Quick answer
Foreign employment from Nepal runs in this order: the employer's demand letter is attested by the Nepali embassy; the recruiting agency gets pre-approval from the Department of Foreign Employment, advertises and selects you; after the visa you pass a medical at an approved centre, take the two-day orientation, and pay for insurance and the welfare fund; then the labour permit is issued in FEIMS and you fly from a Nepali airport.
Every Nepali worker going abroad passes the same gates — 792,187 labour permits were issued in 2082/83 alone — and most of what goes wrong happens because someone did not know which gate came next, or what it should cost. This page is the whole sequence in one place, with what the Act and the Department say at each step, and the guide for each paper.
On this page
The steps, in order
| Step | Who does it | What the rules say | Foreign Employment Act |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Demand letter attested | The employer, through the Nepali embassy or labour attaché | The demand must be certified in the destination country; the embassy uploads it to FEIMS | s.15 |
| 2. Pre-approval (पूर्व स्वीकृति) | The agency, from DoFE | Free; within three days of the documents (charter) | s.15 |
| 3. Advertisement | The agency | In a national Nepali daily, at least seven days to apply | s.16 |
| 4. Selection and contract | The agency and employer | The selected list is uploaded to FEIMS | s.17 |
| 5. Visa | The employer | The service charge is paid only after this | s.24 |
| 6. Medical | You, at a DoFE-approved centre | A health certificate is required for the permit | s.19 |
| 7. Orientation (PDOT) | You, at a registered centre | Two days, 12 hours; Rs 700; refunded to women | s.27 |
| 8. Insurance | The agency, or you on the individual route | At least Rs 5 lakh for the contract term | s.26 |
| 9. Welfare fund | You | Paid before departure; online through eSewa or Sparrow Pay | s.32 |
| 10. Labour permit | DoFE, in FEIMS | Free; within three days (agency), the same day (individual) | s.19 |
| 11. Departure | You | From a Nepali airport only | s.22 |
Through an agency, or on your own
Most workers go through a licensed recruiting (manpower) agency against an employer's demand. The agency applies for pre-approval, runs the selection and puts your file into FEIMS; you go to the medical and the orientation yourself, and you check the permit before you fly — by passport number, as the labour permit guide shows.
If you found the job yourself, or through a relative, you apply for an individual labour permit (section 21). DoFE's charter asks for a passport valid at least three months, the work visa, the original contract, term life insurance, the welfare fund and Social Security Fund payments, the health certificate and the orientation certificate. The Act forbids agencies from sending workers "on personal basis" — an agency offering to file you as an individual is breaking it.
Going back to the same employer after leave is a re-entry permit, applied for online; DoFE approves re-entry to the same company in FEIMS. Domestic work needs the Nepali embassy's recommendation first.
The money: what you pay, and when
- The agency's service charge is paid only after the visa, at the agency's office or into its bank account, against a receipt — and the receipt is one of the papers the labour permit needs. Under the government's "free visa, free ticket" policy of 2015, as DoFE's own letter was reported in April 2026, an agency may take at most Rs 10,000 for Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman. A revision is being drafted, so check the current ceiling with DoFE before you pay.
- Orientation: Rs 700 under the Board's 2076 procedure, refunded to women.
- Welfare fund: reported as Rs 1,500 for a contract up to three years and Rs 2,500 above (DoFE's charter shows Rs 2,500 for Korea). Paid online or at the bank, before departure.
- Insurance: a term life policy of at least Rs 5 lakh for the whole contract, from an insurer DoFE lists.
- Social Security Fund: required for individual permits; see SSF for workers going abroad.
- Medical: DoFE does not publish one fee; GCC countries may require a centre approved for their visas.
- DoFE's own approvals — pre-approval and the labour permit — are free.
Never through India
Section 22 of the Act requires workers to fly from an airport in Nepal; a foreign airport is allowed only with DoFE's approval. DoFE repeated this in a notice of 2083/03/01, and on 2083/04/19 it fined 39 agencies Rs 50,000 each for flying workers out from India, and asked 124 more to explain. Leaving through India skips the permit check at Tribhuvan airport — and with it the insurance, the welfare fund and the record the embassy needs if the job is not what was promised.
Government-to-government routes
- South Korea (EPS). Selection is by the Korean language test, not an agency. DoFE's charter lists the costs: EPS-TOPIK about USD 28, the medical USD 55.64, the job application USD 5, the welfare fund Rs 2,500, a management cost of USD 46.20, the airfare (currently USD 895), and a six-year insurance policy. Dates and the pattern: EPS-TOPIK 2026, and a free practice test.
- Israel (caregivers). Ages 25 to 45, a three-month (390-hour) caregiver course and the orientation; DoFE's own steps are free. The 2083 intake selected 836 people by lottery.
If something goes wrong
- A complaint that an agency broke the law — overcharging, a different job, a fake demand — goes to DoFE, free, with whatever evidence you have: bank vouchers, recordings, messages.
- A claim for compensation, rescue or treatment goes to DoFE's relief section with your passport, permit sticker, contract and evidence, and a Rs 10 stamp.
- Phone: the Foreign Employment Board's toll-free line 1141; the labour call centre 16600150005; DoFE 01-4792616.
The papers, guide by guide
- Passport — the online form, the fee by office and how long it takes.
- Police report — most work visas ask for one, attested.
- Labour permit (shram swikriti) — apply, check by passport number, renew.
- Social Security Fund — what workers abroad pay and get.
- CV for Gulf jobs and getting a job in Dubai legally.
- Dubai salary in Nepali rupees and the exchange rate for riyal, dirham and ringgit.
How many go, and how
DoFE's figures for fiscal year 2082/83 (to the end of Asar):
| Labour permits | 2082/83 |
|---|---|
| Re-entry (going back to the same employer) | 385,783 |
| New, through an agency | 268,990 |
| New, individual | 128,520 |
| Government-to-government | 8,197 |
| Legalisation (left without a permit) | 697 |
| Total | 792,187 |
Common questions
What is the foreign employment process in Nepal?
The employer's demand is attested by the Nepali embassy; the agency gets DoFE's pre-approval, advertises and selects; after the visa you pass a medical, take the two-day orientation, buy insurance and pay the welfare fund; DoFE issues the labour permit in FEIMS, and you fly from a Nepali airport.
How much can a manpower agency charge in Nepal?
Only after the visa, against a receipt. Under the 2015 free-visa-free-ticket policy, as DoFE's letter was reported in 2026, the ceiling is Rs 10,000 for Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman. A revision is being drafted, so check with DoFE before paying.
How long is the pre-departure orientation?
Two days of six hours, 12 hours in all, for Rs 700 under the Foreign Employment Board's 2076 procedure; the fee is refunded to women.
How much is foreign employment insurance in Nepal?
The Act requires a term life policy of at least Rs 5 lakh for the whole contract. The premium depends on the insurer and the term; DoFE lists the approved insurers.
Can I go abroad for work without an agency?
Yes — with an individual labour permit, if you found the job and visa yourself. You apply in FEIMS with the visa, contract, insurance, welfare fund, SSF, health and orientation certificates.
Can I fly to a Gulf job through India?
No. The Act requires departure from a Nepali airport unless DoFE approves otherwise; in 2083 DoFE fined 39 agencies Rs 50,000 each for flying workers out from India.
Where do I complain about a manpower agency?
To the Department of Foreign Employment, free, with your evidence. The Foreign Employment Board's toll-free number is 1141.
In this topic
Working abroad from Nepal
Every paper between a job offer and the airport, the CV that gets the offer, and the pay once you are there.
The papers, in order
Getting the job
- Getting a job in Dubai, legally
- CV for Gulf jobs
- EPS-TOPIK for work in Korea
- EPS-TOPIK practice test
- CV for the UK, Canada and Australia
- Europass CV for Europe
The money
