Foreign employment from Nepal is governed by the Foreign Employment Act, 2064 (2007) and related regulations enforced by the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE).
No Nepali citizen can go for foreign employment except through a government-licensed recruitment agency or under recognized government-to-government (G2G) programs.
Recruitment agencies must obtain pre-approval from DoFE for each demand letter before interviewing or collecting fees from workers beyond the government-prescribed limits.
Key Legal Requirements
- Recruitment only through DoFE-licensed agencies
- Demand letter pre-approval from Department of Foreign Employment
- Written employment contract in language understood by worker
- Foreign employment insurance as per government requirement
- Pre-departure orientation mandatory before airport departure
- Government-fixed service charge limits for workers
Worker Protections Under Nepal Law
- Right to receive approved contract copy before departure
- Right to free pre-departure orientation
- Right to insurance coverage for foreign employment period
- Grievance mechanism through DoFE and diplomatic missions abroad
- Repatriation support in case of exploitation or contract violation