EgyptWork / student residence permit

Residence permit for work and study in Egypt

The work and study residence permit in Egypt covers two separate types of permission to stay in the country: one is issued to foreign nationals employed by an Egyptian employer, the other to students enrolled at an Egyptian university, institute or study programme. Both types of permit require regular renewal and guarantee no automatic move to permanent residence or citizenship.

Visa term

Usually 1 year, renewed annually (sometimes up to 3 years)

Threshold

Work: quotas for foreign nationals; study: proof of payment and of funds

Processing time

A bureaucratic process; several weeks to months

Work

Work: tied to the employer; study: work prohibited or restricted

Source: labour.gov.eg — Egyptian Ministry of Labour, work licence for foreigners

Who can obtain it

The work track

A foreign national with a formal job offer from an Egyptian employer prepared to file an application with the Ministry of Labour
A specialist with proven relevant experience, attested by an Egyptian embassy or consulate or by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translated into Arabic
A worker whose profession requires membership of a professional syndicate — engineers, doctors, and people working in theatre and music, for instance — where the syndicate has given its approval
A foreign national already lawfully in Egypt — for whom a separate procedure exists to exempt them from recruitment from abroad

The study track

A foreign student enrolled at an accredited Egyptian educational institution or study programme
An applicant who has proved they have the funds for living costs and tuition, and holds a return ticket or the funds to buy one
A student from a country for which a visa must be obtained in advance — before entering Egypt

What it costs

Work licence for a foreign national — year 1, within the 10% quota for foreign workers	5,200 EGP
Work licence for a foreign national — year 1, above the 10% quota for foreign workers	8,200 EGP
Fee for exemption from the recruitment procedure — where the foreign national is already in Egypt	+15,000 EGP

Documents to gather

The set of documents differs for the work and study tracks and depends on whether the foreign national is abroad or already in Egypt.

A passport — for the visa it must be valid for at least 6 months
For work — an application from the employing company with the foreign national's details: name, nationality, position, passport number, date of birth
For work — proof of relevant experience, legalised by an Egyptian embassy abroad or by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translated into Arabic
For work — company documents: the commercial register, the tax card, insurance form No. 2, the memorandum of association, a certificate of the number of Egyptian employees, a list of foreign employees or a declaration that there are none
For work, where applicable — clearance from the relevant syndicate (of engineers, doctors, creative professions and so on)
A medical certificate of freedom from HIV from an Egyptian Ministry of Health laboratory or a state hospital — with a number of exceptions for particular categories of applicant
For study — an official enrolment letter from the educational institution
For study — proof of funds for living costs and a return ticket or the funds to buy one
Two personal photographs on a white background and a completed visa form with the fee paid
Where married to an Egyptian citizen — a copy of the marriage certificate and, where there are children, their birth certificates

How the process runs

The procedure differs for the work and study tracks, but in both cases it ends with the issue of a residence permit card and its annual renewal.

1
Preparing and legalising the documents
before the application is filed
For the work track the employer in Egypt gathers the details of the foreign specialist's experience and the company's documents; for the study track the applicant prepares the enrolment letter and proof of funds.
2
Approaching the relevant authority
not detailed in public sources
For work — the company files an application with the Central Administration for Employment and Labour Market Information at the Ministry of Labour. For study — the applicant files the visa form through the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the embassy or consulate in the country of residence.
3
Clearance for entry
Where the specialist is abroad, the Ministry of Labour liaises with the Passports, Immigration and Nationality Administration for the issue of an entry visa; entry is allowed only once the security services have given clearance. Students from a number of countries must obtain the visa in advance, before arriving in Egypt.
4
Entry and registration on arrival
within 60 days of entry — for the work track
After entry the company's representative must present the foreign specialist's original passport to the foreign workers licensing department — this confirms that the specialist was abroad at the time the recruitment was arranged.
5
Paying the fee and receiving the residence permit card
annually
Once the documents have been checked, a receipt (form No. 4) is issued, which acts as a temporary work clearance until the security services give their approval. After that the permanent licence and residence permit card is issued, and is then renewed annually.

Who you can bring with you

The public official sources describe in detail only one family scenario — the marriage of a foreign specialist to an Egyptian citizen. The procedure for other family members to accompany them is not detailed on the general government pages.

A spouse who is an Egyptian citizen

A copy of the marriage certificate and, where there are children, their birth certificates are attached to the work licence document package; a declaration that the marital relationship continues is also required

Other accompanying family members (without Egyptian citizenship)

No separate official procedure for this category is published on the government pages examined — in general practice the matter is dealt with through the local office of the Passports, Immigration and Nationality Administration

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Residence in Egypt, annual renewals

The work licence for the second and third years is renewed at the local directorate or office of the Ministry of Labour to which the employer is attached. From the fourth year the renewal application is filed with the Central Administration for Employment and Labour Market Information at the ministry's head office — with the same set of general documents and details of the licence previously issued. The licence fee rises almost every year of renewal: on the above-quota rate it reaches its maximum of EGP 50,200 as early as year 22, and on the within-quota rate only by year 26. The official Study in Egypt portal does not detail the conditions for renewing the study residence permit — it describes only the initial student visa procedure.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

There is no codified permanent residence through work or study

Route to citizenship

There is no automatic route; general naturalisation is discretionary

Frequently asked questions about Residence permit for work and study

How much does a work licence for a foreign national in Egypt cost in the first year?

Under the rates set by Decision No. 146 of 2019, the licence for the first year costs EGP 5,200 if the company stays within the 10% quota for foreign workers, and EGP 8,200 if the quota is exceeded.

What proportion of a company's employees in Egypt may be foreign nationals?

As a rule, no more than 10% of the company's total workforce — counting all its branches, save in cases expressly provided for by law or by decision of the exemptions committee.

How is a foreign specialist's work licence renewed?

Renewal for the second and third years is handled at the local directorate of the Ministry of Labour. From the fourth year the renewal application is filed with the Central Administration for Employment at the ministry's head office.

What should be done if the foreign specialist is already in Egypt rather than arriving from abroad?

In that case an exemption from the recruitment procedure (استقدام) is arranged: a separate fee of EGP 15,000 is paid and the same set of general documents is filed as for the ordinary procedure.

Are any foreign nationals exempt from the work licence fee?

Yes — holders of Greek, Sudanese, Tunisian, Palestinian and Lebanese citizenship pay no fee; for Italian citizens the exemption applies on five years' continuous residence in Egypt, confirmed by the Passports and Immigration Administration.

What documents are needed for a student visa to Egypt?

A passport valid for at least 6 months, two personal photographs, a completed visa form with the fee paid, proof of funds for living costs, proof of a return ticket or of the funds for one, an enrolment letter from the educational institution and a medical certificate of freedom from HIV.

Do students from certain countries have to obtain a visa in advance, before arriving in Egypt?

Yes. Students from Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Iran, Tunisia, Palestine, Libya and Syria must obtain the visa at the Egyptian embassy in their country of residence before entry; for other nationalities the visa procedure may differ depending on the embassy.

Other ways to move to Egypt

Investor residence permitResidence permit by investment

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Egypt.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 16 August 2026.