Register for a Received Foreign Job

Every Sri Lankan who leaves the country for employment must register with the Bureau before leaving in accordance with Section 53 (3) of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Act No. 21 of 1985 as amended by Acts No. 4 of 1994 and No. 56 of 2009 passed by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. If you are going abroad for employment, you can register with SLBFE by visiting SLBFE head office or Branch Office. SLBFE facilitates to apply for registration online and to pay the registration fee on line.

• Relevant age limits should be completed.
• Passport (should be valid for a period of 06 months from the date of registration with the Bureau)
• Valid visa or entry permit
• Service Agreement
• Foreign Experience / Local Experience / Institutional Training / Professional Certification / SLBFE Training
• Family Background Report (For Women Under 45 years)

Age Limits :

•  For all countries Age should be more than 18 years

If a woman goes abroad for a domestic Job

• For Saudi Arabia Age should be 25 years
• For other countries in the Middle East Age should be 23 years
• For non-Middle Eastern countries Age should be  21 years

• A woman going abroad for domestic work should have 150 days of foreign (This can be accomplished in 3 trips.)
• If a male worker goes abroad for domestic work or a female / male worker going abroad for non- domestic work, 30 days foreign experience is required. (This must be accomplished in one trip.)

If you are going for a job as a skilled worker or a professional level, you should submit a Certificate of Work Experience (not less than 6 months) or Vocational Qualification / Degree Certificate / Diploma Certificates proving professional experience from a recognized institution.

• Indoor Housekeeping Assistant Course – 15 days (with practical training)
• For jobs in corporate and industrial sector – 2 days (This training can be taken by both male and female workers going abroad for domestic work or both men and women going abroad for non-domestic employment).
• Male workers going abroad for domestic nursing jobs in Cyprus can apply for a 2-day non-domestic training course if they have more than 6 months of experience in nursing.
• Gap Filling Course (This may include changing the regional country (Middle East / Non-Middle East region) when going abroad after completing the Home Domestic Assistant course.)
• Nursing Training Course – 30 days (with practical training)
• In-house training course – 7 days (for those whose previous experience in a foreign country cannot be verified by documents and the training certificate period can be extended to housemaids over 10 years)
• If you are going for a job as a skilled worker or a professional level, you can submit a certification of a service certificate issued by a recognized institution (service period should not be less than 6 months) or certificates of professional qualifications (degree / diploma / vocational courses).

• Men / women going abroad for domestic work your employment contract should be verified by the Embassy of Sri Lanka. (Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Cyprus, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and South Korea)
• If a woman is going to Kuwait as a non-domestic unskilled worker, the employment contract must be certified by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait or the Chamber of Commerce.
• For women going abroad for domestic work in the Middle East, the employer must deposit a non- refundable safe deposit of $ 1500 / – at the Sri Lankan Embassies where the Employment and Welfare Division is active.
• Domestic male / female migrant workers (US $ 50) service contract (US $ 50) payable locally for all countries where the employment and welfare sections of the Sri Lankan Embassy are not active, as well as for the United Arab Emirates.
• If a woman goes abroad for non-domestic unskilled work in any country other than Kuwait or a woman going abroad for a job in a garment factory, the service contract fee ($ 35) must be paid locally. Service Agreement Fee ($ 35) for a man / woman went abroad with a Domestic Work Visa on a Tourist Visa and returning to Sri Lanka with a Re-Entry Visa , A woman going abroad with a re-entry visa for a non-domestic unskilled job or a job in the apparel industry will have to pay the service contract fee ($ 35) locally.

• Women below the age of 45 should submit the family background report obtained from the Divisional Secretariat of their area of (This is valid for 9 months from the date of issue.)
• Family Background Report is not required if you have registered with the Bureau and are working abroad and returning to Sri Lanka within 6 months with a new visa.
• Family background report is not required when returning to Sri Lanka after obtaining a work visa abroad on a tourist visa and renewing the registration on a re-entry visa or a re-entry
• As an alternative to the procedure of obtaining the Family Background Report from the Divisional Secretariat, the page containing the Certificate of Residence, Affidavit, National Identity Card and Passport photo obtained from the Grama Niladhari can be uploaded on the slbfe.lk web page. Original copies should be submitted at the time of obtaining the Bureau registration.

• Passport (should be valid for 06 months from the date of registration)
• Re-entry visa
• Pre-Registration Visa
• In cases where the employer cannot verify the re-entry visa, the documents should be submitted stating that he is working under the same employer from the date of obtaining the Bureau registration.

(Please submit Iqama Card or a copy of it when renewing registration for Saudi Arabia)

  The initial registration fee is Rs.22,027.00 -(Rs.18,200.00 + 18% (VAT) + 2.5%(SSCL) 

• When registering for the first time
• When going abroad to another employer who is not the last registered (Re-entry visa)
• When going abroad on a re-entry visa (went abroad on a tourist visa, then obtained a work visa and returning to Sri Lanka on a re-entry visa).

Registration renewal fee is Rs.4,599.00 (Rs.3,800.00 +18% (VAT)+2.5%(SSCL)

• When going abroad on Re-Entry visa to the last registered employer
• Under the last registered employer, when going for employment in another country

Upon receipt of a new visa / employment contract from the last registered employer (after the last registration, the non-employer should not have gone abroad to another employer)

• If you want to withdraw the registration fee in case of non-travel abroad after obtaining the registration, a letter of request with the insurance certificate, consumer copy of the receipt, passport, photocopy of the bank account before 120 days from the date of registration should be submitted to the Bureau.

Note – A person over 65 years of age who is registered with the Bureau will not be entitled to the benefits of the free local insurance cover provided by the SLBFE.