What Is Shram Swikriti?
Shram Swikriti (श्रम स्वीकृति) is the labour approval issued by the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), under Nepal's Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security. It confirms that your employment contract has been reviewed, basic worker protections are in place, and you are cleared to travel for that specific job.
The process runs through FEIMS (Foreign Employment Information Management System) at feims.dofe.gov.np. You need it for overseas employment, including first-time departures, returns to a previous employer, Korea's EPS, and Japan's SSW schemes. It is generally not needed for tourism, study, business visits, or family visits.
Nepal and India share an open border, so Nepali citizens can generally live and work in India without a visa or labour permit, apart from restricted sectors such as government or defense jobs. For other countries, Shram Swikriti is mandatory.
Before You Start: Documents You'll Need
- Passport with more than 90 days of remaining validity (commonly cited threshold — confirm the current minimum in FEIMS or DoFE notices before applying)
- Visa with remaining validity for your destination
- Copy of your employment agreement with the company
- Official email from your employer to the labour-approval office confirming the offer
- Self-declaration letter
- Attestation letter from the Nepali embassy for Gulf-country destinations
- Authorized English translation if the contract or Certificate of Employment is not in English or Arabic
If a licensed manpower agency handles your case, some documents may be submitted through the agency's institutional FEIMS account. Confirm which documents the agency is collecting and submitting.
Full Document Checklist
Additional documents can include educational certificates, technical certificates, embassy letters, translations, or a power of attorney. Follow the exact FEIMS checklist for your destination and employment category.
Step-by-Step: Applying for Shram Swikriti Online
- Log in or register on FEIMS. Go to feims.dofe.gov.np and choose the individual login. Enter your passport number, date of birth, and password. First-time applicants can register when prompted.
- Fill in personal and employment details. Match your passport and employment agreement exactly. Name and passport-number mismatches commonly cause corrections.
- Choose a PDOT provider and attend orientation. Pre-Departure Orientation Training covers destination laws, worker rights, culture, and emergency contacts. It is mandatory for first-time migrant workers and relevant country or job changes.
- Pay for and complete the medical exam. Pay through FEIMS and use a medical centre on DoFE's approved list.
- Wait for PDOT and medical results. Both usually take around 3 working days to appear. Wait until both are complete before continuing.
- Pay insurance, Social Security Fund, and Welfare Fund fees. Use FEIMS's own payment gateway, never a third party.
- Scan and upload your documents. Combine multi-page documents into one file and ensure every name matches.
- Submit and track your application. Confirm an actual Approved result before finalizing travel plans.
Shram Swikriti Fees (2026)
These are planning figures, not an official invoice. Fees, age bands, contract-duration charges, insurance premiums, and SSF requirements can change. Pay through FEIMS or authorized providers and keep every receipt.
Medical and Foreign-Employment Insurance
Medical clearance and foreign-employment insurance are separate requirements. Medical confirms fitness for the destination and job; insurance provides life, accident, disability, and related migrant-worker coverage under the policy.
- Use a government-authorized medical centre and destination-specific route where required, such as GAMCA for applicable Gulf processes.
- Check that medical results are uploaded to FEIMS and remain valid through approval.
- Buy insurance from an authorized insurer integrated with FEIMS.
- Match name, passport number, policy number, coverage, and contract period across the insurance certificate and FEIMS.
- Read exclusions and claim instructions before departure.
Welfare Fund and SSF Payments
The Foreign Employment Welfare Fund and SSF contribution are different payments with different purposes. Welfare Fund contributions support migrant-worker assistance, rescue, repatriation, disability, and family support. SSF contributions support the contribution-based social-security system.
- Use the FEIMS payment system or an official integrated channel.
- Keep the transaction ID and receipt for every payment.
- Confirm the payment status changes inside FEIMS before submitting.
- Do not pay government contributions into an agent's personal bank account.
How to Check Your Shram Swikriti Status
DoFE runs status checking as a separate tool at foreignjob.dofe.gov.np, under Passport Search.
- Go to foreignjob.dofe.gov.np and select Passport Search.
- Enter your passport number.
- Submit the search.
- Review the result and confirm the employer, country, and other details.
- Save or print the result if that option is available.
Re-Entry and Renewal
A returning worker who is going back to the same employer and country after home leave may use the re-entry or re-approval route in FEIMS when eligible. Changing employer, job, or destination normally requires a new labour-approval application.
- Log in to the existing FEIMS account used for the previous approval.
- Choose Re-Entry, Re-Approval, or Renewal as shown by the current portal.
- Enter the previous approval reference and current passport, visa, employer, and contract details.
- Upload current employment, visa, insurance, and other requested documents.
- Complete any current Welfare Fund, SSF, or insurance payment requirement.
- Submit and download the approved re-entry labour permit.
Requirements can differ by destination and policy. A previous approval that has expired, a changed employer, or a changed occupation can move the case back to the new-approval route.
Shram Swikriti vs Visa and Work Permit
How to Avoid Foreign-Employment Scams
- Verify the manpower agency is licensed by DoFE.
- Check that the job demand appears in the official Foreign Employment Search or FEIMS route.
- Compare the employment contract with the job, salary, hours, and benefits promised verbally.
- Pay government charges through official channels and demand receipts for agency payments.
- Never surrender your passport to an unauthorized intermediary or employer.
- Never share FEIMS passwords, OTPs, or account-recovery codes.
- Avoid tourist-visa work promises, personal-account payments, and unofficial FEIMS websites.
- Save DoFE call-centre 1140 (toll-free as listed on dofe.gov.np, October 2026; some sources cite 1141 — confirm before calling, and do not confuse with DoNIDCR's 1147) and the Nepali embassy contact for your destination.
A Note on Renewals
For a return to the same employer and country after home leave, DoFE introduced an automatic-approval arrangement in FEIMS for qualifying same-country, same-company cases — see the DoFE notice "FEIMS प्रणालीमा सोही मुलुक तथा सोही कम्पनीमा पुनः जाने सेवाग्राहीका लागि स्वचालित स्वीकृति व्यवस्था" dated 18 Jestha 2083 (June 2026) at dofe.gov.np. Reported conditions include valid passport, visa and contract with current insurance and fund contributions (confirm the exact eligibility in the notice and live FEIMS flow before relying on it). If the employer or destination changes, the shortcut does not apply and you need fresh employer documents.
Common Mistakes First-Time Applicants Make
- Using the institutional login instead of the individual login
- Letting passport or visa validity approach the 90-day minimum
- Mismatched names across passport, contract, and other documents
- Choosing a PDOT class date or medical centre that conflicts with travel plans
- Using a medical centre outside DoFE's approved list
- Attempting payment before both PDOT and medical results are confirmed
- Uploading blurry, cropped, or split-up document scans
- Paying anyone outside FEIMS's own payment gateway
Verify Before You Travel
If a job cannot be found through Foreign Employment Search, or someone asks you to skip FEIMS and pay them directly, treat it as a red flag and verify with DoFE before handing over money.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shram Swikriti mandatory for all Nepali workers going abroad?
Yes, for all countries except India, where Nepali citizens can enter and work visa-free under the open-border arrangement, subject to restricted sectors.
How much does Shram Swikriti cost?
The labour approval application itself is free. You pay age-banded insurance, the Social Security Fund, the Welfare Fund, and separately set PDOT and medical fees.
How long does the process take?
PDOT and medical results typically take around 3 working days to appear. Overall timing afterward depends on document review.
Can I apply for Shram Swikriti on my own?
Yes. You can apply through the FEIMS individual login. If a licensed manpower agency handles your recruitment, some documents may go through its institutional account.
What if my application gets returned?
FEIMS indicates what needs correcting. Fix that specific issue and resubmit through the same application rather than starting a new one.
How do I know my job offer is genuine?
Check it against DoFE's Foreign Employment Search before accepting it instead of relying solely on an agent's word.
What fees are required for Shram Swikriti in 2026?
The permit application itself is generally free. Planning costs commonly include the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund, SSF contribution, PDOT, medical examination, and insurance. Amounts vary by contract, age, destination, and current DoFE/FEIMS rules.
What is re-entry Shram Swikriti?
Re-entry or re-approval is the FEIMS route for returning to the same employer and country after a temporary visit to Nepal. Changing employer, job, or country usually requires a new labour approval.
Can I check Shram Swikriti status online?
Yes. Track the application in FEIMS and use DoFE Foreign Employment Search or Passport Search where available. You can also contact the DoFE call centre (toll-free 1140 as listed on dofe.gov.np, October 2026; some sources cite 1141 — confirm the current helpline on dofe.gov.np before calling, and do not confuse it with DoNIDCR's 1147).
Is Shram Swikriti the same as a work visa?
No. Shram Swikriti is Nepal's domestic labour approval. You also need the destination country's work visa or work authorization and the authenticated employment contract.
Can I apply without a manpower agency?
For certain direct-employer, government-to-government, or other permitted routes, yes. The required route depends on destination and job; verify the individual process in FEIMS.
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