Short answer: Under India's Emigration Act 1983, anyone recruiting Indians for jobs abroad needs a registration certificate from the Protector General of Emigrants. MEA publishes the list of active recruiting agents. A draft Overseas Mobility Bill, now with ministries, would update the system. Up to January 2026, e-Migrate listed 3,505 unregistered agents with grievances against them.
What is India's draft Overseas Mobility Bill?
According to the Economic Times, India's external affairs ministry (MEA) has circulated the draft Overseas Mobility (Welfare & Facilitation) Bill to other ministries for their suggestions, after the public consultation ended (Economic Times, 8 Oct 2026). The report cites the ministry's submission to Parliament's Standing Committee on External Affairs.
The next steps, as reported, are legal vetting by the law ministry, Cabinet approval and then introduction in Parliament. The bill would set up an "overseas mobility and welfare council" to bring ministries together on migration policy, and a mechanism to oversee international agreements on migration and mobility (Economic Times, 8 Oct 2026).
The bill is a draft. It has not been introduced in Parliament, and the current law still applies.
What does Indian law require of recruiters today?
Section 10 of the Emigration Act 1983 says no recruiting agent may start or carry on recruitment business without a valid certificate from the registering authority (Emigration Act 1983, s.10). That authority is the Protector General of Emigrants (PGE).
MEA's guidance sets out what registration involves (MEA, Recruiting Agents):
- a registration fee of ₹25,000
- a registration certificate that is initially valid for five years
- a ₹50 lakh bank guarantee (or ₹8 lakh for agents limited to 100 workers per tranche), under Rule 8 as amended in 2023 (Emigration Rules 1983, as amended)
- an inspection of the proposed office premises and a police check on the applicants.
The rules also cap the service charge a recruiting agent may collect from an emigrant at ₹30,000 plus GST, with a receipt for the amount (Emigration (Amendment) Rules 2017, G.S.R. 1510(E), 14 Dec 2017; Embassy of India, Bern, advisory).
How big is the problem with unregistered agents?
Up to January 2026, a list of 3,505 unregistered agents against whom grievances had been received was published on the e-Migrate portal to warn prospective emigrants, the Economic Times reported (Economic Times, 8 Oct 2026).
Registration alone does not settle every question. In a recent case in Kochi, police said an agency held a recruitment permit registered in Thiruvananthapuram, but that its branches had no clearance from the Protector of Emigrants, and that no demand letters or powers of attorney had been uploaded to eMigrate (Onmanorama, 28 Sep 2026). These are police allegations, not court findings. We describe the wider pattern in our article on fake Europe job offers in India.
Which countries does India have mobility pacts with?
The Economic Times reports that India has mobility pacts with more than 20 countries (8 Oct 2026). The most recent is with Switzerland: on 5 October 2026, during the Swiss President's state visit, the two countries concluded a Migration and Mobility Partnership covering legal mobility pathways, readmission, irregular migration and trafficking, as well as a separate agreement on exchanging young professionals (Swiss Federal Council, 5 Oct 2026; PM India, list of outcomes).
What should EU employers check before hiring through an Indian recruiter?
- The registration number. Ask the agency for its PGE registration number and check it on MEA's district- and state-wise list of active recruiting agents, the latest as on 08 April 2026 (MEA, Overseas Employment).
- The office you deal with. A registered agent must display its certificate at its business premises, and any additional office must carry a copy endorsed by the registering authority (MEA, Recruiting Agents). If you deal with a branch, ask to see that endorsement.
- A written demand letter and power of attorney. For emigration clearance, the agent produces the employment contract, demand letter and power of attorney from the foreign employer (MEA, Emigration Clearance guidelines). Issue both in writing. In the Kochi case, the police officer described the lawful route as a demand letter verified through the Indian Embassy, an attested power of attorney and upload to e-Migrate. Ask the Indian mission in your country which attestation applies to your hire.
- When emigration clearance applies. Emigration clearance is required only for ECR-passport holders going to the 18 ECR countries; Indian recruiters still need a PGE registration certificate. None of the 18 countries is in the EU or EEA (PIB, 8 Feb 2024).
How does Testiy fit in?
Testiy verifies Indian agencies before they can list candidates: licence checked, office verified, documents reviewed. Testiy checks each agency's registration number against India's official e-Migrate list of licensed recruiting agents, among other checks. Candidate documents are reviewed by an officer, and Testiy checks police clearance certificates, apostilles and driving licences.
Testiy focuses on the EU but works with employers in almost every country where Indians go to work. Sign-up is free, and the employer pays only when a work contract is signed.
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