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For Nepali workers in Qatar: re-entry labour permit, welfare fund, passport and help from the Embassy of Nepal
How Nepali workers in Qatar renew their labour approval (re-entry Shram Swikriti) online before going home on leave, what the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund and insurance give your family, how to get a new Nepali e-passport in Doha, and where to complain about a recruiting agency.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Re-entry permit
- Online on FEIMS (feims.dofe.gov.np); automatic for same country and same company since June 2026
- Welfare Fund
- NPR 1,500 (under 3 years) or NPR 2,500 (3 to 10 years); death compensation NPR 1 million
- New e-passport
- QAR 185 (34 pages) at the Embassy of Nepal, Doha, by appointment
- Embassy
- Zone 56, Street 681, Abu Hamour (Ain Khaled); +974 4467 5681; Sun to Thu 9am to 5pm
If you are a Nepali working in Qatar, two governments have paperwork for you: Qatar (your QID and work permit) and Nepal (your labour approval, called Shram Swikriti). Every time you go home on leave and fly back out of Nepal, Nepal's airport immigration expects a valid labour approval, and since June 2026 the re-entry approval is issued automatically online through FEIMS if you are returning to the same country and the same company. That approval also keeps you inside the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund and the compulsory insurance, which is what pays your family if something goes wrong. This guide explains the re-entry permit first, then the welfare fund and insurance, passport renewal at the Embassy of Nepal in Doha, and how to complain about a recruiting agency. Qatar-side matters such as transferring your residency to a new passport, salary disputes and repatriation have their own guides, linked below.
Before you start
- Valid Nepali passport (at least 3 months left for re-entry; renew early if it expires within a year)
- Your current Qatar ID (QID) and a clear photo or scan of the front and back
- Your employment contract (the Ministry of Labour attested contract) showing your employer name and salary
- Your previous labour approval (Shram Swikriti) details and your FEIMS login: passport number, date of birth and password
- Access to the email address and Nepali or Qatari mobile number you registered on FEIMS
- A way to pay online for the insurance, Welfare Fund and any Social Security Fund amount FEIMS asks for (or a family member in Nepal who can pay for you)
- For a new passport: your Nepali citizenship certificate (original if possible, plus a copy), your old passport and copy, and the printed pre-enrollment form from online.nepalpassport.gov.np
- For a complaint against an agency: receipts, bank transfer records, chat messages, the agency name and licence number, and your original contract or offer letter
Step by step
Understand what the re-entry labour permit is
Nepal requires every citizen going abroad for work to hold labour approval from the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE). The first approval was arranged when you were recruited. When you come home on leave and then fly back to Qatar, you need a renewed approval, usually called the re-entry permit or punah Shram Swikriti. Without it, Nepal's airport immigration can stop you from boarding, and you may lose welfare fund and insurance protection for the next period. Sort it out from Qatar before you travel, not on the day of your return flight.
Check if you qualify for automatic approval
On 18 Jestha 2083 (1 June 2026) DoFE announced automatic approval in FEIMS for workers going back to the same country and the same company. If you still work for the employer on your last approval, the system can issue the re-entry permit without an officer reviewing it. If you changed employer in Qatar, changed country, or your old approval has a different company name, you do not qualify for automatic approval and should expect to upload fresh employer documents. Changing employer inside Qatar is covered in the change-job guide; just remember Nepal's records must be updated too.
Read guide: Changing jobs in Qatar without an NOC →Log in to FEIMS and apply for re-entry
Go to feims.dofe.gov.np and log in to your individual account with your passport number, date of birth and password. Always use the same account as your first approval; a new duplicate account will not show your history and causes delays. Choose the re-entry (renewal) option, check that your passport number, employer and country are correct, and upload clear copies of your passport, QID or visa and contract. If you have a new passport since your last approval, make sure FEIMS has the new number, because a mismatch between your passport and your approval is one of the most common problems at the airport.
Pay the insurance and Welfare Fund online
Re-entry approval needs a renewed term life insurance policy, a Foreign Employment Welfare Fund contribution and, where FEIMS asks for it, a Social Security Fund contribution. The insurance premium depends on your age and the period covered, so use the amount FEIMS shows on the day. The Welfare Fund contribution is NPR 1,500 for a contract under 3 years and NPR 2,500 for 3 to 10 years. Pay only through the payment options inside FEIMS, keep every receipt, and do not pay agents who promise a guaranteed permit.
Read guide: Sending money home from Qatar: options, fees and limits →Check your approval before you book
Once approved, check the status in FEIMS and save or print the approval. Look carefully at the passport number, company name, country and validity dates. If something is wrong, contact DoFE's labour approval branch on +977 976 899 8473 or the FEIMS IT help line on +977 976 899 8477 (both in Nepal), or email it@dofe.gov.np. DoFE's toll-free number 1140 works only from Nepal. Leave yourself a few weeks of margin before your return flight in case of corrections.
Read guide: Annual leave, sick leave and leave salary in Qatar →Know what the Welfare Fund and insurance cover
The Foreign Employment Board (FEB) runs the Welfare Fund. It pays NPR 1 million to the heirs of a worker who dies abroad (raised from NPR 700,000 in October 2024), arranges free transport of the body home for workers who went abroad with labour approval, gives financial help for injury or disability, and supports family medical treatment. The separate insurance policy can pay more on top, depending on its terms. These benefits are tied to valid labour approval, so a worker who travelled without approval, or let it lapse, can find the family left out. Tell your family where your contract and approval copies are kept.
Read guide: When a family member dies in Qatar: certificates, repatriation and next steps →Claim help from the Foreign Employment Board
Families usually apply in Nepal through their local unit (municipality or ward office), and payment goes straight into the beneficiary's bank account. Application forms are in the downloads section of feb.gov.np, and the Board's site has an application status page. The FEB helpline for problems and complaints is 1141 from Nepal; you can also message +977 985 134 7222 on Viber or IMO, or email welfare@feb.gov.np. If a worker dies in Qatar, the Embassy handles the no-objection letter for the body and provides a power of attorney form so the family can claim blood money, compensation or insurance through the Embassy.
Read guide: When a family member dies in Qatar: certificates, repatriation and next steps →Get a new e-passport at the Embassy in Doha
Nepali e-passports are valid for 10 years and are not renewed; you apply for a new one before the old one expires, or earlier if it is damaged or full. Fill the pre-enrollment form at online.nepalpassport.gov.np, print it, and take it to the Embassy of Nepal by appointment with your citizenship certificate and old passport. You must go in person both to submit (for your photo and fingerprints) and to collect. The Embassy posts a list of names on its website and Facebook page when passports arrive; collection is Sunday to Thursday, 9am to 3pm, with your old passport and receipt.
After the new passport: update Qatar and FEIMS
A new passport means a new number, and both countries need to know. In Qatar, transfer your residency to the new passport through your employer or Metrash, as explained in the update-passport-in-residency guide. In Nepal, make sure the new passport number is on your FEIMS record before your next re-entry permit. If your passport is lost in Qatar, report it to the police first, then apply to the Embassy for a replacement (QAR 280), or for a one-way travel document home (QAR 185) if you only need to return to Nepal.
Read guide: Got a new passport? Updating it in your Qatar residence record →Use the Embassy for labour problems
The Embassy of Nepal is in Zone 56, Street 681 (Rawdat Umm Al Theyab Street), Abu Hamour, near Ain Khaled. It is open Sunday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm, on +974 4467 5681, +974 4467 5683 or +974 4417 1962. For employer problems, email labour.doha@mofa.gov.np with your name, QID, company and a short description. The Embassy can advise and talk to employers, but unpaid salary and other disputes are decided in Qatar, so also file a complaint with the Ministry of Labour (see labour-complaint).
Read guide: Filing a labour complaint in Qatar: unpaid salary and other disputes →Complain about a recruiting agency in Nepal
If a manpower agency charged you far more than the official service fee, lied about your job or salary, or took money for a job that never came, you can complain to DoFE. In July 2026 DoFE launched an online complaint and case system at ujuri.dofe.gov.np. Officially workers should pay only NPR 10,000 in service fees, and under the free visa, free ticket policy the employer should cover the visa and ticket, though this is widely ignored. Complaints often fail for lack of evidence, so upload receipts, bank records, messages and the agency's name and licence number.
Keep your papers ready for emergencies
Keep photos of your passport, QID, contract, latest labour approval, insurance policy and Welfare Fund receipt in one folder on your phone, and give copies to a family member in Nepal. If you need a police clearance certificate from Qatar for a new job or visa, follow the police-clearance guide. Before you leave Qatar for good, settle your dues and end-of-service money first, because claims are much harder from Nepal.
Read guide: Police clearance certificate (good conduct) in Qatar →
What it costs
| New e-passport, 34 pages (Embassy of Nepal, Doha) | QAR 185 |
| New e-passport, 66 pages | QAR 370 |
| Passport for a child under 10 | QAR 93 |
| Replacement for a lost or damaged passport | QAR 280 |
| One-way travel document to Nepal | QAR 185 |
| Foreign Employment Welfare Fund (contract under 3 years / 3 to 10 years) | NPR 1,500 / NPR 2,500 |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Waiting until you are in Nepal to sort out the re-entry permit, then discovering a mismatch a day before the flight.
- Creating a new FEIMS account instead of logging in to the one used for your first approval.
- Getting a new passport and forgetting to update the number on FEIMS and on your Qatar residency.
- Assuming automatic approval applies after changing employer in Qatar; it is only for the same country and the same company.
- Travelling to Qatar on a visit visa or without labour approval, which can leave you and your family outside the Welfare Fund and insurance.
- Paying a recruiter or 'shram agent' in cash with no receipt; without evidence a DoFE complaint is very hard to win.
- Sending someone else to collect your passport; the Embassy requires you in person to submit and to collect.
- Relying only on the Embassy for unpaid salary; the formal claim must be made in Qatar.
Questions people ask
Can I get my re-entry labour permit while I am still in Qatar?
Yes. The re-entry approval is done online on FEIMS, so you can apply from Qatar before you go on leave. If you are returning to the same company in the same country, DoFE's system now approves it automatically. Apply a few weeks before your trip so you have time to fix any mismatch.
I changed company in Qatar. Will my re-entry permit still be automatic?
No. Automatic approval is only for workers going back to the same country and the same company. After a job change you apply with your new employer's details and contract, and an officer reviews it. Make sure the company name matches your QID and attested contract exactly.
My labour approval has expired but I am still working in Qatar. Is that a problem?
You can keep working in Qatar, because Qatar's rules depend on your QID and work permit. The problem comes when you fly out of Nepal again, because airport immigration checks your approval, and Welfare Fund and insurance protection is linked to valid approval. Renew it on FEIMS before your next trip home.
How much does the family get if a Nepali worker dies in Qatar?
The Foreign Employment Board pays NPR 1 million to the heirs (the amount was raised in October 2024) and arranges free transport of the body for workers who went abroad with labour approval. The compulsory insurance can pay more on top, depending on the policy. Any salary, end-of-service money or blood money due in Qatar is sent through the Embassy, using a power of attorney from the family.
How long does a new Nepali passport take in Doha?
The Embassy does not publish a fixed time, because passports are printed in Kathmandu and sent to Doha. When a batch arrives, the Embassy posts a list of names on its website and Facebook page. Apply well before your passport expires and before you plan to travel.
Can a friend submit or collect my passport for me?
No. The Embassy says the applicant must come in person to submit the application and to collect the passport. Bring your old passport and the receipt when you collect.
My agent took NPR 300,000 and the job is different from what was promised. What can I do?
File a complaint with DoFE at ujuri.dofe.gov.np, or have a family member in Nepal visit DoFE in Kathmandu. Officially the service fee is NPR 10,000, so attach every receipt, bank transfer and message you have. For the job itself in Qatar, such as salary below your contract, also complain to Qatar's Ministry of Labour.
Does the Embassy still need to give a letter when I change sponsor?
The Embassy's website still lists a sponsorship-change letter, which needs your passport, QID, the new job offer and the new company's computer card. Qatar no longer requires your old employer's permission to change jobs, so ask the new employer or Embassy whether the letter is actually needed in your case before you apply.
Official sources
- Embassy of Nepal, Doha: passport services and fees ↗
- Embassy of Nepal, Doha: contact details ↗
- Department of Foreign Employment: automatic re-entry approval notice and FEIMS ↗
- Foreign Employment Board: welfare services and helplines ↗
- Himal Press: death compensation raised to NPR 1 million (October 2024) ↗
- Kathmandu Post: manpower agencies, fees and abuses (August 2026) ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.