10 HR Steps Every New Company in Egypt Must Take
10 HR Steps Every New Company in Egypt Must Take
New companies in Egypt usually focus on the commercial register, the tax card and the office. HR compliance comes later, often after the first dispute or the first labour inspection.
Here are the ten HR steps Egyptian Labor Law 14/2025 and the social insurance rules require from day one, with their deadlines and legal basis, plus a free Word checklist.
These steps are not “nice to have”. Each one is a legal obligation with a deadline, and most fines are multiplied by the number of workers. Doing them from the start saves time, money and conflict.
| Labour officeStatement within 30 days | Social insuranceForm 1 (S1) within 2 weeks | Contracts4 copies in Arabic | Work regulations10+ workers |
Deadlines at a glance
14 days
S1 for each new hire
30 days
Statement to the labour office
45 days
Return registration certificate
60 days
Work regulations (10+)
The ten steps
Registration comes first (steps 1–3)
1. Register the company with social insurance
First, before you insure any employee, the company needs its own insurance number at the social insurance office covering its location, using the establishment registration request with the commercial register, tax card and authorised manager details.
2. Send the workers statement to the labour office within 30 days
Next, article 36 requires every establishment to send the labour authority, within 30 days of starting work, a detailed statement of its workers by qualification, occupation, age group, nationality, gender and wage, on the ministry’s forms.
3. Registration certificate for every worker
In addition, article 33 lets you employ a worker only with a labour office registration certificate, or you must register the worker within 30 days of starting. Then, under article 35, you return the completed certificate to the labour office within 45 days and record its number in the workers register.
Contracts and personnel files (steps 4–6)
4. A written contract for every employee
Also, article 89 requires a written Arabic contract in four copies – employer, employee, social insurance office and labour office. However, probation cannot exceed three months, and you can use it only once with the same employee (art. 90).
5. A personnel file for every employee
Moreover, article 92 asks you to keep a paper or electronic file for each employee with personal data, contract, leave, penalties, proof of insurance and the pre-employment medical. You then keep it for at least five years after the employment ends.
6. Form 1 (S1) within two weeks
After that, you must insure each new hire at the social insurance office within two weeks of joining, according to the National Social Insurance Authority service rules.
Pay and internal rules (steps 7–9)
7. A documented payroll
Under article 115, the employer only clears its salary obligation when the employee signs the payroll register or sheets, or when the employer transfers the salary to the employee’s bank account. In addition, every employee gets a pay breakdown, and you must also withhold and remit salary tax.
8. Working hours, overtime and leave
Similarly, set official hours, overtime rules and a leave policy within the legal limits, and then write them into the contract and the regulations.
9. Work regulations and penalties register
Once you reach 10 or more workers, prepare work regulations within 60 days and submit them to the labour office (art. 137), and keep a register of financial penalties with a separate account for their proceeds (art. 153).
Health and safety (step 10)
10. Occupational health and safety
Finally, article 260 requires you to report any serious accident or occupational disease symptoms within 24 hours. With 30 or more workers, send half-yearly statistics during the first half of January and July.
Keep in mind. Besides the start-up steps, article 36 also requires a yearly update to the labour office every January: changes to the workers statement, vacant and cancelled positions, and expected needs for the next year.
In practice: For this reason, fines add up quickly. For example, breaching article 36 carries 1,000 to 20,000 EGP per worker concerned (art. 286), and breaching articles 33 and 35 carries 500 to 1,000 EGP per worker (art. 290). For a 20-person company, one missing form can become a large number.
FAQ for new companies in Egypt
What is the first HR step for a new company in Egypt?
Register the establishment with social insurance, then give every employee a written contract and file Form 1 (S1) within two weeks, and send the workers statement to the labour office within 30 days of starting work.
Does a small company need to deal with the labour office?
Yes. Article 36 applies to all establishments covered by the Labor Law, whatever their size. Only the work regulations are tied to the 10-worker threshold.
How many copies of the employment contract are needed?
Four Arabic copies: employer, employee, social insurance office and labour office (art. 89).
When are work regulations required?
When the company employs 10 or more workers, within 60 days of starting or of reaching that number (art. 137).
Summary
In short, start with social insurance and the labour office. Then have the contract, file and S1 ready before each employee’s first day, and put the January and July dates in your calendar. As soon as you reach 10 workers, prepare your work regulations. Above all, the checklist puts all of this on one page.
Setting up HR for a new company?
Careerians sets up your personnel function end to end: social insurance and labour office registration, contracts, personnel files and policies, ready for you to run.
Read also:
How to Write an HR Policy Manual for Your Company (with Template)
اول 10 خطوات HR لازم اي شركة جديدة تعملها قانونيا
Designing the Annual Training Plan from Analysis to Real Implementation
More explainers on our YouTube channel: Careerians on YouTube
Deadlines and fines are taken from Egyptian Labor Law No. 14 of 2025 (arts. 33, 35, 36, 89, 90, 92, 115, 137, 153, 260, 286, 290); the S1 deadline is from the National Social Insurance Authority service page. The checklist is an internal tool; the competent authorities’ instructions prevail.
