The Philippines has a large pool of skilled, English-speaking professionals with strong technical abilities and a service-minded attitude. Filipino workers are reliable, adaptable to both language and environment, and often stay long-term, making it easier for European employers to fill their workforce needs with stable, committed employees. For many Filipinos, working in Europe is a life-changing opportunity, which is reflected in their dedication and commitment on the job.

The Philippine workforce regulations can be too complex for European employers without proper guidance. Even if they are familiar with the documentation and hiring processes, they are still confronted with nearly 1,000 accredited Philippine manpower agencies, often without clear insight into their experience, quality, or reliability.

To address this, the VLO was established as an information and cooperation centre in Central Europe representing 10 selected, highly regarded and experienced Philippine manpower agencies. It provides accurate information and free support throughout the hiring and documentation process, even before any concrete cooperation agreement has been signed.

Through its physical office in Vienna, the VLO covers all of Central Europe, gives easily accessible guidance and consultations regarding Philippine manpower for European employers, creating a stable and trusted environment for hiring Filipino professionals.

No. The VLO is not a manpower agency itself. It is a representation office in Vienna for 10 highly regarded and experienced Philippine manpower agencies. Through the VLO, European employers can be connected with our partners to receive tailor-made cooperation proposals and offers for their specific workforce needs, with accurate guidance provided at every step of the hiring process.
Through our European recruiting partner, employers can delegate all documentation procedures while remaining in charge of workforce selection and final decision-making.
Learn more about our European hiring partner here , or visit their website: uhrpartners.hu

The VLO provides information and guidance for free to anyone interested in hiring Filipino workforce.

Our Services:

• Free Consultancy
• Concerning any question about Philippine manpower
• Supported workforce recruitment – Full Service
• Workforce sourced by selected VLO partner agencies, alldocumentation procedures done by our recruiting partner.
• Direct workforce recruitment

Workforce sourced by selected VLO partner agencies, documentation done by you or your migration partner.

For more information: Our Services

All services provided directly by the VLO are free of charge. Some content is accessible only after a quick and free registration on our website. There are no hidden fees.
European employers who choose to cooperate with one of the selected VLO partner agencies pay a standard recruitment fee — just as they would when working with any non-VLO partner Philippine manpower agency.

The VLO offers free consultations on a wide range of topics related to hiring Filipino professionals. This includes:

• General information about Filipino manpower
• The manpower solutions Filipino workforce can bring to your company
• The advantages of hiring Filipino professionals compared to employees from other third countries
• Recruitment procedures and the relevant legal framework
• Information about the selected VLO manpower agencies, their experience, and areas of activity
• The benefits of cooperating with a selected VLO partner agency compared to a random Philippine manpower agency
• Exploring tailor-made offers from the selected VLO partner agencies based on your specific manpower needs

Whether you are in the early exploration phase or already planning a concrete recruitment project, the VLO is available to guide you through your questions and options, free of charge.

For more information: Our Services

Yes. Anyone with questions about hiring workforce from the Philippines is welcome to contact the VLO.
This includes employers who are already planning to recruit Filipino professionals, as well as those who are simply exploring the idea. Even if hiring is only a preliminary consideration and you would like to learn more about the opportunities, procedures, requirements, or general framework, we are happy to provide an initial consultation.
You do not need to have a concrete hiring plan in place to contact us. Through our contact page, you can register and get in touch to discuss your questions or, if applicable, outline your specific manpower needs and receive tailor-made offers from our selected VLO partner agencies.
All consultations and services provided by the VLO are free of charge.

Philippine procedures, laws, and regulations are generally the same for all countries, but local hiring laws and regulations naturally vary depending on where your future Filipino employees will be working. The VLO focuses primarily, but not exclusively on Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Feel free to contact us even if your company does not directly fall into the VLO’s primary focus countries.

Working with DMW-licensed manpower agencies ensures that European employers partner with agencies officially recognized by the Philippine government. These agencies follow strict regulations and standards, providing a workforce that is qualified, reliable, and compliant with Philippine labour laws. This reduces risks for both employers and employees. Hiring Filipino workers illegally, that is, outside of Philippine regulations, can result in backlisting, completely blocking a company from hiring Filipino workforce in the future.

Although European employers may cooperate with any licensed Philippine manpower agency, the selected VLO partner agencies offer added reliability, structure, and professional support. The VLO represents 10 selected, highly regarded and experienced agencies with proven track records, international recruitment expertise, and high service standards. This gives employers transparency when selecting a partner from a market of nearly 1,000 accredited agencies, which can be overwhelming.
By working with any of the selected VLO manpower agencies, employers benefit from guided support throughout the mandatory POLO/MWO procedure, compliant documentation handling, structured recruitment processes, and post-placement assistance. In addition, the VLO’s physical office in Vienna provides accessible guidance and coordination tailored specifically to European employers. Hence, cooperating with a selected VLO partner agency ensures a more secure, efficient, and professionally supported hiring process compared to approaching an unknown agency independently.

Yes, you are free to cooperate with more than one VLO or non-VLO partner agency. However, each cooperation requires a new POLO/MWO procedure (3 partners = 3 procedures). By Philippine law, employers are limited to be accredited with a maximum of five Philippine manpower agencies simultaneously, whether they are VLO partners or not.
For this reason, we recommend scheduling a consultation with the VLO first and carefully reviewing your manpower needs before submitting a workforce request. Our partners cover multiple work fields, so even if you need different positions, there’s a high chance that, after receiving cooperation offers from our partners, a single partner can provide all the qualified workforce you require, simplifying and speeding up the hiring process.

You can contact any of the nearly one thousand licensed Philippine manpower agencies directly. However, by doing so, you may encounter challenges and may not receive the same level of quality, service, and support that you would receive through one of the selected VLO partner agencies, which have proven experience and maintain high service standards.
We therefore recommend requesting a consultation with the VLO to better understand the specific support and services available to you — particularly in comparison to agencies that are not represented through the VLO.
Please also note that your local POLO/MWO office cannot advise you on which agencies to cooperate with. The POLO/MWO office serves only as the point of contact after a partnership agreement has been signed between an employer and a licensed Philippine manpower agency. Even then, the support provided by the POLO/MWO office is limited , especially in the selection of the right manpower agency and the quality of their services.

Yes, but it requires careful compliance with Philippine and local labor regulations. Filipino workers already deployed abroad cannot switch employers without proper documentation and clearance from POLO/MWO. These procedures ensure that contracts, visas, and employment terms are legally updated, protecting both the worker and the new employer.
Moreover, the transfer of workers from one employer to another before the ongoing working contract of the worker is not yet completed, can cause inconveniences later for both the worker, and the new employer.

An employer engaging with a Philippine manpower agency must comply with both Philippine labor regulations and local labor laws in their own country.
For more detailed information: Philippine Workforce Regulations

By the regulations of DMW, housing (or at least the assistance for it) should be provided by the employer.
In most countries by law, in order to start the documentation process of the selected workforce, a “home address” has to be already available for every worker. In general, until the housing is not taken care of, the immigration procedure cannot be started.

1. Suggested (free of charge)
Consultation with the VLO – Cooperation proposals from the selected VLO partners
Contact the VLO to explore your manpower options. Even if hiring is only an initial idea, the VLO provides guidance on Philippine manpower opportunities and connects you with our 10 selected partner agencies, each with proven experience and high service standards. Shortly after, you will receive cooperation proposals from these agencies or you can also contact them directly.

2. Consultation with Your Chosen Manpower Agency
Once you select a partner agency, they will help you to clarify your manpower needs. The agency advises on positions and the linked minimum salaries, and other legal requirements, explains what is expected from European employers, and guides you through the overall process and timelines.

3. Document Preparation
The agency will guide you on all company documents, employment contracts, and agreements required by the DMW. Please note: Philippine agencies cannot help you with European regulations or your country’s legal requirements. For this purpose, you should contact a local recruitment agency, a migration law office, or our Europe-based recruiting partner at uhrpartners.hu

4. POLO/MWO Submission
Your company representative must submit all (10+) necessary documents to the local Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO/MWO). The agency will advise you on what to fill out and how to comply with all requirements. For this procedure, you will also need to visit the POLO/MWO office responsible for your country at least once. POLO officials will review all documents for compliance, provide suggestions, and assist you with the regulations.

Please note: (1) As long as the documents do not comply with DMW regulations, accreditation will not be granted. (2) POLO officials are responsible for checking the documents’ compliance with DMW rules; however, your documents must also comply with the local regulations of your country. To ensure compliance, you should contact a local recruitment agency, a migration law office, or our Europe-based recruiting partner for further guidance.

5. Worker Recruitment & Deployment
The Philippine agency manages recruitment, screening, pre-departure preparation, medical checks, and travel arrangements for the workers.

Please note: (1) In general, you are always able to have online or in-person interviews with the applicants and remain the final decision-maker during the selection process.
(2) You can require additional selection procedures, such as qualification checks (so-called trade tests) or extra educational preparation before employment or arrival; however, these are at the cost of the future employer. (3) You may book and pay for the workers’ airfare, or have the Philippine agency arrange it with your agreement; however, the costs are always the legal responsibility of the employer.

6. Post-placement Support
Even after the workers have been deployed, the agency continues to provide support for any issues related to employment terms, compliance, or documentation, helping to ensure a stable and successful placement.

Please note: (1) This support is provided not just because the agency is professional, but also because, according to DMW rules, they remain responsible for ensuring that the European employer follows the regulations and work permit conditions. (2) This responsibility also remains with you as an employer until the employment is completed and the worker returns home safely.

The POLO/MWO procedure is the official verification and accreditation process required before Filipino workers can be legally deployed overseas. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), now operating as Migrant Workers Office (MWO) under the Department of Migrant Workers, oftentimes located at a given country’s embassy, verifies foreign employers, job orders, and employment contracts to ensure compliance with Philippine labor regulations and to safeguard the rights and welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers. The main elements of the procedure are:

• Employer accreditation –
  verification of the company’s legal existence, registration documents, and authorized signatory
• Job order approval –
  confirmation of the number of workers requested, positions, salary, and benefits
• Employment contract verification – review of contract terms to ensure fairness and compliance with Philippine standards and host-country laws

Once these steps are completed, recruitment and deployment may proceed through a licensed Philippine recruitment agency. The purpose of the procedure is to promote transparency, prevent illegal recruitment, and protect both the employer and the worker throughout the employment process.
For more information: POLO/MWO procedure

Please note: (1) as long as all the documents will not comply with the regulations of DMW the accreditation will not be provided. (2) POLO officials are responsible to check the compliance of the documents with the DMW rules; however, your documents have to comply both with the Philippine regulations and with the employer’s country’s regulations. To make sure you comply with local (European) laws and regulation as well, we strongly suggest to contact a local recruitment agency, migration lawyer office, or our Europe-based recruiting partner for further information and assistance.
Our Europe-based recruiting partner:
uhrpartners.hu

Yes. The POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) procedure, is mandatory for hiring Filipino workers abroad. These procedures ensure that all employment contracts, documentation, and recruitment processes comply with Philippine labour laws, protecting first of all the employees. Completing POLO/MWO procedures is required to be done for the employer before starting the selection and recruitment process to employ Filipino workers. When the selection is being done and the worker is ready for deployment, he/she also has to register at the DMW in the Philippines. All these procedures are essential before a Filipino worker can legally start employment in Europe.

Yes. The POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) procedure, is mandatory for hiring Filipino workers abroad. These procedures ensure that all employment contracts, documentation, and recruitment processes comply with Philippine labour laws, protecting both employers and employees. Completing POLO/MWO procedures is required before a Filipino worker can legally start employment in Europe.

POLO/MWO procedures are done in the POLO/MWO office (often at the Philippine embassy, sometimes separate office) responsible for a given country. Please note, not every country has one.

• Belgian and German employers should conduct the POLO procedure in the Berlin office.
• Austria, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia in the Vienna office.
• Hungarian, Czech and Swiss employers should complete the POLO/MWO procedure in the Budapest, Prague and Geneva offices respectively.

If you are an employer of another country, you can search for the POLO/MWO office covering your country here

The time required to complete a POLO/MWO procedure depends on several factors. A full procedure consists of three stages: employer accreditation, job order approval, and employment contract verification.
If this is your first POLO/MWO procedure, the entire process can take approximately 4–6 weeks. It is essential to submit complete and accurate documentation, ensuring that all information provided complies with both local and Philippine labor regulations. If you partner with the VLO/VLO partner agencies, you will receive the correct guidance to make everything correctly and efficiently.

If your company has already been accredited, the process is shorter, as the accreditation step is skipped. In this case, only the job order approval and employment contract verification stages are required, and the procedure typically takes around 2–4 weeks. Please note that processing times may vary depending on the specific POLO/MWO office.

Yes. During a cooperation with any of the selected VLO partner agencies, you will receive proper guidance and support to complete the entire POLO/MWO procedure correctly.
Please note that any cooperation must be approved by both the employer’s home country authorities and the Philippine authorities. This dual approval is mandatory to ensure full legal compliance. Philippine Manpower Agencies are well-versed in Philippine workforce regulations, but they typically cannot provide comprehensive guidance on the specific laws and regulatory requirements of the employer’s home country (for example, Slovakia).
Therefore on our website we provide additional guidance for European employers from a European perspective, including a detailed description of the full POLO/MWO procedure and the relevant Philippine workforce regulations. Due to the complexity of these procedures, we strongly recommend cooperating with an experienced recruiting agency to comply with the various European labor regulations. Our official recruiting partner, UHR Partners, can support you throughout the entire process.
Detailed description of the whole procedure here: POLO/MWO Procedure, and when you sign up for free, you get access to our POLO/MWO document templates.