General information only, pending review by a qualified Egyptian employment-law professional. This is not legal advice; check the official sources below before acting.
The short answer
Egypt's private-sector employment relationships are governed by Law No. 14 of 2025 promulgating the Labour Law. It was published in the Official Gazette, Issue 18, on 3 May 2025, and took effect on the first day of the month following ninety days from publication, which was 1 September 2025.
The promulgation law repeals Law No. 12 of 2003 (the previous Labour Law) and Law No. 125 of 2010 on the priority of workers' rights. Its provisions on specialised labour courts apply from the following 1 October, that is 1 October 2025.
What this page is — and is not
This is general guidance to help HR teams find their way around the law. It is not legal advice and has not yet been reviewed by a qualified Egyptian employment lawyer. Always read the official text and take professional advice for a specific situation.
Where this page mentions a number, it is quoted from the published text of the law; everything else is described as a topic to check, not as a rule.
Employment contracts and probation
The law requires the employer to write the employment contract in Arabic in four copies: one each for the employer, the worker, the social insurance office and the competent administrative authority. A foreign worker may receive a copy in their own language alongside the Arabic text, and the Arabic text prevails if the two differ. The contract must state at least the start date, the parties' details, the nature of the work and the wage with its payment timing and other benefits (Article 89).
A probation period may not exceed three months, and a worker may not be placed on probation more than once with the same employer (Article 90).
Annual raise and wages
Workers are entitled to a periodic annual raise of not less than 3% of the insurable wage, and the law sets out a route through the National Wage Council for an employer to request a reduction or exemption for exceptional economic circumstances (Article 12 and the National Wage Council provisions).
Annual leave
Article 124 sets paid annual leave, excluding official holidays and weekly rest days: fifteen days in the first year; twenty-one days from the second year; thirty days for a worker with ten or more years with the employer or aged over fifty; and forty-five days for persons with disabilities and persons of short stature. Leave may be increased by seven days for hazardous work or remote areas by ministerial decision.
Article 125 lets the employer schedule annual leave according to work needs and requires the worker to take at least fifteen days a year, including at least one continuous week. The law also covers casual absence, sick leave, maternity leave and other leave types; check the relevant articles before configuring a policy.
New patterns of work
Article 96 recognises new patterns of work performed for an employer under its direction for a wage, including remote work, part-time work, flexible work and job sharing.
What HR teams should review
Implementing decisions continue to be issued. For example, on 29 August 2026 the Minister of Labour launched general rules for work regulations at private-sector companies as an executive decision implementing the law. Track such decisions alongside the law itself.
- Contract templates: Arabic text, four copies and the required contents.
- Probation terms in offers and contracts.
- Leave policies: annual leave tiers, the minimum leave that must be taken, and other leave types.
- The annual raise process and payroll inputs that depend on the insurable wage.
- Internal work regulations against the ministry's published general rules.
- Remote, part-time and flexible working arrangements.
How Circlz relates to this
Circlz does not ship statutory Egyptian leave or payroll values as defaults. Leave entitlements are configured by each company in dated policy versions, and payroll statutory values come from a reviewed rule pack. That keeps each company in control of how it applies the law after its own review.
Sources
- Law No. 14 of 2025 promulgating the Labour Law (Official Gazette, Issue 18, 3 May 2025) — Ministry of Labour, Arab Republic of Egypt, accessed 25 September 2026
- Labour Law 14 of 2025 — Egypt (Arabic text transcription) — Arabic Wikisource, accessed 25 September 2026
- Egypt enacts new labor law with changes affecting employers beginning 1 September 2025 — EY Global Tax Alert, accessed 25 September 2026
- Labor Minister launches general rules for work regulations at private-sector companies (29 August 2026) — State Information Service, Egypt, accessed 25 September 2026