DOFE Process — Nepal's Foreign Employment Approval System Explained

The Department of Foreign Employment (DOFE), under Nepal's Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, regulates every Nepali worker going abroad for employment. Its pre-approval, biometric enrolment, welfare-fund, medical and labour-permit workflow is mandatory under the Foreign Employment Act 2007 and the Foreign Employment Rules 2008. Skipping any step — or being told by an agent that you do not need it — is the single biggest red flag that you are dealing with an illegal recruitment arrangement.

This guide walks you through every step in the order it happens, explains the government's purpose for each requirement, and tells you exactly what paperwork you need to have in hand.

Why the DOFE process exists

Nepal sends over 500,000 workers abroad annually — the majority to the Gulf, Malaysia, Japan and Korea. The Foreign Employment Act was enacted to protect these workers from exploitative recruitment practices, from working on incorrect visas, and from traveling without insurance. Every step in the DOFE process maps to a specific protection:

• Pre-approval of vacancies — ensures you have a real, verified job offer before you pay anything.
• Biometric enrolment — links your identity permanently to your migration record, preventing passport fraud and identity theft.
• Welfare fund contribution — automatically insures you for accident, death, disability and repatriation.
• Medical examination — protects both the worker and the destination country from health risks.
• Pre-Departure Orientation — ensures every worker knows their rights, knows how to contact the embassy, and understands the destination country's labour law.
• Labour permit — the legal instrument that activates embassy protection and the right to file complaints through official channels.

Before you start — three things to prepare

• A valid Nepali passport with at least 18 months remaining validity (24+ months is strongly recommended to avoid renewal mid-contract).
• Your original Nepali citizenship certificate (Nagarikta Pramaan Patra) plus clear photocopies.
• Your highest academic certificates — SLC/SEE at minimum, plus any trade or skill certificates. For nursing, driving or engineering roles, bring your professional council registration.

The 10-step DOFE process

Gulf vs. Non-Gulf differences

While the core 10 steps apply to every destination, some details differ significantly:

• Gulf (UAE, Qatar, Saudi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman): GAMCA medical is mandatory. Visa stamping is handled by the destination embassy in Kathmandu. Free-visa, free-ticket positions are common — the employer covers visa and airfare.
• Malaysia: Follows GAMCA-equivalent medical. The Malaysian government and DOFE have a Memorandum of Understanding regulating worker placement. Cost and process similar to Gulf.
• Korea (EPS): Separate government-to-government channel via EPS Centre Nepal. Requires Korean language test (EPS-TOPIK), skills test, HRD Korea registration and a separate health check. Timeline is longer — typically 3–9 months from exam to departure.
• Japan (SSW): JFT-Basic language test, sector-specific skills tests and a bilateral agreement between Nepal and Japan. Workers apply directly via registered agencies under strict fee caps.
• Europe (Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Croatia, Malta, Portugal, Germany): Schengen visa process, sworn document translations, TB clearance (for some embassies), and longer visa-processing timelines (4–8 weeks). No GAMCA required.

Foreign Employment Welfare Fund (FEPB) — what it covers

The welfare-fund contribution (Step 4) is not an agency fee — it is paid directly to the government. In return, every permit-holder is covered for the duration of their contract:

• Natural death abroad: NPR 7,00,000 to nominated family members.
• Accidental death: NPR 10,00,000 plus full repatriation cost of the body.
• Total permanent disability: NPR 7,00,000.
• Medical treatment emergency support: up to NPR 1,00,000.
• Emergency repatriation for workers in distress: air-ticket cost.
• Children's education scholarship if the worker dies: up to NPR 50,000 per year per child through secondary school.

DOFE pre-approval numbers — how to verify any job

Before signing any employment contract or paying any fee, ask your agency for the Swikrit Mang number (DOFE pre-approval reference for your specific vacancy). You can verify it on dofe.gov.np under Approved Vacancies. If the number does not exist on the portal, the vacancy has not been vetted and you should not proceed.

How Glocal Workforce Nepal guides you through

• We handle all DOFE portal filings, demand letter attestations and embassy submissions in-house — you never have to deal with government bureaucracy alone.
• We schedule your GAMCA medical appointment at our partner clinic and accompany you to DOFE biometric enrolment if you need support.
• Our PDO partner conducts the 2-day orientation in small groups with practical, destination-specific modules in Nepali.
• You receive a printed receipt for every fee paid and a copy of every document filed on your behalf — no surprises.
• Our welfare desk remains reachable by WhatsApp throughout your contract — not just during the application process.

Common mistakes that delay or void the process

1. Paying cash without a receipt. Every legitimate charge — service fee, medical, welfare fund — must be receipted with agency stamp. Never pay cash without one.
2. Surrendering your passport permanently. Your agency may hold it briefly for visa stamping (days, not weeks). It must be returned before you fly. Abroad, your employer cannot retain it.
3. Flying before the labour permit is in your passport. The labour permit sticker must physically be in your passport before you leave home — not 'following by courier'.
4. Working abroad on a tourist or visit visa. Illegal in every destination, ends in deportation, lifetime ban and possible criminal record. No legitimate employer asks this.
5. Skipping the PDO. Some agents offer to provide a forged PDO certificate. This is detected at immigration, results in your being stopped at the airport, and is a criminal offence under Nepali law.
6. Not confirming the Swikrit Mang number. Jobs advertised without a pre-approval number are unverified — paying fees for these is the first step in most recruitment frauds.

What to do if something goes wrong

DOFE maintains an online complaint portal at dofe.gov.np. Workers and their families can file complaints with:

• DOFE Grievance Unit (dofe.gov.np) — for agency misconduct, document fraud, overcharging.
• Foreign Employment Tribunal — formal legal proceedings for significant disputes.
• Nepali embassy in your destination country — for post-departure employer violations.
• FEPB Kathmandu — for insurance claims, stranded-worker assistance and repatriation support.

See our Scam Awareness guide for patterns to spot before you commit, and our Rights Abroad guide for what you are entitled to once you land.