According to the Egyptian laws and regulations, any foreigner intends to work in Egypt must obtain a work permit except for those categories specified in Article 2 of the Ministerial Decree No. 292 2010.
Obtaining a work permit shall be done through the following phases:
Admission phase:
Submitting an application to the Ministry of Manpower in order to obtain its approval for admitting the expatriate into the country. It is to be noted that the expatriate should be outside the country during this phase and stay abroad until the approval of the Ministry of Manpower is obtained.
It is to be noted that the following nationals shall be exempted from admission request:
1. The Palestinians who are holding Palestinian passports issued by the Palestinian Authority and a temporary residence permit for non touristic purposes; or Palestinians who are holding Jordanian passports valid for two years and issued from Gaza. Furthermore, Palestinians who have travelling documents issued by Arab Republic of Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
2. Nationals of Sudan who are holding temporary residence for non touristic purposes and are residing in continually and permanently in the country and exempted from residence and registration request.
3. Foreigners who are coming to the country, as a grant, and based on conventions which Egypt is a party thereto in order to implement a national projects declared by virtue of a Presidential Decree and authenticated by the Peoples’ Assembly.
Entry phase:
If the Ministry of Manpower approves the admission request, the expatriate must enter the country in order to take the HIV test. After entering the county the expatriate has a maximum period of sixty days in order to complete the work permit procedures otherwise, the application request shall be null and void.
*It is to be noted that the expatriate who is married to Egyptian national is exempted from taking the HIV test.
Security clearance phase:
If the HIV test result was positive, the above mentioned documents along with the HIV result shall be submitted to the Foreigners Work Permits Office. The applicant shall receive a receipt evidencing that the documents were submitted and the application is currently under examination. Said receipt is valid for a period of six months during which the expatriate shall be entitled to work pending the issuance of the security clearance. If the security clearance result was positive, the final work permit shall be issued for another six month; totaling one year. It is to be noted that the expatriate may not leave the country until the above mentioned receipt is obtained in order to avoid repeating the HIV test.
The documents that should be attached to the work permit application are as follows:
First: Documents to be submitted by the Company by whom the expatriate will be sponsored:
– An updated version of the company’s commercial register.
– The company’s tax card.
– An Updated version of the company’s Social Insurance Form No. 2. This document indicates the number of Egyptian employees working in the company and enrolled with the Egyptian Social Insurance Authority. Said document is required to verify the percentage of foreign employee to the Egyptian ones. This is due to the fact that the percentage of foreign employees should not exceed the 10% of the total number of Egyptian employees working in the company; meaning that every nine Egyptians against one foreigner.
– A power of attorney to be issued by the company in favour of the officer who will carry out the work permit procedures on behalf of the company.
– A statement indicating the number of foreign expatriates who are currently working in the Company. Said statement should be signed by the company’s manager and stamped with the company’s seal.
– A letter, by virtue of which, the company appointing two Egyptian assistants for the foreign expatriate along with their qualifications (graduation certificates). Said letter should be signed by the company’s manager and stamped with the company’s seal.
Second: Documents to be submitted by the expatriate:
– Copy of the expatriate’s passport
– 12 personal photos of the expatriates.
– Experience certificate to be issued by the previous employer for whom the employee was employed. The past experience should not be less of three years. Said certificate should be legalized by the Egyptian Consulate.
It is worth mentioning that the following national shall be exempted from submitting the Certificate of experience:
1. The expatriate who is married to an Egyptian woman for a period of five years and their marriage relationship still existed.
2. The expatriate who is married to an Egyptian man and their marriage relationship still existed.
3. The foreigners who are residing in the country by virtue of a special residence permit for ten or five years
4. The foreigners who have not a nationality and residing in the country a continuous and permanent residence.
5. The son or daughter of the foreign employer.
6. Political refugee provided that he has an approval letter issued by the Political Refugees Affairs Office of the Republic Residency.
7. The foreign wife whose Egyptian husband passed away and she have children therefrom.
8. The son of the Egyptian wife.
9. The Palestinians who are holding Palestinian passports issued by the Palestinian Authority and a temporary residence permit for non touristic purposes; or Palestinians who are holding Jordanian passports valid for two years and issued from Gaza. Also, Palestinians who have travelling documents issued by Arab Republic of Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria provided that the expatriate should submit all the documents evidencing the above.
– A statement issued by the expatriate declaring that he did not previously work in Egypt or a letter indicating that his old work permit has been delivered to the Ministry of Manpower.
Special documents to be submitted by the expatriate in addition to the above mentioned documents:
– Copy of the Marriage Certificate and a declaration evidencing the continuity of marriage relationship (in case of the expatriate is married to an Egyptian national. Said declaration should be signed by the expatriate himself in the presence of the examiner otherwise, authenticated by one of the notary public affiliated to the Ministry of Justice.
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