Zero Deposit Program for Agencies

What is the Zero Deposit Program?

The Zero Deposit Program is a set of milestone-paid relocation programmes available exclusively to KYC-approved Workium partner agencies. There are no deposits and no registration fees. Fees are tied to verified milestones in each candidate's case, so payment always follows progress and never precedes it.

Why we built it

Traditionally, agencies front money on a candidate long before an employer is matched, a permit is authorised, or a visa exists, carrying all of the risk while holding none of the proof. Some Workium programmes still require upfront payments and remain trusted routes, but the Zero Deposit Program offers an alternative: nothing is due until your candidate's case has moved forward in a way we can prove.

How it works

Payments are made by card through secure Stripe checkout directly from your dashboard, and each payment can only be made once its milestone is reached.

The launch programmes

Germany: Work Permit + ZAV. €1,300 + €1,300 (€2,600 total). Warehouse and construction roles, salary €1,800 to €2,000 per month, 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, overtime paid at €16 per hour. The employer provides accommodation, health insurance, free health care and free meals. Workium handles the entire ZAV application and a German language exemption letter is issued, so no German is required. Employment documents and ZAV approval take 10 to 20 days, visa processing typically 8 to 12 weeks.

Serbia: Work Permit. €900 + €1,225 (€2,125 total). Construction worker (€700 per month) and kitchen assistant (€750 per month) roles with free accommodation, meals, local transport, health insurance and paid leave. Workium lodges and manages the official E-visa application on the candidate's behalf; a €25 E-visa application fee per applicant applies and is included in Payment 2. Workium does not provide document translations. Document preparation takes 7 to 10 days, the visa 30 to 45 days, around 45 to 60 days end to end.

Bulgaria: 3 Month Seasonal Work Permit. €1,100 + €1,100 (€2,200 total). Roles across hospitality (kitchen assistant, waiter and waitress, housekeeping) and agriculture (fruit and vegetable picking, greenhouse work, packing and sorting), salary €900 to €1,500 per month. The employer issues an Official Invitation, employment contract, guarantee letter and accommodation letter. Documents take 15 to 20 days, the visa 30 to 45 days.

Hungary: Work Visa D. €1,050 + €1,300 (€2,350 total). Warehouse and fruit and vegetable sorting roles, salary from €800 per month, accommodation provided and a renewable contract. Documents are issued in 10 to 15 days, the visa takes 30 to 45 days.

Finland Seasonal Work also sits on the Zero Deposit tab and runs on the same principle: €1,600 + €2,800 (€4,400 total), milestone paid, with €0 due at submission.

Who is eligible?

The Zero Deposit Program is reserved for established Workium partner agencies. Two things must be in place. First, your KYC verification must be approved — while KYC is pending, the Apply buttons remain disabled until verification is complete, and you can start or finish KYC from the KYC tab on your Agency Dashboard. Second, your agency must have an established commercial relationship with Workium; for that reason the programme is not automatically open to brand-new agencies. Once your agency is established with us, Zero Deposit is enabled on your account (your Workium account manager can switch it on).

Availability is very limited

These programmes operate on limited capacity set by employer demand. Programmes open and close without a fixed schedule, and a programme closes the moment it fills, sometimes within days of opening. The availability bar on each programme card shows how full a programme is.

Withdrawals and your responsibilities

There is a 3 day cooling-off window after submission during which you can withdraw a candidate in writing at no cost. Once Workium has confirmed the candidate's employment documents and work permit authorisations, Payment 1 is due and remains payable even if the candidate later withdraws voluntarily, because it covers verification, employer matching and authorisation work already completed. See the article 'Agency Payment Policies: Invoices, Due Dates and Late Fees' for full payment terms.

Where to find it

Log in to your Agency Dashboard and open the 'Zero Deposit' tab in the sidebar, or go directly to workium.co.uk/dashboard/agency?tab=zero-deposit. Want to talk it through first? Book a call with a consultant at calendly.com/hello-workium/30min.