e-TafaknaA fixed-term employment contract (CDD) binds an employer and an employee for a period or an assignment whose end is set in advance. Companies use it to replace an absent employee, to handle a temporary increase in activity or for seasonal work, within the limits set by each country's law.
What every template should include before you sign.
Employer's name, registration number and representative; employee's identity and address. For a foreign worker, the work permit references.
The legal ground relied on and the specific facts behind it, such as the name of the employee being replaced or the nature of the extra workload. This is the clause most scrutinised in a dispute.
Start date and end date, or the event that ends the contract, such as the return of the replaced employee or the end of the season.
Job title, main duties, reporting line and place where the work is performed.
Base salary, bonuses, benefits in kind, pay frequency and method. Where applicable, pay follows the scale for the equivalent position.
Working hours, weekly rest, overtime and accrual of paid leave during the contract.
Include it only if the applicable law allows it in a fixed-term contract, and within its limits. Some laws prohibit or cap it.
Conditions for renewal by written amendment, any notice period and the consequences of ending the contract before its term.
Confidentiality during and after the contract, governing law and competent court.
Pick a country: key points, formalities and reference texts.
Since Law No. 2025-9 of 21 May 2025, fixed-term contracts are limited to three legal cases, and non-compliant contracts ongoing or terminated after 14 March 2025 are reclassified as open-ended.
All templates in Tunisia
Law 90-11 restricts fixed-term contracts to an exhaustive list of cases and treats them as open-ended if they are not in writing or breach the law.
All templates in Algeria
The Labour Code limits fixed-term contracts to the cases in Article 16 and caps their duration in the situations listed in Article 17.
All templates in Morocco
The 2025 Labour Law allows a fixed term only where the nature of the work requires it and requires a written contract in Arabic.
All templates in Egypt
The 1946 Labour Code (art. 58) defines a fixed-term contract by an end date or a specific task; if renewed or continued without interruption for at least two years, it becomes open-ended.
All templates in Lebanon
Labour Law No. 37/2015 caps a fixed-term contract at one year, prohibits it for permanent positions unless a need is justified, and deems it open-ended if renewed more than once.
All templates in Iraq
The Labour Law governs the end of a fixed-term contract, its conversion into an open-ended one and the compensation due for unlawful termination.
All templates in Saudi Arabia
In the private sector, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 makes the fixed-term contract the only form; since the 2022 amendment, it is renewable with no legal cap.
All templates in the United Arab Emirates
The Labour Law (Law No. 14 of 2004) caps a fixed-term contract at five years, renewable by agreement; if work continues after expiry without a new agreement, the contract is deemed renewed for an indefinite period.
All templates in Qatar
The Omani Labour Law (RD 53/2023) caps a fixed-term contract at 5 years and reclassifies it as open-ended if the cap is exceeded, if it is not in writing, or if work continues after expiry without a new written agreement.
All templates in Oman
The Labour Code (Law No. 5 of 1995) requires the express agreement of both parties for a fixed-term contract; otherwise a Yemeni's contract is open-ended.
All templates in Yemen
Kenya, a common-law country, governs employment contracts through the Employment Act 2007: writing is required from three months, and casual workers have a specific status.
All templates in Kenya
The Labour Code limits fixed-term contracts to specific, temporary grounds; an unlawful ground, no ground or an excess of duration may lead to reclassification as open-ended (art. L1245-1).
All templates in France
Legislative Decree 81/2015 allows a fixed-term contract with no stated reason for up to 12 months, then up to 24 months with a reason (causale), in the version in force in 2026.
All templates in ItalySimple signature, OTP signature or TunTrust qualified signature (DigiGO, Mobile ID) in Tunisia.
See the signature levelsOur complete guide to this contract under Tunisian law.
A CDD (fixed-term contract) sets, from signature, the date or event that ends it; a CDI (open-ended contract) has no end date. In Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt, the fixed term is an exception limited to specific cases. In the UAE, by contrast, the fixed-term contract is the only form in the private sector.
TunisiaAlgeriaMoroccoEgyptSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesQatarOmanIraqYemenLebanonKenyaFranceItalyGeneral information, up to date at the date shown. It does not replace legal advice tailored to your situation.
