Europe Gains Ground for Nepali Workers as Gulf Risks and Recruitment Fraud Shape Migration

Nearly 54,000 approvals signal a change in destinations

Europe accounted for 53,951 new labor approvals for Nepali workers in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2025-26, as uncertainty in the Gulf encouraged jobseekers to consider different destinations. Across 24 European countries, those approvals represented 14.7 percent of Nepal's approved outbound workforce, up from 8.69 percent in the previous fiscal year.

Nepal's Department of Foreign Employment figures show how quickly the destination map is changing. Between mid July 2025 and mid June 2026, about 367,000 Nepalis received new labor permits for employment in 160 countries. Gulf countries still accounted for the largest share, at 55.4 percent, while Malaysia represented 15.9 percent. Europe's share increased by 6.01 percentage points compared with the previous fiscal year.

Nepali workers are weighing several priorities: earnings, job stability, residence rights and the possibility of bringing their families abroad. The Gulf often offers higher earnings in the short term, while European destinations attract workers seeking a more lasting basis for family life. Renewed tensions in West Asia have made the security and reliability of traditional employment markets a greater concern.

Women received 12,482 of the approvals for Europe, with their share recorded as 23.91 percent. Cyprus stands out: women accounted for 4,742 of the 7,314 Nepalis approved to work there, and many work in domestic service.

Nepal's dependence on remittances, the money workers send home, gives this shift importance beyond individual job decisions. A change in where Nepalis work affects household finances, recruitment businesses and the government's approach to protecting citizens abroad. As of July 21, 2026, Europe is gaining ground, while the Gulf remains Nepal's largest overseas employment destination.

Romania accounts for almost half of European approvals

Romania led European destinations with 24,767 new approvals, including 3,144 for women. It accounted for roughly 46 percent of all Nepalis approved for European jobs during the period. Employers need workers in construction, hotels and restaurants, factories, warehouses, logistics, caregiving and other services.

Ilfov County, which surrounds Bucharest, has registered more than 51,000 foreign nationals. Nepalis form its largest foreign worker group, drawn by available employment and the possibility of family reunification, the process through which eligible residents can bring family members to join them.

Romanian immigration figures give another measure of the movement. Authorities approved 82,180 work permits for citizens of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan in 2025. Nepali nationals received 45,496 of those permits, more than half of the total for those five countries. By April 30, 2026, 57,330 Nepali citizens held valid Romanian residence permits, including 56,700 based on employment.

Nepal's new labor approvals record permission to leave for overseas employment. Romanian work and residence permits record authorization issued by the destination country. These figures describe different stages of migration and cover different periods.

Sagar Phuyal, Nepal's acting ambassador to Germany, who also handles relations with Romania, said Romania had become more attractive after joining the Schengen Area. He also described preparations to put the countries' labor agreement into full operation:

Nepal and Romania have already signed a bilateral labour agreement, and preparations are underway for its full implementation. Currently, Nepalis constitute the largest community of foreign workers in Romania.

Romania has an annual quota of 100,000 workers from outside the European Union to address labor shortages. The quota is rarely filled in practice, partly because many workers leave their assigned jobs or seek employment elsewhere after arriving.

The dates illustrate the different periods covered by the migration figures:

• 2025: Romania approved 45,496 work permits for Nepali nationals.
• April 30, 2026: Romania recorded 57,330 Nepalis with valid residence permits.
• Mid July 2025 to mid June 2026: Nepal issued 53,951 new labor approvals for 24 European countries.

Some workers see eastern destinations as a gateway

Romania's popularity also reflects ambitions to move farther west. Some Nepalis see Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and other eastern destinations as entry points to Western Europe, where wages are generally higher and residence systems are perceived as more attractive.

Lhakpa Sherpa, president of the Sherpa Community Association in Bucharest, said Romania's visa process is currently among the fastest. Workers may obtain a temporary residence card after arrival and then attempt to move to another European country. Romanian authorities have tightened checks in response.

Sherpa described how immigration officials now check whether an arriving worker has a confirmed job:

Immigration officials at airports now call employers to verify arrivals, and workers are turned back if their employers do not confirm their positions.

Some workers attempt to use the Balkan Route, an irregular migration corridor crossing countries such as Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia. It can lead toward Italy, France, Germany, Portugal or Poland. Migrants may pay smugglers or guides to cross forests and mountain borders, exposing themselves to arrest, injury, theft and exploitation.

Legal travel is possible in some circumstances, although residence permits carry conditions workers may not fully understand. Yam Kumar Rupakheti, who worked in Croatia, found jobs in warehouses, food delivery and painting after arriving with a temporary residence card. He later traveled legally to Italy while that card was valid.

Rupakheti's experience also shows the responsibilities that can fall on workers after arrival. Finding employment, renewing documents and meeting living costs may become their own tasks, with little reliable support. A temporary residence card has an expiry date and conditions attached to it; maintaining legal status requires workers to keep track of both while supporting themselves.

Cyprus leads the next group of destinations

Cyprus ranked second among European destinations, with 7,314 new labor approvals. Portugal followed with 3,245, then Malta with 3,056, Bulgaria with 2,993, Serbia with 2,899, Croatia with 2,817, Greece with 2,254 and Austria with 1,961.

Direct access to wealthier Western European economies remained limited. Germany received 316 Nepalis with work approvals, Ireland 190, France 146, Spain 146, the Netherlands 62, Belgium 20 and Sweden nine. Stricter visa rules, higher qualification requirements and the limited number of formal recruitment agreements available to Nepali applicants help explain those smaller totals.

Poland is another expanding employment market. Nearly 1.29 million foreign workers were legally employed there by the end of 2025, about 8 percent more than a year earlier. Ukrainians and Belarusians remained the largest groups, while workers from Nepal, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and Colombia were becoming more common. The number of Nepalis in Poland reportedly rose by more than 30 percent in 2025.

Poland's shrinking population of working age is creating demand in factories, transport, nursing, computer programming and machine operation. New digital procedures have simplified some employment processes. Higher fees, lengthy permit delays and stricter penalties for illegal employment still affect employers and migrants.

Greece needs workers from outside the EU in farming, tourism, food services, construction and manufacturing. More than 80,000 positions have been approved annually in recent years, yet only 40 to 50 percent are filled because visa and recruitment procedures can take five or six months.

A proposed Greek law would allow temporary employment agencies to recruit workers directly and place them with businesses. The proposal addresses a practical problem shared by several destinations: employers can have vacancies while workers wait months for the documents needed to take those jobs.

Labor shortages extend from construction to care

The European Labour Authority identified shortages in 2,617 occupations in its 2025 report. Italy reported shortages in 253 occupations, followed by the Netherlands with 195, Bulgaria with 193, Belgium with 184 and Romania with 170. About 57 percent of the listed shortages were rated high or medium in severity.

Skilled trades, machine operators, technicians and drivers are among the affected occupations. Demand also includes jobs requiring intermediate skills in construction, transport, hospitality and personal services. Aging populations, low birth rates, gaps in workers' skills and difficult working conditions have reduced the number of available local employees.

Health and care services employ more than 25 million people in Europe, yet the sector faces a reported 36 percent shortage of specialist doctors, general practitioners, nurses and care assistants. More than half of the existing health workforce is aged 50 or older. Citizens from outside the EU account for a large share of home care workers and a growing portion of highly qualified medical staff.

Sweden illustrates the tension between demand for workers and restrictive migration policy. Doctors trained abroad account for more than 27 percent of its active doctors, while immigrants make up more than half of healthcare assistants. Sweden is expected to need another 50,000 elderly care workers by 2030. Deportation cases involving healthcare staff have prompted calls for more predictable residence rules.

European logistics companies are also increasingly recruiting truck drivers from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Some workers receive language training, driving licenses and instruction in European road rules before departure.

Transport workers can nevertheless face recruitment debt, deductions from wages and withheld documents. Complex subcontracting arrangements, in which several companies share parts of the employment process, can make it difficult to identify who is responsible for labor abuses. Demand for workers and the quality of their employment remain separate practical challenges.

Family security can outweigh higher immediate earnings

Kumari Waiba, who previously worked as a cook in the United Arab Emirates, earns about 1,100 euros a month in Bulgaria. After rent, taxes, health insurance, transport and daily expenses, she said she can send about 700 euros home. Some general workers earn around 1,200 euros monthly, while savings can fall below 500 euros without overtime.

European work can therefore offer less immediate financial reward than a Gulf job. Workers still find it attractive because they may eventually qualify for permanent residence and bring family members. For some households, that prospect is worth more than several years of higher wages in temporary employment. Residence rights, public services, schooling and legal employment also influence their decisions.

European Union data recorded 1.3 million first residence permits for employment for citizens from outside the EU in 2023, representing 33.8 percent of all first permits. The EU issued 3.7 million first residence permits for all reasons that year. A first residence permit is the initial authorization allowing someone to live in the destination country for a stated purpose.

The migration figures also put family reasons at 45 percent, ahead of employment at 28 percent. Family migration and recruitment for jobs are therefore both important parts of Europe's attraction, even though an individual worker's eligibility depends on the relevant residence conditions.

Demand for foreign labor is likely to continue in care, construction, tourism, transport and technology. Europe is developing formal programs to compete for skilled workers, including the EU Blue Card and the EU Talent Pool. Germany issued most Blue Cards, while countries such as France have expanded routes for workers in shortage occupations.

Qualified professionals generally find these programs easier to use than general laborers. For workers in less specialized jobs, temporary permits, recruitment costs and the time needed to qualify for family reunification can have a greater influence on whether a move becomes financially sustainable.

High fees and false promises put workers at risk

Nepal's formal recruitment arrangements have struggled to keep pace with the growth of European migration. Many jobseekers rely on personal contacts, informal networks and individual agents. They may pay between Rs700,000 and Rs2 million for a job, travel documents and residence arrangements.

The Department of Foreign Employment says 4,993 people have filed complaints connected to European job fraud, seeking about Rs240 million in compensation. Complaints include false salary promises, nonexistent jobs, poor housing, unpaid wages and unexpected changes in the employer or workplace location.

Bhimsen Thapa, youth vice president of the Non Resident Nepali Association in Portugal, said workers sometimes spend months without employment after arrival. Language barriers can also prevent them from opening bank accounts, finding housing or obtaining legal assistance.

Thapa described how broken recruitment promises can turn financial problems into a loss of legal status:

Workers often find that the wages and accommodation do not match the recruiters' promises. Many remain unemployed for months, run out of money, or become undocumented, facing arrest and deportation.

Dik Bahadur Khatri, chairman of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies, said restrictions on licensed agencies have pushed workers toward informal channels. He argued that legitimate companies should be allowed to arrange European placements under government oversight, with clear responsibility for contracts and worker welfare.

Jeevan Baniya of the Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility said Nepal's diplomatic missions need more staff and resources as the migrant population grows. Their work may include verifying employers, monitoring conditions, providing translation and legal referrals, and helping workers replace documents or recover unpaid wages.

Recruitment debt can make a difficult job hard to leave. A worker facing poor housing or unpaid wages may still need money to repay an agent, support relatives and renew documents. Those pressures help explain why verified employment and accessible complaint systems matter alongside the number of jobs available.

Nepal seeks agreements as Europe tightens controls

Nepal's Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security says it is prioritizing Europe within a plan to spread labor migration across more destinations. Draft bilateral labor agreements have been sent to Albania, Austria, Turkey, Malta, Serbia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Belgium.

Labor Ministry spokesperson Pitambar Ghimire said European countries provide strong social protection and welfare. Nepal is coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create safer legal routes, although formal recruitment has not reached the expected level. Preparations continue for full implementation of the agreement with Romania; no implementation date was given.

European governments are also seeking to control entry and prevent workers from disappearing from assigned jobs. Romania verifies arrivals with employers. New digital border systems record entry and exit information for many travelers from outside the EU making short stays, making irregular travel and overstaying easier to detect. Work permits remain the authorization needed for employment.

Faster visas alone leave other problems unresolved when agents charge excessive fees, employers change contracts after arrival or a worker's residence permit depends entirely on one company. European employers need to provide safe housing, written contracts, proper wages and access to complaint systems.

Bilateral agreements can give Nepal a stronger basis for settling disputes and monitoring recruitment. A formal process could provide workers with verified jobs and clearer legal status, while allowing European employers to recruit from a larger pool without relying on unregulated intermediaries.

Opportunity depends on the conditions of the job

Nepali workers seeking greater security and European employers seeking staff are moving toward the same labor markets. Romania is the clearest meeting point, followed by Cyprus and several eastern and southern European destinations. Aging populations and low birth rates are helping sustain demand, while uncertainty in the Gulf adds urgency to workers' search for alternatives.

Many available jobs involve physically demanding work or low pay. Residence cards may be temporary, family reunification may take years, and moving between countries without proper authorization can lead to detention or deportation. These conditions shape what workers can save, how safely they can change employment and whether family plans are achievable.

Verified employers, affordable recruitment, transparent contracts, worker training, consular support and enforcement against fraud are central to making the shift safer. Developing those protections alongside labor agreements could make Europe a more stable option for Nepali families. Without them, greater demand for labor also gives exploitative recruiters more opportunities.

Key Points

• Nepal issued 53,951 new labor approvals for 24 European countries in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2025-26.
• Europe's share rose to 14.7 percent from 8.69 percent; the Gulf still accounted for 55.4 percent.
• Romania led European destinations with 24,767 approvals, roughly 46 percent of the European total.
• Women received 12,482 approvals for Europe, including 4,742 for Cyprus.
• The European Labour Authority identified shortages in 2,617 occupations in its 2025 report.
• Nepal recorded 4,993 complaints linked to European job fraud, seeking about Rs240 million.
• Draft labor agreements have been sent to 11 European and nearby countries.
• Recruitment costs, temporary residence conditions and access to worker protection remain central concerns.