Egypt labour law at a glance
A 48-hour week, 21 days of annual leave rising to 30, sick pay through social insurance, and long notice periods — the outlier in this list, with no Gulf-style gratuity.
Governing law
Labour Law No. 14 of 2025, which replaced Law No. 12 of 2003
Egypt regulates private-sector employment through its Labour Law, replaced in 2025 by Law No. 14 of 2025 after two decades under Law No. 12 of 2003. It sits alongside the Social Insurance and Pensions Law, which is where several entitlements an employer in the Gulf would expect to fund directly — sick pay, and the benefit paid at the end of a working life — actually live.
That split is the single most important thing to understand about Egypt if you are comparing it to a Gulf country. There is no end-of-service gratuity in the Kuwaiti or Emirati sense. What protects an employee at the end of an indefinite contract is instead a long notice period and a statutory compensation figure for unlawful dismissal, backed by a compulsory social insurance scheme both sides pay into every month.
Because the 2025 law is recent and its executive regulations continue to fill in the detail, treat the figures below as the shape of the regime and confirm the current text before relying on any single number.
At a glance
| Governing law | Labour Law No. 14 of 2025 (replacing Law No. 12 of 2003) |
|---|---|
| Standard hours | 8 hours a day, 48 a week, excluding breaks |
| Weekly rest | At least 24 consecutive hours, normally Friday |
| Annual leave | 21 days a year after one year; 30 days after ten years’ service or at age 50 |
| Sick leave | Paid through social insurance — up to 180 days a year, at 75% of wage then 85% |
| Maternity leave | 90 days at full pay |
| Probation | Up to 3 months, once with the same employer |
| Notice period | 2 months up to ten years’ service, 3 months beyond |
| End of service | No Gulf-style gratuity — benefits run through the social insurance pension |
| Unlawful dismissal | Compensation of at least two months’ total wage for each year of service |
| Overtime | +35% by day, +70% at night; rest-day work at double, plus a substitute day |
| Social insurance | Compulsory employer and employee contributions |
These rules, enforced automatically
Set the working week, leave entitlements and rest days once. Dawam applies them to every timesheet, leave balance and payslip after that — no manual counting, no rule remembered wrong.
The working week
Eight hours a day and 48 a week, counted excluding meal and rest breaks — so a nine-hour attendance window with an hour of break is a compliant eight-hour day, and a system that measures presence rather than worked time will overstate it. Employees are owed at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, and a break of at least an hour must fall within any six-hour stretch.
Annual leave
Twenty-one days of paid annual leave a year once the employee completes a year of service, rising to 30 days for anyone with ten years of service or aged 50 and over. Employees with less than a year accrue pro rata from six months. Public holidays fall outside the balance, and the entitlement cannot be waived in exchange for pay while the employment continues.
Sick leave and social insurance
Sick pay in Egypt is a social insurance benefit rather than a direct employer cost: an insured employee may draw up to 180 days a year, paid at 75% of the contribution wage for the first ninety days and 85% after, against certification from an approved authority. Chronic conditions are treated separately and paid at a higher rate. Maternity leave is 90 days at full pay, funded through the same scheme.
Probation, notice and ending the contract
Probation may not exceed three months and may only be applied once between the same employer and employee. Notice on an indefinite contract is two months for service under ten years and three months beyond — considerably longer than the Gulf standard. There is no statutory end-of-service gratuity. Instead, terminating an indefinite contract without a valid reason carries compensation of not less than two months of total wage for every year of service, and the employee’s long-term benefit accrues through the social insurance pension.
Overtime, wages and records
Overtime is paid at 135% of the hourly wage for daytime hours and 170% at night, and work on the weekly rest day is paid at double with a substitute day still owed — the highest premiums in this comparison. A national minimum wage for the private sector is set by the National Council for Wages and revised periodically, so confirm the current figure rather than relying on a published one. Employers must keep attendance, wage and leave records available for inspection.
Frequently asked
How many annual leave days are employees entitled to in Egypt?
Twenty-one days a year after one year of service, rising to 30 days for an employee with ten years of service or aged 50 and over. Employees accrue pro rata from six months of service.
Is there an end-of-service gratuity in Egypt?
Not in the Gulf sense. Egypt has no statutory lump-sum gratuity per year of service. Long-term benefits accrue through the compulsory social insurance pension, and dismissing an employee on an indefinite contract without a valid reason carries compensation of at least two months of total wage for each year of service.
How much notice is required in Egypt?
Two months for an employee with less than ten years of service and three months for an employee with ten years or more, on an indefinite contract.
How is sick leave paid in Egypt?
Through the social insurance scheme rather than directly by the employer. An insured employee may draw up to 180 days a year, at 75% of the contribution wage for the first ninety days and 85% thereafter, against approved medical certification.
What is the maximum probation period in Egypt?
Three months, and an employee may only be placed on probation once with the same employer.
What is the overtime rate in Egypt?
Thirty-five per cent above the hourly wage for daytime overtime and 70% above it for hours worked at night. Work on the weekly rest day is paid at double the normal rate, with a substitute rest day still due.
This summary is written for HR and business owners, not as legal advice. Statutes are amended, ministerial decisions change the detail, and contracts and collective agreements routinely improve on the statutory minimum. Check the current text of the law, or your counsel, before acting on a figure here.
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