Is Shram Swikriti compulsory before flying for SSW / EPS / Gulf jobs?

Short answer: Yes for almost every formal foreign-employment route — SSW, EPS, Gulf contract jobs — and the online portal (shramswikriti) is the only valid path now.

Process snapshot.

• Apply online at the Department of Foreign Employment portal once your demand letter is attested.
• Pre-departure orientation is mandatory; certificate is digital.
• Welfare fund contribution at the time of approval — keeps your family covered for accident/death overseas.

What hurts most travellers. Walking up to the airport without Shram Swikriti and being turned back at immigration. The horror stories are real and avoidable — there is no shortcut.

Were you held up at TIA recently? What was missing?