.com/guides/wage-payment-frequency (reviewed October 25, 2026).
Important Legal Disclaimer
General legal information, not formal legal advice. The information provided on LawAsked does not constitute formal legal advice and creates no attorney-client relationship. If you require legal assistance, please consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.