Residency & workEgypt’s Labour Law No. 14 of 2025 for Employers of Foreigners: Quota, Fees and StepsWhat Egypt's Labour Law No. 14 of 2025 means for companies that employ foreigners: the work-permit fee band, the foreign-staff limits, the…
Residency & work · Foreign staff
Egypt Work Permit
for Foreign Staff and Investors
An Egypt work permit now falls under Labour Law 14/2025, in force since 1 September 2025, with fees set by ministerial decision. Hotels, tourist restaurants, tourism companies and dive centres also need the Ministry of Tourism's approval. We check the quota and prepare each file from Office 314 in Sharm El Sheikh.
- Chartered Accountant (محاسب قانوني)
- Office 314, Al Azizia Mall, Sharm El Sheikh
- Arabic, English, Italian, Russian
- Rules checked October 2026
01What's included
What the service covers
What we handle for each foreign hire, from the quota check to payroll.
01Quota and route checkWe compare your workforce with the foreign-staff limits that apply to your company and decide the route for each person: a permit, an exemption, or a sector approval as well.Labour Law 14/2025 for employers
02Work permit fileThe application under Labour Law 14/2025, prepared with you and followed up with the labour office until a decision is issued.
03Ministry of Tourism approvalFor hotels, tourist restaurants and cafés, tourism companies, and diving or marine centres: the ministry's own approval for foreign staff, filed alongside the labour permit.Hotels in Sharm El Sheikh04CDWS card for dive professionalsThe CDWS card for resident instructors and guides, including the 2-month temporary card while the permit is pending and the accident insurance the card requires.Dive centres05Residence for workThe residence file for work, with the appointment booked on the Interior Ministry's portal.Residence permits in Egypt06Payroll and ongoing dutiesSalary tax, the notices Labour Law 14/2025 requires, and the expiry dates of every permit, approval and card on one calendar.Payroll and social insurance02Process
How we handle a work permit
We do not publish fixed timings, because they depend on the role and on the approvals your sector adds. These are the steps in the order we usually file them, as of October 2026.
- 01
Check the quota and the route
We look at your company's legal regime, your workforce and the role, and confirm whether the person needs a permit, is exempt, or needs a sector approval as well.
- 02
Collect the documents
The employee's passport, qualifications and contract, and the company's own papers. We tell you early if anything has to come from abroad.
- 03
Work permit application
The permit application under Labour Law 14/2025, with the fee set by ministerial decision within the Art. 71 band.
- 04
Ministry of Tourism approval
The ministry's own approval for foreign staff, filed alongside the labour permit so the two files move together.
- 05
CDWS card
For resident dive professionals: the CDWS card, which requires accident insurance. While the permit is pending, CDWS offers a temporary card valid for 2 months.
- 06
Residence for work
The residence file for work, with the appointment booked on the Interior Ministry's portal, eres.moi.gov.eg.
Exempt foreigners, such as holders of investor residence, still have to be notified within 7 days of starting work and within 7 days of ending it (Labour Law 14/2025).
03Why us
Why clients in Sharm choose us
Work Permits for Foreign Staff and Investors in Egypt, handled by one chartered accountant from your first question to the final registration. A work permit for foreigners in Egypt follows clear Egypt work permit requirements; the work visa in Egypt requirements are checked at the same time. Related guides: Work Permits for Dive Instructors in Egypt.
+100 businesses servedHotels, restaurants, dive centres, shops and investors in Sharm El Sheikh trust us with their files.
A chartered accountant on your fileYour file is prepared and followed by a Chartered Accountant (محاسب قانوني) and tax expert.
On the ground in SharmOffice 314, Al Azizia Mall, close to the authorities your file goes through. Open every day, 09:00–23:00.
Four languagesArabic, English, Italian and Russian, with the same facts in each.
FAQ
How to get a work permit in Egypt: questions
How much does a work permit cost in Egypt?
Under Labour Law 14/2025, in force since 1 September 2025, the work-permit fee is set by ministerial decision. Figures of around EGP 3,000 still found online are out of date. Tourism employers also need Ministry of Tourism approval, and residence fees are paid separately, from hard currency through a bank, as of October 2026.
Does a foreign investor need a work permit to work in their own company?
Not if they hold investor residence. Holders of investor residence are exempt from the work-permit requirement, and investor residence is renewable for the life of the project. The exemption still has paperwork: under Labour Law 14/2025, exempt foreigners must be notified within 7 days of starting work and within 7 days of ending it.
How many foreign employees can a company in Egypt hire?
It depends on the law your company falls under. Investment Law 72/2017 lets projects employ foreigners up to 10% of the workforce, or 20% where qualified Egyptians are not available. Resolution 279/2025 is reported to apply a 10% cap, and Law 159/1981 companies have their own Egyptian staffing ratios. We check your position before you recruit.
Can a foreign dive instructor work in Sharm El Sheikh?
Yes, by one of two routes set out by CDWS. A resident dive professional needs an employer licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, a work permit and a CDWS card, which requires accident insurance; a 2-month temporary card is available while the permit is pending. An external instructor bringing their own clients needs neither the permit nor the card.
Do hotels and restaurants in Sharm need extra approval to hire foreigners?
Yes. Hotels, tourist restaurants and cafés, tourism companies, and diving or marine centres need the Ministry of Tourism's own approval for foreign staff, in addition to the labour work permit. We prepare both files together so the dates line up. A 15-day South Sinai fast-track for animation staff and group coordinators, reported in June 2026, has since closed.
Related
Related services and sectors
Residence permits in EgyptInvestor, property, work and family routes, and how renewals work.Learn moreInvestor residencyRenewable for the life of the project, and exempt from the work permit.Learn morePayroll and social insuranceSalary tax, social insurance and Universal Health Insurance in South Sinai.Learn moreHotelsLicences, VAT and staff approvals for hotels in Sharm El Sheikh.Learn moreDive centresLaw 8/2022 licensing, CDWS rules and foreign dive professionals.Learn moreRestaurants and cafésTourist or not, the 14% VAT rules and the staff approvals that follow.Learn more
Related guides
Residency & workEgypt’s Labour Law No. 14 of 2025 for Employers of Foreigners: Quota, Fees and StepsWhat Egypt's Labour Law No. 14 of 2025 means for companies that employ foreigners: the work-permit fee band, the foreign-staff limits, the…
Tourism businessesWork Permits for Dive Instructors in Egypt: Hiring Foreign Staff in Sharm Hotels and Dive CentresA foreign dive instructor or hotel employee in Sharm El Sheikh needs approvals from the labour office, the Ministry of Tourism and,…Free consultation
Tell us about your case. The first consultation is free
Send us a few lines on WhatsApp or call. During office hours (09:00–23:00, every day) we reply the same day, in Arabic, English, Italian or Russian.