The week before your first international flight is one of the most important weeks of your working life. Decisions you make in these 7 days — about banking, document storage, family communication, currency — have effects that last for years. Workers who prepare methodically in this window arrive confident and protected. Workers who rush or skip steps arrive vulnerable. This guide covers everything, in order.
Seven days before your flight
1. Verify your complete document folder
Lay out every document on a table and tick off this list:
- Passport (with labour permit sticker and destination work visa stamped)
- PDO certificate (mandatory 2-day Pre-Departure Orientation)
- FEPB welfare fund contribution receipt (original bank voucher)
- GAMCA or destination medical fitness certificate
- Signed original employment contract
- Employer offer letter / welcome letter with airport pickup details
- Air ticket (print + digital copy)
- 8–10 passport-size photographs
- Photocopy set of all the above in a separate envelope
If anything is missing — even the FEPB receipt — do not fly. Call your agency immediately.
2. Open a remittance-friendly bank account
If you have not already done so, open a bank account specifically designed for migrant workers. Recommended banks in Nepal: NIC Asia (Bidesesh Rojgar Bachat Khata), Prabhu Bank, Nepal Investment Bank, Nabil Bank and Himalayan Bank. Features to confirm: free incoming international transfers, mobile app management, SWIFT code for Gulf/EU transfers. Share the account number, branch address, SWIFT code and your full name (exactly as on passport) with the family member who will manage finances in your absence.
3. Set up a family communication plan
- Create a WhatsApp group with your spouse, parents and 2 backup contacts.
- Pin the Glocal Workforce welfare desk number (+977 9802374835) in the group.
- Pin the Nepali embassy emergency number for your destination (see our embassy directory).
- Agree on a regular check-in schedule — for example: voice call every Sunday evening.
- Designate one person (not your spouse if possible, to reduce sole dependency) to manage the bank account.
4. Scan and back up everything digitally
Email PDF scans of your passport (bio page), contract, labour permit, PDO certificate and medical certificate to yourself and one trusted family member. Use a Gmail or Outlook account — not a Nepali provider — so it is accessible from any internet café abroad. This is your fastest recovery route if your bag is lost or stolen.
5. Exchange currency
Exchange NPR 30,000–50,000 equivalent to either USD or your destination currency at a licensed money changer (avoid airport rates — they charge 4–6% above interbank rate). Carry:
- Small bills of destination currency for the first 24 hours (taxi, food, SIM card).
- A reserve of USD 100–200 in small denominations as an emergency backup.
- If your employer is providing airport pickup and accommodation from day 1, you may need less — confirm in advance.
6. Arrange your health before you go
- Prescription medicines: If you take regular medication (diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, etc.), obtain a 3-month supply and bring a copy of the prescription translated into English. Many destination-country pharmacies can refill on presentation of a valid prescription.
- Dental check: Gulf employers' medical insurance often excludes dental — get a check done in Nepal at a fraction of the cost.
- Eye check: If you wear glasses, bring a spare pair and a copy of your prescription.
- Vaccinations: See the FAQ below. Hepatitis A and B, typhoid and tetanus are the most relevant for most destinations.
What to pack — by destination
Essential documents (hand luggage — never check in)
- Passport (with visa and labour permit), air ticket, boarding pass
- PDO certificate, medical certificate, welfare fund receipt
- Original employment contract and employer welcome letter
- 4 passport photographs (for destination registration)
- Complete photocopy set of all above in a separate envelope
- Phone charger and your USB/lightning cable
Clothing — climate appropriate
- Gulf countries (UAE, Qatar, Saudi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman): Hot, dry climate (summer 38–48°C; winter 15–25°C). Pack: light cotton work clothes, 1–2 light layers for heavily air-conditioned environments (offices, malls, construction site offices), good work boots or safety shoes as required by job, sunscreen SPF 50+, broad-brimmed hat.
- Europe (Poland, Romania, Czech, Croatia, Malta, Portugal): Highly seasonal. Pack for all four seasons if arriving in any month except July–August: warm jacket (down/fleece for -10°C winters in Poland and Romania), thermal innerwear, waterproof boots, umbrella. Summer arrivals still need a light jacket for evenings.
- Korea: Extreme seasonal range — summers 30–35°C and humid; winters -10 to -20°C. Bring lightweight summer clothes plus thermal layers. Buy proper winter gear locally — Korean winters require serious insulation.
- Japan: Four distinct seasons. Pack a transitional wardrobe. The Japanese value neat, professional dress even in casual settings — bring clean, pressed clothes.
- Malaysia / Maldives: Hot and humid year-round (28–35°C). Light cotton and breathable fabrics only. Bring a waterproof layer for the monsoon season (October–March in Malaysia west coast).
Personal essentials
- Prescription medicines (3-month supply + English prescription copy)
- Basic first-aid kit: paracetamol, antacid, ORS sachets, antiseptic cream, bandages
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap (1-week supply — buy locally after arrival)
- Power adapter: Gulf uses Type G (British 3-pin); EU uses Type C/F (2-round-pin European); Korea uses Type C/F; Japan uses Type A (flat 2-pin, same as Nepal)
- Portable power bank (10,000–20,000 mAh) for long travel days
- Small amount of home: many workers carry a photo album, rudraksha mala or a small religious idol for emotional anchoring
What NOT to pack
- Khukuri, knives or sharp implements — confiscated at every airport security checkpoint
- Large amounts of fresh food — most countries prohibit importation of fresh meat, dairy products, live plants, and soil
- Religious literature in Saudi Arabia or Maldives — non-Islamic religious texts are restricted; carry small personal items only
- Expensive personal jewellery — leave it with family; theft risk at accommodation
- Medications containing tramadol or other controlled substances — these are illegal in UAE and several Gulf countries; bring only what is genuinely prescribed and declared
Airport day — Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA)
- Arrive 4 hours early for international flights. TIA can be congested, departure-tax queues are slow, and immigration checks for labour-permit flights are thorough. Do not arrive 2 hours before — you risk missing the flight.
- At the DOFE/Labour desk: Before check-in, migrant workers on labour permits must pass through the DOFE desk where immigration officers verify: labour permit sticker, work visa, PDO certificate and welfare fund receipt. Have these immediately accessible — not buried in your bag.
- Know your employer's details. Immigration may ask: name of your destination company, your job title, your destination city, and the name of your direct supervisor or contact. These are on your contract — read them before you reach the counter.
- Check-in and baggage: Confirm baggage weight before you queue. Most airlines charge per kg over the limit at the check-in counter, not at security.
- Never carry items for strangers. Drug-trafficking entrapment using first-time international travelers is a documented crime. Refuse any request to carry packages, gifts or bags for people you met at the airport.
- Keep your boarding pass and contract in a shirt pocket for inflight reference. Store your passport safely in your person at all times until you hand it to destination immigration.
The first 48 hours abroad
Arrival immigration
At destination immigration, present: passport (with visa) + employer offer letter. Answer questions calmly and briefly. Do not volunteer extra information. If asked "how long are you staying" — your contract duration. If asked "who is your employer" — name on your contract. If detained for any reason, ask to contact the Nepali embassy immediately; you have this right under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Airport pickup verification
Verify the pickup person matches the name/company in your employer welcome letter. If something feels wrong (unknown company name, pressure to get in a vehicle, request to take your passport) — call the Glocal Workforce welfare desk or the Nepali embassy before getting in any vehicle.
Day 1 essentials
- Do not surrender your passport to anyone beyond the initial residency registration process. If the employer takes it "for registration," get a dated written receipt and a commitment to return it within 5–7 days.
- Buy a local SIM card as soon as possible — ideally at the airport. Add Glocal Workforce welfare desk, your family and the Nepali embassy emergency number.
- Open a local bank account within the first 2 weeks — Gulf countries require WPS (Wage Protection System) salary payments into a local bank account.
- Send a message home: "Arrived safely. My address: [accommodation address]. My local number: [SIM number]. Employer: [company name]." Even a short message brings enormous peace of mind to your family.
First week
- Re-read your contract on Day 1. Confirm the duties, salary and working hours match what you were told in Nepal. If they differ, raise the discrepancy immediately — in writing via WhatsApp to your direct supervisor — before you start work.
- Memorise: nearest hospital name and address; local emergency number (999 in Gulf, 112 in EU, 119 ambulance in Japan, 911/119 in Korea); Nepali embassy emergency line.
- Confirm overtime pay, leave entitlement and accommodation rules with your supervisor in the first week — not six months in.
- Do not lend money to colleagues in the first month — even small amounts cause relationship stress in shared accommodation.
Emergency contacts — memorise these
- Glocal Workforce welfare desk: +977 9802374835 (WhatsApp 24/7)
- Nepali embassy in your destination: See our embassy directory — save the number to your phone before you leave Nepal.
- DOFE complaint portal: dofe.gov.np
- FEPB (for insurance claims): fepb.gov.np, +977 1 4780170
- Local emergency numbers: 999 (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain), 112 (EU countries), 119 (Japan ambulance/fire), 119 (Korea), 999 (Malaysia)