— Before You Fly

Before you fly to Kuwait

Four things to do before you board: check the offer with the destination's own authority, know your rights, carry the right papers, and get the practical details in writing.

Check your offer Destination guide

Step 1 · Check the offer

Who to check with in Kuwait.

Kuwait

Public Authority for Manpower (PAM)

PAM issues work permits, regulates the recruitment of expatriate workers in the private sector and regulates transfers between employers.

Official site ↗

Last checked 29 September 2026. Links go to official sites we do not control; treat each site as the authority, not this page.

Your Rights, From Official Sources

What the government and the ILO publish, in plain words. Laws change: your contract and the official page always win over this summary.

Recruitment fees and your documents

Private-sector employers may not confiscate workers' passports (Ministerial Decision No. 166 of 2007).
ILO factsheet: Kuwait, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)

Contract and pay

The factsheet lists a minimum wage of KWD 75 a month (about US$250), from Ministerial Decision No. 14 of 2017.
ILO factsheet: Kuwait, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Wages must be paid every two weeks or monthly through the Wage Protection System to an accredited bank.
ILO factsheet: Kuwait, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
End-of-service gratuity for monthly-paid workers is 15 days of wages per year for the first five years and one month per year after that, capped at 18 months of wages.
ILO factsheet: Kuwait, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)

Hours, rest and leave

The Private Sector Labour Law (Law No. 6 of 2010) sets eight hours a day or 48 hours a week, 36 hours a week in Ramadan, one rest day a week, and 30 days of paid annual leave after six months of service.
ILO factsheet: Kuwait, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)

Health, safety and housing

Health insurance is mandatory for all expatriates; to obtain residency and employment it must be arranged and paid for by the employer or sponsor.
ILO factsheet: Kuwait, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)

If something goes wrong

A worker with a dispute lodges it at a local Public Authority for Manpower office (six offices). A PAM investigator mediates, and if there is no settlement within a month the case goes to the Civil Court (Labour Circuit). No fee is required to file.
ILO factsheet: Kuwait, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)

Compare all six Gulf countries side by side →

Checked against the linked pages on 2026-09-30. This is general information, not legal advice.

Step 2 · Carry

What goes in your hand luggage.

Papers, originals

Your passport, with your visa or entry documents ready
Your medical and any clearance certificates your destination required
Your flight details and the address you are going to

Papers, copies

The employment contract exactly as you signed it, printed and on your phone
Education and trade certificates, kept apart from your main folder
A photo of your passport photo page saved where your family can also reach it

People and health

Phone numbers for your specialist, your employer contact and your family, written down
Any prescription medicine in its original packaging, with the prescription
A small amount of cash for the first day, not a large sum

Keep your own passport with you. If anyone asks to hold it, do not hand it over before you have checked the rights above and talked to your specialist.

Step 3 · Get it in writing

Ask these before you board, and keep the answers.

Details such as pickup, housing and how pay reaches you differ by employer and city. We do not guess them for you; ask, and get the answer in a message or document you can show later.

Who meets me at the airport? A name, a phone number that works from abroad, and where they will be standing.
Where will I sleep on the first night, and after? The address, who pays for it, and whether it matches what the contract says.
Who is my contact on the first day? A named supervisor or HR contact, not just a company name.
How and when is my salary paid? Into which bank account, on which date, and in which currency. Paid to you directly, not to someone else.
Who pays for the flight, the visa and the medical? It should match your contract. If something is charged to you that the contract does not mention, ask why before you pay.
What happens if the job is not the one in my contract? Know who to call first, and keep the authority above and your specialist's details to hand.

Step 4 · When you land

Your first days.

Tell your family you have arrived, and send them the address you are staying at.
Check what you were given against your contract: job, pay, hours, housing. If they differ, tell your specialist the same day.
Keep every document you are given, and take a photo of each one.
If something is wrong, contact your specialist first, then the authority in Step 1.

Local practicalities such as phone plans, banking and transport are not covered here because we do not publish anything we have not verified. Your specialist and employer can tell you what applies to your city.

Go Deeper

Routes into Kuwait

Full pre-departure checklist · Sending money home · When your contract ends · For your family