Licensed External Recruitment Agencies in Uganda: How to Check the Ministry of Gender Labour List

Headline options

1. Licensed External Recruitment Agencies in Uganda: How to Check the Ministry of Gender Labour List
2. Is Your Recruitment Agency Licensed? Check the Ministry List in Five Minutes
3. Verified Labour Export Companies in Uganda: How to Confirm Before You Pay
4. Before You Pay for a Job Abroad, Check This One List
5. MGLSD Recruitment Agencies List: A Simple Guide for Job Seekers

Start here

A recruiter says, "Don't worry, we are licensed," and asks for your deposit. A licence you have not checked is just a claim. This guide shows job seekers how to check a recruitment agency against the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development list before you pay a shilling.

The short version

• Only licensed companies may place Ugandans in jobs abroad. Individuals and tour and travel companies are not licensed for this, according to a minister in February 2026.
• The ministry's state minister shared a list of licensed firms as of 7 April 2026. Reports gave different counts, so always use the ministry's current list.
• Match the exact company name, not just a similar one.
• A licence is not enough. Also confirm the ministry has approved the specific job order.
• Ask for a receipt for any payment, a written contract and an employment visa.
• Report problems through the EEMIS complaints module, the Sauti 116 helpline or the ministry offices.

Only licensed companies may send you abroad to work

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development licenses private companies to recruit Ugandans for overseas jobs. In February 2026, the Minister of State for Labour, Esther Anyakun, said tours and travel companies are not legally mandated to take Ugandans abroad for work. She also said individual agents cannot do it: "Only companies are licensed."

Why the licence matters to you

A licensed company answers to the ministry. News reports in April 2026 said the ministry revoked 275 licences for failing to renew and other irregularities, and that the required bank guarantee had risen from UGX 100 million to UGX 200 million. The state minister also said licensed companies are responsible for following up on workers' safety and welfare at their workplaces, and that the ministry would help recover money from a listed company that cheats you.

An unlicensed person gives you none of that. If something goes wrong, there is nobody to hold responsible.

Example: Think of a licence like a driver's licence for a taxi. A friend who says "I drive well" is not the same as a driver the authorities have checked. You would still ask to see the licence before you get in.

A licence does not approve every job

Even a licensed company must have its job orders approved. The minister said job seekers should check that the ministry has approved the specific job order before they sign up. So you need to check two things: the company, and the job.

Do this: Write down the company's full name, the job title, the country and the pay. You will use all four when you check.

Check the agency in five steps before you pay

The ministry updates the list, so use the latest version you can find from an official source. In April 2026, State Minister Balaam Barugahara shared a list of licensed labour export companies "as of 7th April 2026" on his X account, according to Pulse Uganda. The report does not link to an official web page for the list, so ask the ministry where its current version is published.

1. Get the exact company name. Ask for the full registered name, office address and licence number. Write them down.
2. Find the name on the ministry's current list. Match it letter for letter. A name that is almost the same, such as an extra word, is a reason to ask more questions.
3. Ask the ministry if you are unsure. Visit the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development offices or use the official channels it publishes. The February 2026 reforms also pointed to the External Employment Management Information System (EEMIS) for checking that a company and its job offers are approved.
4. Check the job order. Ask the agency for the approved job order for your job and country, and confirm that with the ministry.
5. Meet them at their office. A licensed company should have a real office and a named contact. Do not do business through a chat-only contact.

Example: Imagine you find an advert from "Gulf Star Placements" and the ministry's list shows "Gulf Star Staffing Services Ltd." These are not the same name. Ask the agency which one it is, and ask the ministry before you go further.

Why a friend's word is not a check

If your cousin used the agency and got a job, that tells you one thing happened once. It does not tell you the licence is valid today. Licences can expire or be revoked, and the 2026 list shows how many were.

Do this: Do the check yourself, from the ministry's list or office, not from a screenshot someone sent you. Screenshots can be old or edited.

A licensed agency should still show you these four things

Passing the list check is the first step. A legitimate agency should also be open about the details.

The approved job order and a written contract

The minister said job seekers should have an employment contract or offer letter that states the work and the pay, and should share it with their family before leaving. In February 2026 the government also described a four-party contract between the worker, the foreign employer, the local agency and the government for workers going to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

A receipt for every payment

The minister said applicants should get a receipt for any payment made to a licensed company. For domestic worker jobs, she said no payment should be required. Do not pay in cash to a person's personal mobile money number. Pay only against a written receipt from the company.

An employment visa, not a visit visa

The minister said job seekers should travel on an employment visa, not a visit or tourist visa. If an agent tells you to travel on a visit visa and "change it later," stop.

Pre-departure training

For domestic migrant workers, the ministry described a mandatory 14-day pre-departure orientation. Ask when and where it will be held.

Example: A job seeker is told to pay a "processing fee." She asks for a receipt with the company name and stamp. The agent says receipts are "not needed." That answer tells her what she needs to know.

Do this: Keep copies of the contract, receipts, visa and your agency's contacts in one folder, and send a copy to someone you trust.

Know the red flags and where to report them

Even people who know about licences get caught. These are the usual tricks.

Common mix-ups

• "We work with a licensed company." The person offering you the job must be the licensed company. Ask for the licence in the company's own name.
• A tour or travel company offering jobs. The minister said these are not legally mandated to send Ugandans abroad for work.
• A real company's name used by someone else. Scammers copy names. Call the number the ministry or the company's official office gives you, not the number on the advert.
• An old list or a screenshot. Licences change. Use the ministry's latest list.

Warning signs in the deal

• Payment is requested before a written contract.
• No receipt is offered, or payment is to a personal account.
• You are told to travel on a visit visa.
• You are told to keep the deal secret from your family.
• The pay sounds far too good for the job.

News reports on the 2026 revocations cited alleged illegal recruitment fees of UGX 2 million to 8 million, against a government-approved registration fee of UGX 50,000. Our guide to fake job adverts in Uganda covers other scam patterns.

Where to report a problem

The ministry named these channels in February 2026:

• The EEMIS complaints module at eemis.mglsd.go.ug
• The Sauti 116 migrant helpline app
• Telephone: +256 414 341 250

The state minister also said the ministry would help recover money if a listed company cheated you. Keep every receipt, message and contract, because they are your evidence.

Example: Imagine a woman who paid a deposit, was then told her job was "cancelled" and was offered another country instead. She stopped paying, saved her messages and receipts and took them to the ministry. Her records gave officials something to act on.

Frequently asked questions

Who licenses recruitment agencies for jobs abroad in Uganda?

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development licenses private companies that recruit Ugandans for overseas work. Individuals and tour and travel companies are not licensed for this, according to the Minister of State for Labour in February 2026.

How do I check if an agency is on the ministry list?

Get the agency's exact registered name and licence number, then match the name letter for letter against the ministry's current list. If you are unsure, ask the ministry offices. Also confirm that your specific job order is approved.

How many licensed agencies are there?

It changes. Reports in April 2026 gave different figures, including 228 on the minister's list as of 7 April and 225 active licences after 275 were revoked. Use the ministry's latest list, not a number from an article.

Can an individual agent send me abroad?

No. The minister said individual agents cannot take people abroad for work and that only companies are licensed.

What if a licensed company cheats me?

Report it to the ministry through the EEMIS complaints module, the Sauti 116 app or the ministry offices. The state minister said the ministry would help you recover your money, so keep receipts and your contract.

Five minutes of checking can save you millions

A licence is the starting line, not the finish. Match the company name on the ministry list, confirm the job order, ask for a receipt and a written contract, and travel on an employment visa. If any step fails, stop and ask the ministry.

If you want to read the wider picture first, start with our guide to jobs abroad for Ugandans. For local work while you plan, talk to Job Link Uganda or see current openings.

Sources

These are news reports, not official publications. Check the ministry's current list and rules before you act.

• List: Government lists licensed labour export companies (Pulse Uganda, 9 April 2026)
• Government warns tour companies engaging in labour externalisation (Pulse Uganda, 5 February 2026)
• Tours and Travel Companies not Authorised to Take Ugandans Abroad for Jobs (Nile Post, 5 February 2026)
• Uganda revokes licenses of 275 labor export firms (UG Standard, 13 April 2026)
• Government tightens rules to protect Ugandans seeking jobs in the Middle East (Matooke Republic, 6 February 2026)
• Uganda: Govt Publishes List of Licensed Labour Export Firms (AllAfrica, 9 April 2026)