Foreign Workers in Kuwait Now Need Employer's Approval to Leave
Private sector employees in Kuwait must now obtain exit permits as a requirement for expatriate workers.
As of July 1, 2025, foreign workers in the private sector of Kuwait will need an exit permit, approved by their employer, to depart the country. This new measure is designed to monitor the movements of expatriate workers and balance the rights of employees and employers. The procedure can be managed through an online platform[1][2][4].
The Need for Control
- Aim: The primary objective is to regulate departures, discourage unauthorized exits, and ensure compliance with regulations, particularly among workers with financial obligations[2].
- Implication for Workers: This policy adds to the existing restrictions faced by foreign workers, who are already tied to their employers via the kafala system. The system has been criticized by human rights groups for hindering workers' ability to change jobs or leave the country without employer consent[1][5].
Similar Restrictions in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Rules: Just like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia mandates that expatriate workers secure an exit/re-entry permit or a final exit permit from their employer to leave the country. The system shares some similarities with Kuwait's new requirement.
- Key Distinctions: While both countries require employer consent for workers to leave, Saudi Arabia's system has been in place for a longer period and is part of an extensive set of regulations governing foreign workers' movements.
- Employer Influence: Both countries use the exit permit system to maintain control over workers' movements, which reflects the broader dynamics of the kafala system prevalent in the Gulf region.
Reforms in Qatar
- Qatar's Kafala Changes: Qatar initiated reforms to ease the constraints of the kafala system. These reforms include enabling workers to switch jobs without their employer's consent under specific conditions and simplifying the exit process by eliminating the requirement of an exit permit for most workers.
- Distinction from Kuwait: Unlike Kuwait, Qatar has taken steps to diminish the power of employers over workers' movements. Qatar's reforms are perceived as more progressive in safeguarding workers' rights and boosting their mobility compared to Kuwait's new regulations.
[1] - Algorithmia
[2] - Kuwait Times
[4] - Gulf Business
- Among the Gulf countries, Kuwait has recently implemented a policy-and-legislation that requires foreign workers to obtain an exit permit from their employers before traveling.
- This new measure in Kuwait's private sector aims to monitor the movements of expatriate workers, discourage unauthorized exits, and ensure compliance with regulations, especially for workers with financial obligations.
- Unlike Qatar, which has been reforming its kafala system to ease the constraints on workers' mobility, Kuwait's new policy heightens employer control over workers' movements, an issue criticized by human rights groups.
- In contrast to Saudi Arabia, which has a longer-standing system for requiring employer consent for expatriate workers to leave, Kuwait's new regulations share similarities but may be perceived as less progressive in terms of workers' rights.
