Working in the Gulf

Working in Kuwait — sponsorship and work-permit basics

Most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Kuwait, use an employer-sponsorship system (often called "kafala"): a licensed employer, not the worker, applies for and holds the work permit, and that permit is what lets you live and work in the country. What actually differs from one GCC country to the next — and what has genuinely changed in recent years — is below, sourced from each government's own portal.

What actually applies

• Employment in the private sector runs on a sponsor-based residence permit, commonly referred to by its governing regulation ("Article 18"), separate from the residence category used for government-sector staff ("Article 17").
• The sponsoring employer registers the worker with the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) — the employer, not the worker, initiates the work-permit process.
• A medical fitness test and a civil ID are part of the standard residence process once a work permit has been granted, alongside the permit itself.
• Family members joining a sponsored worker are typically issued a separate, dependent residence category rather than a work permit.

Kuwait Government Online — the official e-government portal: Check the current, official version →

This page describes how the system is structured, not a specific fee schedule or step-by-step timeline — those change on each government's own portal, which is why every fact above links straight to it.

Ask the concierge how this applies to your own situation →