The Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) prohibits the direct hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) pursuant to DOLE Administrative Order No. 196, Series of 2018, Republic Act No. 10022 and the Revised Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Land-based Overseas Filipino Workers of 2017.

To check if you are exempted from the direct hiring prohibition and your contract is compliant with Philippine regulations, please click here.

Foreign employers intending to hire OFWs are required to recruit through a licensed Philippine recruitment agency. To find a valid and licensed Philippine agency, type keywords ‘manpower,’ ‘placement,’ ‘agency’ or ‘recruitment’ at the search bar at https://www.dmw.gov.ph/licensed-recruitment-agencies).

The foreign principal and Philippine recruitment agency will work together during the hiring process.  The Philippine recruitment agency will guide the foreign principal in accordance with the POEA Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Land-based Overseas Workers. The foreign principal will apply for accreditation and authority to hire Filipino nationals for himself, while the Philippine agency shall process the documents submitted in the Philippines.

Only after the POEA requirements are completed can the Embassy authenticate the contract.

FILING PROCEDURE

Requirements:

1. Employment contract written in English signed on all pages by the employer / authorized signatory.  The contract must be compliant with Philippine requirements, and should include the contingency plan and repatriation clause (click here for the sample contract). This document must be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in the country of employment.
2. Copy of valid passport of the employer or authorized signatory
3. If authorized signatory, letter providing the name of the employer’s authorized signatory together with his / her specimen signature
4. Copy of valid passport of Filipino employee
5. The following attachments should be included to show that the contract has undergone the Philippine government recruitment procedures:
   • Recruitment agreement between the employer and the Philippine recruitment agency
   • Job order indicating the positions, the number of positions required and salary per position
   • Copy of the employer’s commercial registration or business license, including information on business activities
6. Send a copy of all the above documents by email first to the following address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
7. Only after the Embassy has confirmed that everything is in order should you proceed to pay the applicable fees and to send the original document/s to the Embassy.

   Fees:   ·         US$ 25.00 per document. The document will be released three working days after its receipt. ·         Additional expedite fee of US$10.00 per document if it is to be released on the next working day after its receipt.

8. Email the Embassy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get the bank details and corresponding fees before sending the applicable fees to the Embassy’s bank account by deposit or bank transfer.  

   Please note that the applicant is responsible for paying the corresponding bank charges and that the Embassy has a “NO REFUND POLICY.”  Please pay the exact amount.    

9. Email the proof of payment, together with the following information to the Consular Section of the Embassy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.:
   • Country
   • Name and mobile phone number of applicant
   • Title of document/s for authentication
   • Proof of payment (should include bank reference number with the amount and the date of transaction)
10. Together with the proof of payment, send the original/hard copy of the document/s to be authenticated to the following address by courier:

                                                    Consular Section

                                                    Embassy of the Philippines

                                                    P.O. Box 47491-00100

                                                    001 Mzima Springs Road, Lavington

                                                    Nairobi, Kenya

11. If the documents are received in order and the payment duly credited to the Embassy account, the authentication certificate/s will be released three (3) working days after receipt of the document/s.
12. The applicant will be responsible for arranging the return courier service.