Knowing what documentation is normal to provide, and what a legitimate employer or agency should never ask for, is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself in domestic work. This is general guidance across roles; specific postings like security guard work carry extra requirements covered in their own guide.
What a genuine employer or agency will ask for
- A photograph or photocopy of your CNIC, for identity verification
- Contact details for one or two previous employers, if you have them
- Your permanent address, and often a guarantor's contact details
- For some roles, a police character certificate, standard and often mandatory for security postings, increasingly common for others
What should never be asked of you
Your original CNIC stays with you
A photocopy or photograph is normal verification. Handing over the original document indefinitely, before a job is confirmed or as a condition of being considered, is not standard practice and is covered in more detail in our scams guide.
- Any payment, fee or deposit from you as a condition of being registered or considered for a role
- Your original CNIC held indefinitely rather than briefly verified and returned
- Signing a document you have not actually been given time to read
Keeping your own records
Beyond what an employer asks for, keeping your own simple file protects you if a dispute ever arises.
- A copy of your own CNIC, kept somewhere safe and separate from the original
- Contact details for every employer or agency you have worked with, with dates
- Any written agreement, signed, with your own copy kept
- A record of payments received, even a simple dated note if bank transfers are not used
A police character certificate, explained
This is a document confirming you have no pending criminal record, obtained through your local police station or, in many areas, an online application process. It is mandatory for most security guard postings and increasingly requested for other household roles, particularly live-in arrangements. Having one ready before you need it, rather than scrambling once an employer asks, puts you ahead of most other candidates.
If an agency asks you to sign something unfamiliar
Ask what it is in plain language before signing, and ask for time to read it rather than signing on the spot. A legitimate agency has no reason to rush you through paperwork, and reluctance to let you read something carefully before signing is itself a signal worth taking seriously.
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