New Documents Mandatory for Foreign Employment; Business Community Expresses Discontent
From Chaitra 29 onwards, the Department of Foreign Employment has mandated the presentation of airline tickets, bills, and service fee receipts. The Nepal Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs Association has requested Minister Sah to refrain from enforcing compulsory receipts for tickets and service fees until policy reforms are implemented. Labor Minister Sah has warned that anyone charging more than NPR 10,000 as service fees will face penalties. Kathmandu, Chaitra 25 — Workers traveling abroad for employment will now be required to produce additional documents at the airport. The Department of Foreign Employment has made it mandatory to present airline tickets, their bills and receipts, as well as official receipts of service fees paid to manpower companies, effective from Chaitra 29.
The department requires workers to carry the airline ticket to the destination country along with both institutional and personal bills/receipts. In addition, workers using manpower companies must provide official receipts for the service fees paid to these companies. The department has also requested manpower entrepreneurs to issue mandatory vouchers/receipts to workers for service fees collected related to foreign employment.
Manpower entrepreneurs have expressed that this decision is impractical to implement immediately and have suggested it only be enforced following policy reforms. The Nepal Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs Association has formally requested Labor, Employment and Social Security Minister Deepak Kumar Sah to reconsider this decision urgently. Submitting a seven-point proposal, the association argued that receipts for service fees and airline bill invoices will not be effective unless backed by policy improvements. According to the association, only after policy reforms can such measures be effectively implemented.
The Ministry of Labor has also issued a warning that those charging fees exceeding NPR 10,000 for foreign employment will be punished. Minister Sah released a video message explaining that actions will be taken under the Foreign Employment Act against anyone exceeding this limit. However, manpower entrepreneurs have voiced dissatisfaction with the department’s regulations, arguing that implementing such measures without policy reforms could put workers at a disadvantage.
Mahesh Basnet, General Secretary of the Entrepreneurs Association, emphasized that the Foreign Employment Act is currently under amendment and such decisions should only follow policy reforms. He insisted that additional administrative hurdles should not be introduced without policy improvements, stating: “There are many flaws in the current Act; many practical issues remain unresolved. Adding new complications prematurely is inappropriate.”
Basnet also criticized the requirement to present tickets and bills as impractical. “In most cases, tickets are issued by the employer company, so bills are unavailable,” he said. “In some cases, tickets are purchased within Nepal, but managing bills remains difficult.” He pointed out that the current system is out of sync with the digital age. “The world has advanced technologically, yet we still burden workers with excessive paperwork,” he noted. Basnet further highlighted complications arising from the so-called ‘Free Visa, Free Ticket’ policy. Although the law prohibits workers and manpower companies from purchasing tickets, in practice workers often bear ticket costs themselves. “The gap between law and practice means mandating bills will cause additional hardship for workers,” he stated.
According to Basnet, the government’s focus should principally be on worker protection. “Checking the validity of passports, visas, and tickets is important, but unnecessary paperwork should not discourage both workers and entrepreneurs,” he added. Basnet stressed the need for policy reforms related to service fees as well. The ministry has formed a task force led by a joint secretary to address these issues. Based on the task force’s recommendations, the ministry plans to correct errors in the Act, rules, and standards.
Previously, the Ministry of Labor has conducted multiple task force studies addressing issues in the foreign employment sector and proposed improvements. Former Labor Minister Rajendra Singh Bhandari had also recommended setting up a task force. The task force completed its study and submitted suggestions accordingly. Minister Sah has assured that necessary reforms will be made based on the task force’s reports in response to concerns raised by entrepreneurs. During a discussion with association representatives on Tuesday, Minister Sah stated that he does not intend to introduce new policies but aims to effectively implement existing decisions.
