Work in Egypt

Known as the third African economic power, Egypt is deemed to be a promising country. Thanks to its flourishing economy, which is mainly driven by oil, natural gas, metals, tourism, agriculture, etc, it has been attracting many expatriates since a few years. Indeed, many professional opportunities are provided to locals and foreign professionals, especially in the major cities.

Good to know:

Most of the country's economic activities are clustered along the Nile River. However, the Egyptian economy is rather open towards the rest of the world, namely Europe, the Near East and the Middle East.

Work permit

Foreigners who wish to work in Egypt must obtain a work permit to be authorized into the labor market. However, relating formalities are your employer's responsibility. Note that these procedures can take several weeks, and even months.

Documents to be produced to apply for the work permit are the following:

• your tourist or resident visa
• 7 passport-size identity photos
• two copies of your professional certificates and diplomas
• two copies of your marriage certificate if you are married to an Egyptian national
• negative results of an HIV screening test, issued by an accredited Egyptian laboratory or by an Egyptian diplomatic representative in your home country.

Good to know:

Egyptian diplomatic representatives in your home country can by no means support your work permit application. In fact, you must be in possession of supporting documents stating that you have already applied for the work permit, even if you are flying to Egypt before obtaining it.

Working conditions

Working conditions in Egypt are rather different from what you could be used to in Western countries. For instance, the legal working week consists of 8 working hours a day over 6 days. You are therefore entitled to a maximum of 48 hours per week. In general, the weekend goes from Friday to Saturday.

Once you have started working, you are eligible to 21 paid leaves per year, including 6 consecutive days. Upon completing 10 years of service or once you have reached the age of 50, you are entitled to 30 paid leaves.

There is no minimum wage for expatriates in Egypt. But in general, expats are entitled to a higher salary that the national average, that is around 1,000 Egyptian pounds.

Social contributions

Foreign professionals working in Egypt are required to contribute to the social security fund. In fact, 25% of your salary will be deducted for social contributions, including unemployment, health, retirement and, in some cases, allowing you to subscribe to a health insurance. Your employer, for his part, will make contributions according to your salary range, that is between 0 and 750 Egyptian pounds and 751 and 1,250 Egyptian pounds. In the case of the first salary range, he will make a 14% contribution while you will make a 24% contribution. In the second case, he will make a 24% contribution while you will pay only 11%.

Find a job

Most expatriates prefer to look for opportunities in the tourism sector. However, many other sectors require foreign expertise. You are advised to seek the help of a recruitment agency, or to start your search via a specialized job website given that specific skills are often required by Egyptian companies. Consider inquiring with foreign companies operating in Egypt, as well as foreign Chambers of Commerce in the country.

Important:

Before applying for a job, make sure to write your resume and cover letter in English which is quite widespread in the country. Consider getting a free CV review at TopCV.

Useful links:

Expat.com ' Jobs in Egypt
Expat.com ' Directory of Recruitment agencies in Egypt
Gulf Talent www.gulftalent.com
Relief Web reliefweb.int
Wuzzuf wuzzuf.net
Jobzella www.jobzella.com