Electronic Employment Agency Licence and New version of the Employment Agency Licence
2024-06-28
Introduction of e-licence
The Labour Department introduced the electronic licence (“e-licence") for operating an employment agency (“EA”) on 28 June 2024. To be eligible to opt for receiving a licence to operate an EA via electronic means during licence application and renewal, an applicant must first register an account with electronic Employment Agencies Services (“e-EAS”) and verify the email address through e-EAS. Please note that an applicant for licence may only choose to receive the licence in paper form by post or in electronic form by email at application for the main licence or its renewal.
A licensee who chooses to receive an electronic licence must print out the electronic licence on a new white A4 paper for proper display in accordance with the law.
Application for EA licence
According to sections 2(1)(a) and 13(a) of the Employment Agency Regulations, an application for the issue or renewal of an EA licence and an application for the certificate of exemption shall be in writing in such form as the Commissioner for Labour (“the Commissioner”) may determine. Applicants for EA licence may download these specified application forms at the Labour Department website https://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/guide/.
After the launch of e-licence, the application forms were also revised and applicants for licence or certificate of exemption shall use the new application forms and indicate their preference for paper or e-licence when submitting their applications.
New version of the EA Licence
Starting from July 2024, all EA licences issued by the Labour Department, whether in paper or electronic form, will feature a QR code on the top-right corner, alongside the presentation of basic information of an EA such as the licence’s validity period, name of licensee, place of business, etc. Members of the public can verify the authenticity of an EA licence by scanning the QR code. Upon scanning, if the licence is authentic, the browser will be directed to a designated webpage of the Labour Department. The webpage displays details of the EA concerned, such as its business address history and the licence’s validity status, etc. Please refer to the samples below.
Enquiries
For enquiries, please contact the Employment Agencies Administration of the Labour Department at 2115 3667 or ea-ee@labour.gov.hk.
