Employee Contract Management Software: Egypt's New Labour Law Rules, Renewals and Qiwa

Employee contract management software turns the employment contract from a document in a drawer into a living record: generated from a template that already contains the mandatory clauses, stored on the employee file with every version, linked to pay, social insurance and documents, and flagged before it expires. In Egypt this moved from nice-to-have to necessary after Labour Law 14/2025 and Ministerial Decision 214/2025, which spell out the contract's mandatory data, the four copies and filing with the labour directorate. This guide covers what the law requires, how to run the contract lifecycle, and what changes in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

Key takeaways

• Egyptian contracts are written in Arabic in four copies; the fourth is deposited with the competent labour directorate.
• Decision 214/2025 lists the mandatory data: start date, both parties' details, nature of work, wage, payment method and benefits.
• Fixed-term renewals must be deposited, and non-renewal or termination reported within 15 days.
• Probation is capped at 3 months; notice on indefinite contracts is 3 months.
• In Saudi Arabia contracts are documented on Qiwa, and the contract wage is the reference that the Wage Protection System checks.

Why contracts need software now

Manual contract management means conflicting Word versions, fixed-term contracts that lapse unnoticed, pay rises never reflected in the contract, and missing documents discovered only during an inspection or dispute. Dedicated software fixes that with:

1. Standard templates that guarantee mandatory clauses are present.
2. Merge fields that pull employee and pay data instead of copy-paste.
3. A secure archive of every version and annex.
4. Alerts before the contract or linked documents expire.
5. Links to payroll, to the position structure, and to exit clearance.

Employment contracts under Egypt's Labour Law 14/2025

This legal information is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the official text or your counsel before applying it.

Labour Law 14/2025 was published on 3 May 2025 and took effect on 1 September 2025, replacing Law 12/2003 (EY, Deloitte). The Minister of Labour then issued Decision 214/2025 on the basic data of employment contracts, as reported by Al Mal News.

Mandatory contract data (Decision 214/2025, Article 6)

Language, four copies and filing

• Language: the contract is written in Arabic. For a foreign worker who doesn't read Arabic it may be in Arabic plus the worker's language, or Arabic plus English; the Arabic text prevails.
• Four copies (Art. 2): employer (in the employee's service file), employee, competent social insurance office, competent administrative authority.
• Filing (Art. 3): the fourth copy goes to the labour directorate on paper or by email from the company's official address, with the commercial register, tax card, and a stamped list of workers (name, national ID, wage, profession and duration if fixed-term) in PDF and Excel, plus each contract as a separate PDF named after the worker and their ID number.
• Renewal and termination (Art. 4): fixed-term renewals are deposited the same way; non-renewal or termination for any reason must be reported within 15 days.
• Transitional rules (Art. 5): indefinite contracts signed before 1 September 2025 are exempt; pre-September fixed-term contracts are deposited at their first renewal.

Practical tip: the Excel list the directorate wants is exactly what your contract software should export in one click.

Contract types and the clauses that drive the lifecycle

Article 96 of the law recognises new work patterns — remote, part-time, flexible, work sharing and others set by ministerial decision — and Article 97 applies the general rules to them, including social insurance and the minimum wage (Parlmany). Not all implementing decisions on pay in these patterns had been issued at the source date, so watch for new decisions.

Other rules that shape the contract:

• Probation: maximum 3 months, once per employer (Art. 90).
• Notice: 3 months on indefinite contracts for either party regardless of service; it cannot be shortened or waived (Arts. 156–161).
• Unlawful termination: compensation of at least 2 months' wage per year of service (Art. 165).
• Resignation: in writing and certified by the competent labour authority; the employer decides within 10 days (Art. 167).
• Annual increment: at least 3% of the insurable wage (Arts. 12, 102); reflect pay changes in the contract or an annex.
• Final settlement: within 7 working days of the end of employment.
• File retention: 5 years after termination.

Pre-signature checklist

• All eight Decision 214 data items complete.
• Contract type, duration and work pattern (on-site, remote, part-time) stated.
• Probation ≤ 3 months.
• Basic pay and allowances separated and identical to payroll and social insurance records.
• Working hours and weekly rest consistent with your shift policy.
• References to the disciplinary rules, leave policy and custody policy.
• Confidentiality and data-protection clause where needed.
• Approved Arabic version, plus the worker's language for foreigners.
• Four copies printed and filing scheduled.
• End date recorded and renewal alerts switched on.

The contract lifecycle in eight steps

1. Pick a template (indefinite, fixed-term, part-time), Arabic or bilingual.
2. Merge employee, position and pay data automatically.
3. Review and approve in HR or legal.
4. Print, sign and upload the signed copy to the employee file.
5. File: export the worker list the directorate requires.
6. Version: every annex or pay change is a new version with an effective date.
7. Alert before expiry, with a report of contracts due for a renew/don't-renew decision.
8. Terminate: start clearance, run the final settlement, and notify social insurance on Form 6 within one week.

Documents that belong next to the contract

National ID, iqama or passport and work permit for non-Egyptians; qualifications; military status (Egyptian males); criminal record and medical certificate where required; social insurance printout; signed acknowledgements (data notice, handbook, custody undertaking).

Notes for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf

• Qiwa documentation: private-sector contracts must be documented electronically on Qiwa. The documented wage (basic, housing, allowances) is the reference that WPS, via Mudad, matches against bank payments and the GOSI contributory wage — so update raises on Qiwa before running payroll.
• Probation: since the amendments in force on 19 February 2025, up to 180 days in total, and it must be written into the contract (King & Spalding).
• Notice (indefinite): 30 days from the employee, 60 days from the employer.
• Resignation (fixed-term): in writing; deemed accepted after 30 days without reply; the employer may defer it up to 60 days.
• Iqama and work permits: expiry tracking is part of contract management for expatriate staff.
• UAE: contracts are fixed-term only under Federal Decree-Law 33/2021.

How BashKatib helps with employee contract management

BashKatib uses one contract entity per employee: an accepted offer in recruitment becomes the employment contract on the employee's documents, with no double entry.

• Bilingual templates with merge fields (employee name, basic salary, company name, dates) on your letterhead, with a mandatory-clause checklist for Egypt's Law 14/2025.
• Contract types: indefinite, fixed-term, part-time, hourly and freelance, with an effective-dated employment status (probation, notice, terminated…).
• Effective-dated pay with change history and reasons, feeding payroll directly.
• Documents module: required documents per employee, expiry tracking with reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days to HR and the employee, and a completeness matrix.
• Security: private storage, signed URLs, versioning, a who-viewed audit trail, and role- and branch-based permissions.
• Ready letters: offer letter, salary certificate, "to whom it may concern", experience letter, warnings — each generated PDF carries a verification QR code.
• Employee requests: staff request letters from the employee app; they're issued automatically or after approval.
• Exit: notice tracking, clearance checklist, final settlement and a Form 6 reminder.
• Reports: contracts nearing expiry and missing or expired documents in the report centre.
• On the roadmap: e-signature and direct Qiwa contract registration.

The AI voice daily briefing also tells the owner, out loud, which documents expire this week alongside attendance, leave and pending approvals. For the full platform see our HR software guide; for current prices see the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

What must an employment contract in Egypt contain under the new labour law?

Ministerial Decision 214/2025 requires the start date; employer name and workplace address; the worker's name, qualification, profession, insurance number, residence and proof of identity; the nature and type of work; and the agreed wage, payment method and timing, plus any other cash or in-kind benefits.

How many copies of an employment contract are needed in Egypt?

Four, written in Arabic: one for the employee's file with the employer, one for the employee, one for the competent social insurance office, and one deposited with the competent labour directorate, on paper or by email to its official address.

Do contracts signed before September 2025 need to be filed?

Under Decision 214/2025, indefinite contracts signed before 1 September 2025 are exempt from deposit. Fixed-term contracts signed before that date must be deposited at their first renewal.

What are probation and notice periods in Egypt and Saudi Arabia?

Egypt: probation up to 3 months, once per employer; notice on an indefinite contract is 3 months. Saudi Arabia: probation up to 180 days in total; notice on an indefinite contract is 30 days from the employee and 60 days from the employer.

What happens when a fixed-term contract is not renewed in Egypt?

Decision 214/2025 requires you to notify the competent labour directorate of non-renewal or termination for any reason within 15 days. Renewals of fixed-term contracts must also be deposited the same way.

Does BashKatib register contracts on Qiwa or support e-signatures?

Direct Qiwa registration and e-signature are on the roadmap. Today BashKatib generates the contract from a bilingual template, stores every version on the employee file and keeps the wage data you need to match Qiwa and the WPS file.

How does the software alert me about expiring contracts and documents?

BashKatib tracks expiry dates for contracts and documents such as iqama, passport and work permit, and sends reminders 60, 30 and 7 days ahead to HR and the employee, with a completeness matrix of missing papers.

Make every contract compliant and traceable

Start with an Arabic contract template that already carries the mandatory clauses, import your team from Excel, and let reminders replace memory.

Start your free 14-day trial, or book a demo and we'll show you how to generate a contract and prepare the filing pack in minutes.