Occupational safety International framework and country guides
Are pre-employment and periodic medical examinations required for workers in Egypt?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Egypt: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
Yes. Egypt's Labour Law 2025 requires a pre-employment medical and aptitude examination (Art. 266) and periodic and end-of-service examinations arranged with the Health Insurance Organisation (Art. 269). Intervals depend on the exposure.
Yes. Under the Labour Law issued by Law No. 14 of 2025, the employer must arrange a medical examination and an aptitude examination before a worker starts (Article 266), and must coordinate with the Health Insurance Organisation for periodic examinations of all workers and an examination at the end of service (Article 269). The law leaves the fitness standards and schedules to decrees; for some exposures, such as ionising radiation, Decree No. 211 of 2003 sets a six-monthly check.
Short answer
- Before employment: a medical examination to confirm health and fitness for the specific job, and an aptitude test of physical, mental and psychological capacity (Art. 266).
- Periodic: for all workers, to maintain fitness and detect occupational diseases early, arranged with the Health Insurance Organisation (الهيئة العامة للتأمين الصحي) under health insurance rules (Art. 269).
- End of service: an examination when employment ends (Art. 269).
- Standards: fitness levels are set by decree of the labour minister with the health minister (Art. 266).
- Special cases: food handlers need health certificates showing freedom from epidemic and infectious diseases (Art. 250); Decree 211 requires medical surveillance with periodic examination and blood tests every six months for ionising radiation workers.
- Who arranges: the establishment must carry out the examinations, following the health insurance rules (Arts. 266 and 269); first aid, nursing, a doctor and medicines are free to workers where more than 50 are employed in one place (Art. 270).
What the 2025 law requires
Article 266 applies "without prejudice to" the Social Insurance and Pensions Law. It obliges the establishment to carry out:
- the initial medical examination before the worker joins, to make sure he is healthy and fit for the type and needs of the job assigned;
- an aptitude (capacities) examination of physical, mental and psychological capacity in relation to the job.
Article 269 adds three duties: daily inspection of workplaces, examination by the establishment doctor (if any) of a worker's illness complaint to find out whether it is related to the work, and coordination with the Health Insurance Organisation for periodic examinations of all workers and an examination at the end of service.
The labour inspectorate may itself carry out medical and laboratory examinations of workers to check whether working conditions are suitable (Art. 257).
How often: periodic intervals
Neither Article 266 nor 269 sets an interval. The schedule depends on health insurance rules and on hazard-specific provisions. In Decree 211 of 2003, examples include:
| Exposure | Requirement in Decree 211 |
|---|---|
| Ionising radiation | Medical surveillance, periodic examination and blood test every six months, special examinations after a radiation accident, records kept |
| Diving and work under high pressure | Periodic and emergency medical examinations by specialists in diving medicine |
| Agriculture | Periodic medical examinations to prevent occupational diseases |
| Vibration | Pre-employment, periodic and specific examinations, with attention to peripheral circulation, nerves, muscles and joints |
For other exposures (noise, dust, solvents, metals) agree the schedule and tests with the health insurance provider and the occupational physician, and record the basis. A common practice is yearly examinations for workers exposed to significant hazards, but this is guidance, not an Egyptian legal number.
Example: A ceramics plant hires 40 kiln workers. Each has a pre-employment examination including a fitness assessment for heat and dust work. The plant asks the Health Insurance Organisation to schedule periodic examinations, with lung function and chest checks as the physician advises, and an exit examination when workers leave. Results go into each worker's medical file, kept confidential.
Confidentiality and records
Article 92 requires the worker's file to contain the pre-employment medical examination, allows access only to persons authorised by law, and requires the file to be kept for at least five years after employment ends (longer while a court case is pending). In practice, keep the fitness decision and any restrictions in the personnel file, keep clinical details in a confidential medical record under the doctor's control, and record dates and the type of each examination.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in Egypt: law, authorities and employer duties
- Must an employer in Egypt appoint a safety professional or physician?
- Health surveillance and medical examinations: what tests for what exposure
Standards and further reading
- Law No. 14 of 2025 issuing the Labour Law, Articles 92, 250, 257, 266, 269 and 270: https://manshurat.org/content/qnwn-lml-ljdyd-rqm-14-lsn-2025
- Ministerial Decree No. 211 of 2003, sections on vibration, ionising radiation, diving and agriculture: https://manshurat.org/node/12155
This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.
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Part of: Occupational safety and health in Egypt: law, authorities and employer duties