Under Egypt’s Labour Law, an employer may terminate an open-ended contract only by giving at least 3 months’ written notice. The notice period begins when the employee receives it, cannot be waived or shortened, and the contract remains fully in force during this time. Notice cannot be issued while the employee is on leave, and sick leave pauses the notice period. If the employer terminates the contract, the employee is entitled to paid time to job-search (1 day per week or 8 hours weekly). If the employer terminates without notice or ends the contract early, they must pay wages equal to the full notice period or the remaining portion. Employees may be dismissed without notice only for grave misconduct as defined in the law.
Per the Labor Code of Egypt, foreign nationals who wish to work in the country are required to obtain a work permit and are authorized to enter and reside in the country. Employers must obtain a work permit before employing foreign nationals and notify the relevant directorate within 7 days from the date the foreign worker begins work or the employment relationship is terminated.
The employer must register foreign employees with the competent labor directorate under the Ministry of Labour and notify the agency of specific details such as their personal data, job requirements, and qualifications for the job.
According to Egyptian labor law, employees are entitled to paid annual leave that excludes official holidays, public occasions, and weekly rest days. Employees are entitled to 15 days of paid annual leave in their first year of service and 21 days of paid annual leave starting from the second year. Employees who have completed 10 years of service with 1 or more employers, or who are over 50 years old, are entitled to 30 days. Employees with disabilities or dwarfism are entitled to 45 days.
For employees who have completed a period of service of less than 1 year, annual leave is granted proportionally to the time spent in service, provided the employee has completed at least 6 months of service with the employer. For employees working in hazardous, unhealthy, or remote locations, the duration of annual leave is increased by 7 days.
In Egypt, the Labor Law stipulates that the standard working hours are 48 hours a week or 8 hours a day. This does not include the time given to an employee for meals and rest. A workday must include 1 or more rest and meal periods that total at least 1 hour. The total working hours, including rest periods, cannot exceed 10 hours a day. Rest periods are considered part of the employee's workday if they remain on-site during those periods. Employees who engage in work that is intermittent by nature or of a special nature are exempt from this restriction. In such cases, the total time the employee is present at the establishment shall not exceed 12 hours per day.
The Egyptian Labour Law provides that female employees are entitled to 4 months of paid maternity leave. Leave is compulsory for 45 days after childbirth. An employee is required to submit a medical certificate indicating the expected date of delivery. Employees are entitled to maternity leave 3 times during their period of service with the employer.
The daily work hours for a pregnant employee are reduced by at least 1 hour beginning from the sixth month of pregnancy. Employers may not require a pregnant employee to work overtime during her pregnancy or for up to 6 months after the delivery.
An employer is prohibited from terminating a female worker during her maternity leave.
Effective March 1, 2025, Egypt mandated its first monthly minimum wage for private sector employees of EGP 7,000 (Egyptian pounds). The Council also set a minimum hourly wage of EGP 28 for part-time work and a minimum monthly periodic raise of EGP 250 for private-sector employees.
The Labor Law of Egypt requires wages to be paid at regular intervals as follows:
Employers must pay wages on a working day, at the place of work, in legally recognized currency or deposited into the employee's bank account, unless otherwise agreed upon in the employment contract.
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