The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has announced that, effective 1st July 2025, all Sri Lankans seeking foreign employment in non-domestic sectors for the first time must obtain certification of their employment contracts from the Sri Lankan diplomatic mission in the respective country prior to registering with the SLBFE.
This mandatory requirement applies to workers migrating to the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea.
The SLBFE stated that this move is aimed at strengthening the protection and legal rights of Sri Lankan workers overseas by ensuring contract transparency and authenticity before departure.
However, the requirement does not apply to individuals travelling for self-employment in professional categories. Such individuals will be exempted if they can produce a passport indicating their profession or relevant documentation confirming their professional status in the destination country.
The bureau noted, “This is a measure taken for the protection of migrant workers.”
