Complete DOFE Process in Nepal: Step-by-Step 2026 Guide

Every Nepali worker who takes a job abroad legally must pass through the Department of Foreign Employment (DOFE) process. It's mandatory under the Foreign Employment Act 2007, and it's the single biggest red flag of an illegal recruitment arrangement when an agency tells you it isn't needed. This guide walks you through every step in detail: online form, labour permit, biometric, medical, PDO, and airport immigration, with 2026-current fees and timelines.

The 10-step DOFE process at a glance

1. Choose a DOFE-approved agency & job
2. Sign the written employment contract
3. Submit DOFE online form (Form 1)
4. Pay the welfare-fund contribution
5. Biometric & fingerprint enrolment
6. Medical fitness examination
7. Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO)
8. Receive your Labour Permit (Shram Anumati)
9. Visa stamping & flight ticket
10. Departure & airport immigration

Step 1: Choose a DOFE-approved agency

Before anything else, verify the agency's licence on the official DOFE portal at dofe.gov.np. Search the agency name or licence number; cross-check the registered address with where you're actually meeting them. If the agency isn't in the database, it isn't licensed. Walk away. Power Support's DOFE licence number is 1710/081/082; check it on the portal the same way.

Step 2: Sign the written employment contract

Your agency provides the contract in a language you understand (Nepali or English). It must show: job role, salary (in destination currency), contract duration, benefits, working hours, overtime rate, and conditions for termination. Take a photo of every page before signing. Refuse to fly without the signed contract physically in your hands.

Step 3: Submit DOFE online form (Form 1)

Your agency files Form 1 with DOFE on your behalf. The form bundles your photo, citizenship copy, passport copy, the demand letter from the employer, and your signed contract. Filing happens at dofe.gov.np; DOFE reviews and grants pre-approval within 5–10 working days.

At this point you can confirm pre-approval has been issued by asking your agency for the DOFE reference number and looking it up on the portal's public registry of approved vacancies.

Step 4: Welfare-fund contribution

The Foreign Employment Welfare Fund (administered by the FEPB) insures every migrant Nepali worker. Contribution is one-time: NPR 1,500 for Gulf and Malaysia, NPR 2,500 for Europe (confirm the current amount with DOFE). It covers accident, illness, repatriation in distress, and a death benefit of NPR 7–10 lakh to your family. Pay at a DOFE-approved bank or via eSewa, and keep the receipt; you'll need it at the airport.

Step 5: Biometric & fingerprint enrolment

First-time migrants visit their nearest DOFE office for biometric enrolment: fingerprints, photo, and ID verification. Repeat migrants skip this step. The enrolment data is linked to your Nepal passport and pulled up automatically for future renewals or new contracts.

Step 6: Medical fitness examination

Mandatory destination-specific medical. Gulf countries use GAMCA-approved clinics (around NPR 6,500–12,000 in Kathmandu) with tests for blood, urine, X-ray, vision and Hepatitis B. Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Malaysia have their own approved clinics; your agency should tell you which one to use. Medical certificates are valid 90 days, so don't do this too early.

Step 7: Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO)

Two-day mandatory orientation at a DOFE-approved centre. Topics: destination labour law, contract rights, banking and remittance, basic destination culture, emergency contacts, scam awareness, and worker welfare. You receive a PDO certificate; this is checked at the airport. Skipping the PDO is illegal; airlines will deny boarding.

Step 8: Receive your Labour Permit (Shram Anumati)

DOFE issues the labour permit, usually as a sticker affixed in your passport, plus a digital record. This is your single most important document. It is your legal authorisation to take foreign employment. Without it: no welfare-fund coverage, no embassy protection, no legal recourse if anything goes wrong abroad.

Step 9: Visa stamping & flight ticket

The destination embassy stamps your work visa. Your agency or employer arranges the flight (for free-visa-free-ticket positions) or you self-purchase (most European routes). At this point your agency may briefly hold your passport for the visa stamping process; it should return to you well before the flight.

Step 10: Departure & airport immigration

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport 4 hours before your flight. At immigration, present passport, labour permit (sticker), PDO certificate, contract, and welfare-fund receipt. Officials may ask the name of your employer and destination city; know these by heart.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying without receipts. Every legitimate fee must be receipted.
• Flying on a tourist visa "to convert there". Illegal in every destination.
• Surrendering original certificates to the agency permanently. They can hold copies; originals stay with you.
• Trusting Facebook job adverts. Always cross-check on dofe.gov.np.
• Believing "the visa is on its way". Don't fly until the stamped visa and labour permit are physically in your passport.

Timeline summary

From signing the contract to flying out: typically 30–60 days. Skilled trades with priority clearance (welders, drivers, healthcare) often move faster. European destinations can take longer because of embassy appointments and document translation.

Total cost summary (NPR, indicative)

For most Gulf placements (where the employer covers the air ticket and visa fee), total out-of-pocket cost to the worker is typically NPR 25,000–45,000 covering any permitted service charge (check the current DOFE ceiling), medical, welfare fund, biometric and PDO. European placements run higher because workers usually pay their first air ticket. Use our DOFE Fee Estimator for a destination-specific breakdown.