Q&A

Checking a foreign employment contract before signing

Review duties, pay, working hours and departure clauses in an overseas contract, using guidance from the relevant local authorities.
Practical guide · Updated 26 October 2026
Candidate and adviser reviewing a contract before signing, with a closed pen beside it.
Generated illustration for this topic.

Read the proposed role through the contract terms

Compare the written contract with the vacancy and recruitment discussions: the actual employer, workplace, duties, pay, hours and start date should form an understandable whole. Identify any annexes or policies incorporated by reference. Wording you do not understand deserves a written explanation before signature, even if the interview itself was conducted comfortably in your own language.

Clarify what happens once employment begins

Examine provisions covering probation, travel, employer-provided accommodation and the end of the employment relationship. Ask which local rules govern these terms and where a disagreement can be raised. For a significant or ambiguous commitment, have the complete version reviewed by a professional qualified in the relevant country rather than relying solely on an oral summary from the recruiter.

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