← Know Your Rights
Recruitment
Recruitment fees
What recruiters can legitimately ask you to pay, and how fees are used to create debt and control.
What it means
- A recruitment fee is money a recruiter or agency asks a worker to pay in exchange for arranging a job abroad.
- In many countries and under international labor standards, workers should not bear the cost of their own recruitment. The employer is expected to cover these costs.
- Fees are sometimes disguised as 'training,' 'processing,' 'visa,' or 'placement' charges.
Warning signs
- You are asked to pay before you have a written job offer.
- The fee is described only in vague terms, with no itemized breakdown.
- You are pressured to pay quickly, or in cash, with no receipt.
- You are told to borrow money or sell property to cover the fee.
- The amount seems very high compared to the promised salary.
What to do
- Ask for every fee in writing, itemized, before you pay anything.
- Ask why each fee exists and who receives the money.
- Get a signed receipt for any payment, no matter how small.
- Compare the fee against publicly available information for that job type and destination.
- Slow down. A legitimate opportunity can withstand careful questions.
Where to seek help
- A local labor rights organization or worker's association.
- Your country's labor ministry or overseas employment authority, if one exists.
- A qualified legal aid provider before signing anything or making a large payment.
This is general information, not country-specific legal advice. Local hotlines, embassy contacts, and vetted referral partners will appear here as SafePath expands into each region.