A foreign employee’s arrival date and lawful work commencement date may be different. For an Egyptian manufacturing business, that distinction matters when planning a secondment, installation programme or overseas management appointment. HR should establish the required work and residence permissions before the person starts the proposed duties.
Work permission and immigration status are separate checks
Article 71 of Labour Law 14 of 2025 requires the relevant work licence and authorisation to enter and reside for work. A business visa, group-company employment contract or pending application should not be treated as proof that the individual can begin work. The employer also has an obligation not to employ a foreign national without the required licence.
The assessment should describe what the individual will actually do. A visit involving meetings is not automatically equivalent to an operational assignment; equally, calling an installation engineer a visitor does not settle the legal classification. Short assignments need the appropriate assessment and, where applicable, approval.
Identify the applicable regime first
Ministerial Decree 279 of 2025 contains implementing requirements for foreign employment. The permit category, qualifications, applicable staffing restrictions and any exception should be checked against the assignment. Projects operating under a special economic-zone regime require a separate review of that regime. A general workforce ratio should not be applied across every project without checking its legal basis and denominator.
The compliance obligation continues after issue. HR should track expiry, renewal, changes in duties or employer, and the notifications applicable when employment ends. An internal reminder does not replace a required filing.
Build an assignment file before mobilisation
As a recommended internal control, keep the role description, employing entity, work location, passport and residence details, permit or exemption evidence, application receipts and renewal dates together. Record who checked the proposed work and who authorised commencement. Distinguish ordinary non-working site visits from work assignments in access procedures.
Article 293 provides penalties for breaches of the relevant foreign-employment provisions and implementing decisions; worker numbers and repetition can affect exposure. A penalty assessment should identify the actual breach rather than multiply a headline figure across all visitors.
Before confirming a mobilisation date, ask HR and legal to confirm both the individual’s status and the employer’s obligations. Contact Consortio Law Firm to review the authorisations and follow-up controls for your proposed foreign assignments.
Legal basis: Labour Law 14 of 2025, Articles 70–74 and 293; Ministerial Decree 279 of 2025.
Related resource: English translation of Egyptian Labour Law No. 14 of 2025.
