Recruitment Agency Register

Official online lookupHas not ratified ILO C181

Recruitment agency licensing in Sri Lanka

Licensing authority: Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), which licenses foreign employment agencies under the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Act, No. 21 of 1985.2,1,5

How to check an agency in Sri Lanka

The SLBFE website links to a list of valid licensed agencies.1,2

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Who needs a licence

Recruitment agencies placing workers in foreign employment are licensed by the SLBFE, which says it runs a licensing system for those who meet the requirements of the SLBFE Act. A recruitment agency licence is valid for one year and is renewable.2

Fees charged to workers

Under section 51A, added by the 2009 amendment, a licensee that receives no commission or other payment from the employer may charge recruits its actual expenses in addition to the registration fee, but only with prior SLBFE approval, and must issue a receipt. Hiding an employer's payment of those expenses and still asking recruits to pay is an offence.5

Licence conditions

SLBFE lists a new licence application fee of Rs. 7,262, a licence fee of Rs. 200,000 (excluding NBT and VAT), a bank guarantee of Rs. 5,000,000 valid for 36 months and two personal guarantees of Rs. 2,000,000. The applicant must have passed the GCE Ordinary Level or completed a certificate course at the National Institute of Labour Studies. A licence is valid for one year from issue. The 2009 amendment bars issuing a licence to an applicant who already holds one.6,5

Reporting an unlicensed agency

The SLBFE has a complaint management service and an online complaint form. Registered migrant workers, or someone on their behalf, can complain at the head office, a branch office or the labour section of a Sri Lankan mission abroad. Its hotline is 1989 or +94 11 2 880 500, WhatsApp +94 71 9 802 822 for callers abroad, and email info_center@slbfe.lk. Workers not registered with SLBFE are directed to the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.7

ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention (C181)

Not ratified4

Main law

Checked 28 October 2026. This page describes the licensing system. It does not list or rate individual agencies.

Sources

  1. Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment
  2. Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies in Sri Lanka
  3. Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, SLBFE Act and Corporate Plan
  4. Government of the Netherlands, Treaty Database, Convention concerning Private Employment Agencies, Geneva, 19-06-1997 (29 January 2026)
  5. Department of Government Printing, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (Amendment) Act, No. 56 of 2009
  6. Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, Obtain a Recruitment Agency Licence (29 January 2024)
  7. Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, Complaint Management