Social Security Fund (SSF) Registration & Compliance
Social Security Fund (SSF) registration is mandatory for every employer in Nepal with at least one employee, under the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074 (2017). The total monthly contribution is 31% of each employee’s basic salary, split between employer (20%) and employee (11%), and must be deposited within 25 days of each month-end following the July 2025 amendment to the Act. SSF registration itself is free and typically takes two to five working days at the SOSYS portal. Sunshine Lawfirm handles employer and employee enrollment, monthly contribution setup, and ongoing SSF compliance for clients in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara, and internationally.
What is SSF registration and compliance in Nepal?
Social Security Fund (SSF) registration in Nepal is the mandatory process under which an employer registers itself and its employees with the Social Security Fund, a government body under the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS). The governing statute is the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074 (2017), which was passed by Parliament on 24 July 2017 and came into force on 11 November 2017.
Registration and monthly contribution are not optional. Section 20 of the Act requires every employer, regardless of business size, sector, or number of employees, to register with the SSF and enroll each employee within three months of their employment starting. There is no minimum headcount threshold. An employer with a single employee must register.
The SSF consolidates what were previously separate obligations. Upon registration, employers are no longer required to maintain separate provident fund accounts, gratuity funds, or employer-sponsored medical insurance schemes, unless they choose to provide additional benefits voluntarily above SSF levels.
Employers who do not register face penalties including a 10% per annum interest charge on all outstanding contributions, fines up to NPR 50,000 for failing to comply with SSF orders, and where contributions are misappropriated, fines up to NPR 100,000 or imprisonment up to one year or both. The SSF also has authority to freeze bank accounts, cancel business licences, and freeze the passports of responsible persons.
Our SSF registration and compliance services
Sunshine Lawfirm handles SSF employer registration and ongoing monthly compliance for businesses in Nepal, from the initial SOSYS portal enrollment through to employee KYC updates, monthly contribution filing, and penalty resolution.
Our specific services include:
- Employer registration at SOSYS, we register your business on the SSF’s online employer portal at sosys.ssf.gov.np, obtain your employer SSF ID, and set up your employer portal access
- Employee enrollment and SSID generation, we enroll each employee individually, obtain their Social Security Identification Number (SSID), and generate their SSF ID card; we handle foreign employees using passport details in place of citizenship numbers
- Contributable income calculation, we calculate the correct 31% monthly contribution for each employee based on their basic salary, and separate this from allowances and other payments that do not form part of the contributable amount
- Monthly contribution filing and ConnectIPS payment setup, we prepare and submit your monthly contribution report through the SOSYS employer portal and assist with ConnectIPS online payment setup for monthly deposits
- New employee enrollment within the 3-month statutory window, we track hiring dates and ensure new employees are enrolled before the Section 20 deadline
- KYC updates and employee detail changes, we file changes to employee details, employment status, and salary changes in the SOSYS system as they occur
- Retrospective registration and penalty mitigation, for employers who have not yet registered, we file retroactively and prepare the outstanding contribution calculation with interest, and where appropriate, seek SSF discretion on penalty amounts
- SSF compliance audit, we review existing payroll records against SSF contribution requirements and identify any gaps, incorrect contribution bases, or missing employee enrollments
- Advice on the July 2025 Act amendments, we advise employers on the extended 25-day contribution deadline, the new Section 9(6) employer liability for missed contributions during accidents or deaths, and the expanded SSF enforcement powers introduced by the Act to Amend Some Nepal Acts 2082.
How SSF registration works in Nepal: step by step
The SSF registration and employee enrollment process in Nepal generally involves six key steps, handled through the Social Security Fund’s online SOSYS portal at sosys.ssf.gov.np.
Step 1: Employer registration on SOSYS (1–2 working days) Go to sosys.ssf.gov.np and select Employer Registration. Enter your company’s PAN number, OCR registration number, company name, registered address, and contact details. Upload supporting documents. Once submitted and verified, the SSF issues an employer SSF ID and sends login credentials to the registered email address.
Step 2: Employer KYC update (1 working day) After receiving employer portal access, complete the Employer KYC section in the portal. This records the authorised person, contact details, and bank account linked to the ConnectIPS payment system for monthly contributions.
Step 3: Employee enrollment by the employer (2–5 working days, depending on number of employees) The employer must enroll each employee within three months of hiring under Section 20 of the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074. In the employer portal, select Employee Registration and enter each employee’s citizenship number (or passport number for foreign nationals), name, date of birth, employment start date, basic salary, and designation. The SSF system generates a unique Social Security Identification Number (SSID) for each enrolled employee.
Step 4: Employee KYC and account confirmation (1–2 working days per employee) The enrolled employee logs in to the Contributor Portal at sosys.ssf.gov.np using their SSID to complete their KYC and confirm their personal and bank account details. Employers can assist employees with this step.
Step 5: Monthly contribution calculation and filing Each month, log in to the employer portal, go to the Collection tab, select the relevant Nepali fiscal month, and review the auto-calculated contribution amounts for each enrolled employee. The system calculates 31% of each employee’s basic salary. Verify figures, generate a Submission Number, and confirm the report.
Step 6: Payment via ConnectIPS and voucher upload (monthly, due within 25 days of month-end) Pay the total contribution amount through ConnectIPS online banking. After payment, upload the transaction voucher or bank confirmation in the employer portal. Under Section 4 of the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074 as amended in July 2025, the payment deadline is 25 days after the end of each Nepali month.
Total time for initial registration generally ranges from two to five working days if all documents are complete. The ongoing monthly compliance cycle takes approximately one to two hours per month for most small and medium employers.
Documents required for SSF registration in Nepal
The following documents are typically required for SSF employer registration and employee enrollment in Nepal. Requirements may vary depending on company type and whether employees include foreign nationals.
For employer registration:
- Company PAN certificate issued by the Inland Revenue Department
- Certificate of Registration from the Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) or relevant registration authority for NGOs, INGOs, or cooperatives
- Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association of the company
- Contact details and designation of the authorised person responsible for SSF compliance
- Valid email address for receiving employer login credentials from the SSF
For employee enrollment:
- Citizenship certificate number (Nepali employees) or passport number (foreign employees)
- Employee’s full legal name, date of birth, and residential address
- Employment start date and current basic salary amount
- Designation or job title
For foreign national employees specifically:
- Valid passport number (used in place of citizenship certificate number in the SOSYS enrollment form)
- Valid work permit issued by the Department of Labour, where applicable
Additional note: There is no government fee for SSF registration or employee enrollment. The SOSYS portal does not require physical document submission for initial registration. Document uploads in the portal must be in PDF or image format. The employer is responsible for the accuracy of all information submitted, including basic salary figures used to calculate contributions.
Timeline and government fees
The SSF registration process in Nepal typically takes two to five working days from submission of a complete application at the SOSYS portal, subject to SSF verification processing.
Stage-by-stage timeline:
| Stage | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Employer registration at SOSYS | 1–2 working days after submission |
| Employer KYC update | 1 working day |
| Employee enrollment in SOSYS | 1–3 working days per batch |
| Employee KYC completion by employees | 1–2 working days |
| First monthly contribution calculation | Immediately after employee enrollment |
| First contribution payment deadline | Within 25 days of the end of the first Nepali month of employment |
Government fees:
There is no government registration fee for SSF employer registration or employee enrollment. The Social Security Fund does not charge any administrative fee for using the SOSYS portal.
Monthly contribution cost:
The mandatory monthly contribution is 31% of each employee’s basic salary. The employer pays 20% of basic salary. The employee contributes 11% of basic salary, which the employer deducts at source from the employee’s monthly salary and remits to the SSF together with the employer’s share. Contributions are deposited to the SSF’s designated account at Nepal Bank Limited through ConnectIPS.
Late payment consequences:
If contributions are not deposited within 25 days of month-end, the SSF can recover the outstanding amount with 10% annual interest under Section 17 of the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074. The SSF may also give a written notice requiring immediate payment. Since the July 2025 amendment to Section 9(6), an employer who misses the contribution deadline and whose employee suffers an accident or death during the gap period must personally pay compensation equivalent to the full SSF benefit amount the employee or their family would have received.
Professional fees:
Sunshine Lawfirm’s fees for SSF registration and compliance support depend on the number of employees to be enrolled, whether retrospective registration is required, and whether ongoing monthly compliance management is included. Contact us for a transparent quote.
Why use Sunshine Lawfirm for SSF registration and compliance in Nepal
Sunshine Lawfirm has handled SSF registration, retroactive enrollment, and compliance matters for employers across multiple sectors in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Pokhara, including foreign companies operating in Nepal for the first time.
The single most expensive mistake we see is employers who have been operating for months or years without SSF registration, believing that small headcount or foreign ownership gave them an exemption. There is no such exemption. When these companies eventually register, they face a backlog of outstanding contributions plus 10% annual interest, calculated back to the date the first employment relationship began. We calculate this correctly, prepare the retrospective submission, and where appropriate, engage with the SSF to seek interest waiver or payment arrangements under the Fund’s discretionary provisions.
The second problem we resolve regularly is employers running separate provident fund and gratuity contribution systems alongside SSF. SSF contributions replace these obligations. Running both results in overpayments that are difficult to recover. We audit the payroll setup, confirm what can be stopped, and prepare the necessary communication for employees.
We also advise on the July 2025 amendments specifically. The new Section 9(6) employer liability is not widely known. Employers who are even one day late on a contribution and whose employee then suffers a workplace accident carry full financial liability for the equivalent SSF benefit. We put proper payroll calendar systems in place to prevent this.
Our lawyers are registered with the Nepal Bar Council and advise in English.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. SSF registration is mandatory for every employer in Nepal with at least one employee, under Section 20 of the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074 (2017).
No, There is no exemption based on company size, number of employees, sector, or ownership structure.
Employer registration at the SSF's SOSYS portal requires the company's PAN certificate from the Inland Revenue Department, its Certificate of Registration from the Office of the Company Registrar, the MOA and AOA, and the contact details of the authorised SSF compliance person. For employee enrollment, each employee's citizenship certificate number (or passport number for foreign nationals), employment start date, and basic salary are required. There is no government registration fee and no physical document submission required for initial registration.
The total SSF contribution is 31% of each employee's basic salary per month, under Section 25 of the Social Security Schemes Operation Directives 2075 (2018). The employer contributes 20% of the employee's basic salary and deducts a further 11% from the employee's own salary, remitting both amounts to the SSF.
Employer registration at the SOSYS portal typically takes two to five working days after a complete application is submitted, subject to SSF verification. Employee enrollment follows immediately after employer registration is confirmed. The SSF does not impose a legal deadline on how quickly it must process registrations, but in practice, SOSYS verifications for straightforward applications are completed within two to three working days. The time-sensitive deadline is not registration itself but employee enrollment, which must be done within three months of each employee's start date.
Yes. Foreign workers employed by a company registered in Nepal are entitled to SSF enrollment and their employer is required to enroll them. There is no distinction in the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074 based on the employee's nationality. Foreign nationals are enrolled in the SOSYS portal using their passport number instead of a Nepali citizenship certificate number. They contribute and receive benefits on the same basis as Nepali employees.
If an employer fails to register with the SSF, the Fund can order immediate enrollment and require payment of all outstanding contributions with 10% annual interest for the entire period the employment relationship existed, under Section 17 of the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074.
As of the Act to Amend Some Nepal Acts 2082 (2025), published in the Nepal Gazette on 30 July 2025, the deadline for depositing monthly SSF contributions is 25 days after the end of each Nepali month. This is an extension from the previous 15-day deadline under the original Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074. Payment is made through ConnectIPS online banking. After payment, the employer must upload the transaction confirmation voucher in the SOSYS employer portal.
Yes. Once an employer is contributing to the SSF, they are no longer required to maintain separate provident fund accounts or make separate gratuity deposits for enrolled employees, as confirmed under the Contribution Based Social Security Act 2074 and the Social Security Schemes Operation Directives 2075. The 20% employer contribution already includes the provident fund and gratuity components. Employers may voluntarily provide additional benefits above SSF levels, but they cannot reduce any existing benefits employees were already receiving below SSF levels after enrollment.