⚖️ Foreign Employment Act 2064 · Free Visa, Free Ticket Policy
✓ Verified August 2026
Nepal Recruitment Fee Checker
Find out what a licensed Nepali manpower agency is legally allowed to charge you for a Gulf job placement — and why the answer depends on one key question.
Not from Nepal? 🇮🇳 India Fee Checker · 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Fee Guide
⚠️ This rule is under active government review right now. The "Free Visa, Free Ticket" policy has been repeatedly challenged since a February 2026 announcement to scrap it — the Labour Minister reaffirmed the NPR 10,000 cap in April 2026, but as of July 2026 the department has publicly called the policy "largely unfulfilled" and a replacement (proposed at one month's salary) is under discussion. The figures below are the current, officially standing rule — but confirm directly with DoFE before relying on this for a dispute.
✅ You should be paying almost nothing to the agency
Under the Free Visa, Free Ticket policy, your employer bears the visa and air ticket cost — the agency should not be charging you a service fee on top. You may still need to cover your own medical check-up, insurance, and orientation training costs directly, but a large "service charge" from the agency itself is a red flag. Ask for an itemised receipt for anything you do pay.
The maximum service fee the agency can charge you
NPR 10,000
This applies specifically because your employer hasn't covered your visa and ticket costs. This is on top of separate, standard costs like medical check-up, insurance, and the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund contribution — those aren't part of this cap. If you're being asked for significantly more than NPR 10,000 as a single "service fee," that's worth questioning directly with DoFE.
📋 What's covered vs. what's separate
✅ Part of the NPR 10,000 service fee cap
- Candidate screening and job matching
- Document processing and paperwork handling
- Administrative overhead directly tied to placement
🚫 Separate costs, not part of this cap
- Medical check-up (GAMCA/Wafid) fees
- Insurance premium
- Foreign Employment Welfare Fund contribution
- Orientation training fee
- Visa and air ticket — should be employer-paid under this policy
🚩 Fee-related scam patterns to watch for
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Asked to pay a large lump sum "service charge" upfrontEspecially if your employer is supposed to be covering visa and ticket — a large agency fee on top contradicts the Free Visa, Free Ticket policy.
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No itemised receipt for what you're payingAsk specifically what each payment is for — medical, insurance, welfare fund, or service fee — and get it in writing.
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Several small "unofficial" charges that add up past NPR 10,000Splitting one fee into several smaller ones is a known way to work around the cap — the total still counts.
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Told to pay into a personal bank accountPayment should go to the agency's own registered business account, never an individual's personal account.
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Pressured to pay quickly, or told to take a loan to cover the feeDebt-based recruitment is exactly what the Employer-Pays Principle was designed to prevent — treat pressure to borrow money as a serious warning sign.
❓ Common questions
Does the NPR 10,000 cap apply to all destination countries?▼
It applies specifically to the seven countries covered by the Free Visa, Free Ticket policy: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, UAE, and Malaysia. This checker covers the six Gulf countries within that list.
Does this apply if I'm from India or Sri Lanka?▼
No — this NPR 10,000 figure is specific to Nepal's Foreign Employment Act and DoFE regulations. See the India Fee Checker or Sri Lanka Fee Guide instead.
What if I already paid more than this?▼
Keep any receipt or record of what you paid, and file a complaint through DoFE's online Complaint Management System (ujuri.dofe.gov.np) or call the toll-free number below.
Why does this page say the rule is "under review"?▼
Because it genuinely is. The Free Visa, Free Ticket policy has had its implementation publicly questioned since 2026 began, with the recruiters' association (NAFEA) pushing for the cap to be raised to a full month's wage instead. As of the most recent information available, no replacement has formally taken effect — but this could change, so verify directly with DoFE before relying on this for a dispute.
⚠️ If you're being overcharged
Do not pay the excess. Get a receipt for anything you do pay, and report the agency:
📞 DoFE Toll-free: 1140
📞 DoFE main line: 01-4792671
🌐 Online complaint portal: ujuri.dofe.gov.np
✉️ Email: info@dofe.gov.np
Already abroad? Contact your nearest Nepali Embassy/Consulate — see the Emergency Guide for country-specific contacts.
📞 DoFE main line: 01-4792671
🌐 Online complaint portal: ujuri.dofe.gov.np
✉️ Email: info@dofe.gov.np
Already abroad? Contact your nearest Nepali Embassy/Consulate — see the Emergency Guide for country-specific contacts.
⚠️ Important: The NPR 10,000 service-fee cap is set under the Free Visa, Free Ticket policy (Foreign Employment Act 2064), reaffirmed by the Labour Minister in April 2026. This policy is under active government review and could change — this is not legal advice, and this figure should be independently confirmed with DoFE before relying on it for a dispute or payment decision.