> This page is for API, version 2026-01-01 (Stable) (default). > For other versions, use one of these documentation indexes: > - 2026-01-01 (Stable) (default): https://developer.deel.com/api/stable/llms.txt > For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://developer.deel.com/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://developer.deel.com/_mcp/server. # Create EOR Contract > Learn how to create EOR contracts to hire employees globally # Creating EOR Contracts This guide shows you how to create Employer of Record (EOR) contracts through Deel's API. With EOR, you can hire full-time employees in countries where you don't have a legal entity - Deel acts as the legal employer while you maintain day-to-day management of the worker. ## Overview Creating an EOR contract involves four main steps: 1. **Get Contract Form** - Retrieve country-specific requirements 2. **Validate Job Scope** (Optional) - Validate custom job descriptions 3. **Get Benefits** - Retrieve available benefits for the country 4. **Create Contract** - Submit the contract creation request > **Info** > > Before creating contracts, you can estimate [employment costs](/api/employer-of-record/cost-calculator). ## Step 1: Get EOR Contract Form Retrieve country-specific requirements for creating an EOR contract. This endpoint returns all required fields, validation rules, and data sources needed for contract creation. **API Endpoint**: `GET /forms/eor/create-contract/{country_code}` **Query Parameters:** * `country_code` (required) - ISO country code (e.g., US, GB, DE) * `state` (required for US/CA/AU) - State or province code * `start_date` (required) - Proposed start date (YYYY-MM-DD) * `work_hours_per_week` (required) - Weekly hours (e.g., 40) * `contract_duration_in_days` (optional) - Duration for fixed-term contracts **`Request`** ```bash Request curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.letsdeel.com/rest/forms/eor/create-contract/US?state=WA&start_date=2025-06-25&work_hours_per_week=40&contract_duration_in_days=300' \ --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' ``` **`Response`** ```json Response { "data": { "pages": [ { "name": "Employee Information", "sections": [ { "name": "Personal Details", "questions": [ { "field": "first_name", "label": "First Name", "type": "text", "required": true, "validation": { "min_length": 1, "max_length": 100 } }, { "field": "last_name", "label": "Last Name", "type": "text", "required": true }, { "field": "email", "label": "Email", "type": "email", "required": true }, { "field": "job_title", "label": "Job Title", "type": "select", "required": true, "data_source": "/lookups/job-titles" } ] }, { "name": "Compensation", "questions": [ { "field": "salary", "label": "Annual Salary", "type": "number", "required": true, "currency_field": "salary_currency" }, { "field": "salary_currency", "label": "Currency", "type": "select", "required": true, "data_source": "/lookups/currencies" } ] } ] } ], "additional_endpoints": [ "/eor/benefits?country=US", "/eor/job-scopes", "/legal-entities" ] } } ``` **Response includes:** * Required fields with validation rules (first_name, last_name, email, etc.) * Data source endpoints for dropdowns (job titles, currencies, seniorities) * Country-specific fields and dependencies **Common lookup endpoints from the response:** * `GET /legal-entities` - Your organization's legal entities * `GET /lookups/job-titles` - Standard job titles * `GET /lookups/seniorities` - Seniority levels * `GET /lookups/currencies` - Supported currencies * `GET /eor/start-date` - Valid start dates for the country ## Step 2: Validate Job Scope (Optional) If you're using a custom job description, validate it before creating the contract to avoid delays. You can skip this step if using a pre-approved job scope template. **Three approaches for job scope:** 1. **Use a template** - Get templates via `GET /eor/job-scopes` and pass `scope_template_id` in the contract 2. **Validate first** - Validate custom job description, then use `quote_validation_log_public_id` in the contract 3. **Validate inline** - Include `scope_of_work` directly in contract (may require 24-hour review) **API Endpoint**: `POST /eor/job-scopes/validate` **`Validate Job Scope`** ```bash Validate Job Scope curl --request POST \ --url 'https://api.letsdeel.com/rest/eor/job-scopes/validate' \ --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \ --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \ --data '{ "country": "US", "job_title": "Senior Data Scientist", "scope_of_work": "Lead data science initiatives including ML model development, data pipeline architecture, and cross-functional collaboration with product and engineering teams." }' ``` **`Response`** ```json Response { "data": { "validation_status": "approved", "quote_validation_log_public_id": "val_abc123", "message": "Job scope approved for use" } } ``` **When approved**, use the `quote_validation_log_public_id` when creating the contract. If rejected, you'll receive feedback within 24 hours. ## Step 3: Get Benefits Retrieve available benefits for the target country to include in the contract. **API Endpoint**: `GET /eor/benefits` **`Request`** ```bash Request curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.letsdeel.com/rest/eor/benefits?country=US' \ --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' ``` **`Response`** ```json Response { "data": [ { "id": "health_insurance_premium", "name": "Health Insurance (Premium Plan)", "type": "health", "monthly_cost": 850.00, "statutory": false }, { "id": "retirement_401k", "name": "401(k) Retirement Plan", "type": "retirement", "monthly_cost": 200.00, "statutory": false }, { "id": "paid_time_off", "name": "Paid Time Off", "type": "pto", "statutory": true } ] } ``` **Response includes:** * Benefit ID (use this when creating the contract) * Name and type * Monthly cost (if applicable) * Whether it's statutory (required by law) or optional ## Step 4: Create the EOR Contract Submit the contract creation request with all the information gathered from the previous steps. **API Endpoint**: `POST /eor` **Required Fields:** * Client (`client.team.id`); `client.legal_entity.id` is optional * Employee information (`employee.first_name`, `employee.last_name`, `employee.nationality`; `employee.email` is optional) * Job details (`job_title`, `seniority.id`, `employment.scope_of_work` as a description, template, or validation reference) * Compensation (`compensation_details.salary`, `compensation_details.currency`) * Location (`employment.country`, `employment.state` if applicable) * Contract details (`employment.start_date`, `employment.work_visa_required`) **`Request`** ```bash Request curl --request POST \ --url 'https://api.letsdeel.com/rest/eor' \ --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \ --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \ --data '{ "data": { "client": { "team": { "id": "team_abc123" }, "legal_entity": { "id": "le_12345" } }, "employee": { "first_name": "Jane", "last_name": "Smith", "email": "jane.smith@example.com", "nationality": "US" }, "job_title": "Software Engineer", "seniority": { "id": "seniority-123" }, "employment": { "country": "US", "state": "WA", "start_date": "2025-07-01", "work_visa_required": false, "scope_of_work": { "scope_template_id": "tpl_12345" } }, "compensation_details": { "salary": 120000, "currency": "USD" }, "benefits": [ { "plan_id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "cover_all": true } ] } }' ``` **`Response`** ```json Response { "data": { "id": "eor-98765", "type": "eor", "status": "under_review", "job_title": "Software Engineer", "client": { "legal_entity": { "name": "Acme Corporation" } }, "employee": { "first_name": "Jane", "last_name": "Smith", "email": "jane.smith@example.com" }, "seniority": { "id": 3, "name": "Mid-level" }, "employment": { "country": "US", "state": "WA", "start_date": "2025-07-01T00:00:00Z", "work_visa_required": false }, "compensation_details": { "salary": "120000", "currency": "USD" }, "costs": { "summary": { "salary": "120,000.00", "currency": "USD", "exchange_rate": "1.00", "totals_formatted": [ { "title": "Monthly total", "total": "10,500.00", "frequency": "monthly" } ] } }, "created_at": "2025-07-01T09:30:00Z" } } ``` > **Note** > > The response also includes a `costs.sections` breakdown (a line-item cost table grouped by category) and `costs.additional_data` (country-specific notes about the totals). They're omitted above for readability; see the [Create EOR contract reference](/api/reference/endpoints/eor-contract/create-eor-contract) for the full response schema. **Key Response Fields:** * `id` - Use for signing, amendments, and other operations * `status` - Initially `under_review`, then `waiting_for_client_sign` * `costs.summary` - Cost breakdown, including a formatted monthly total in `totals_formatted`; `costs.sections` has the full line-item detail ## What Happens After Creation Once you create the contract, it enters `under_review` status. Deel will review the contract details and: 1. Validate the job scope (if custom) 2. Verify country-specific compliance requirements 3. Generate the employment agreement 4. Move the contract to the next stage for signatures **Next Steps:** * The contract will transition to `waiting_for_client_sign` status (usually within 24 hours) * You can then sign the contract using the signature endpoints * After all parties sign, the worker can begin onboarding See the [Accept quote](/api/employer-of-record/accept-quote) guide for next steps. ## Best Practices * **Validate job scopes early** - For custom job descriptions, validate 24+ hours before you need to create the contract * **Cache lookup data** - Job titles, currencies, and benefits don't change often; cache them to reduce API calls * **Handle country-specific requirements** - Different countries require different fields; always use the form endpoint to discover requirements * **Estimate costs upfront** - Use the employment cost endpoint to show candidates total employment costs before contract creation * **Store contract IDs** - You'll need the response's `id` for signing, amendments, terminations, and other lifecycle operations ## Next Steps * Learn how to [accept the quote](/api/employer-of-record/accept-quote) after creation * Set up [Webhooks](/api/webhooks/quickstart) for `contract.created` events