Kuwait Law Buddy

That depends on whether you're a private-sector worker or a domestic worker, so let me ask first: which one are you?

For private-sector workers, a visa transfer generally means moving your work permit to a new employer. That usually needs your current employer's agreement or a legitimate reason, and the new employer has to be your official sponsor. You can't simply start working for someone else, since working for anyone other than your own sponsor is a violation under the residency law (Decree-Law No. 114 of 2024). The exact transfer procedure and any conditions are set by the Public Authority for Manpower and the Ministry of Interior, so confirm the current steps with them.

For domestic workers, the rules are stricter about disputes. If you have a complaint against your employer, Article 33 of the Domestic Workers Law (Law No. 68 of 2015) says the Director of the Department of Domestic Labor must extend your residency temporarily until the dispute is settled and you've received all your dues. Article 30 also bars employers with proven complaints from getting visas for a period set by the regulations, which can matter if your employer is the one with the issue.

If you're a monthly-paid private-sector worker and your employer is trying to change your pay structure, Article 58 of the Private Sector Labour Law (Law No. 6 of 2010) says they can't do that without your written consent.

Are you a private-sector or domestic worker, and is the move happening because of a dispute or by your own choice?

Usually not during the first five years of your lease. Under the rental law (Law No. 35 of 1978, as amended), a landlord generally can't increase the rent for five years from when the lease was signed. After that, if your rent is well below the market rate, the landlord can ask the court for an increase, so it isn't automatic.

Your lease itself matters too. Under the 2024 amendment, leases must be in writing, signed by both sides, and state the rent and payment date. If your rent is written in a signed lease, that's the amount you can hold the landlord to.

Could you tell me when your lease was signed and whether it's a written, signed contract? That would let me say more precisely where you stand. For a specific dispute, a licensed lawyer or the court's rental department can confirm the details.

No, you generally can't. Unpaid bills and fines can get you stopped at the airport, land borders or ports, so clear them before you travel.

For traffic fines, most can be paid online, in the Sahel app, or at the traffic office at the airport. Speeding fines and fines for parking in disabled spaces are different: you can't pay those online or at the airport, so go in person to a traffic department office well before your travel date.

If you're a private-sector worker, you'll also need an exit permit approved by your employer. You apply for it in the Sahel app under the Public Authority for Manpower's expatriate labour service. If your employer doesn't approve it, contact the Public Authority for Manpower.

Also check whether there's a travel ban on you. These can come from a court case or a debt claim from a bank, landlord or company. If you're not sure, contact the Ministry of Justice or a licensed lawyer before booking your flight.

Fine amounts can change, so confirm the exact current figure in Sahel. Which fines are you dealing with, and are you employed in the private sector?

Since you resigned, you don't get the full amount. Under Article 53 of the Labour Law, a resigning worker on an open-ended contract gets two-thirds of the end-of-service indemnity after 5 years, but not the full amount until 10 years. With 7 years, that's two-thirds.

Here's the estimate, using Article 51 for a monthly-paid worker at KD 350:

For the first 5 years, you get 15 days' pay per year: 5 × 15 = 75 days. Using a 26-day working month, one day's pay is about KD 13.46, so that's roughly KD 1,009.

For the next 2 years, you get one month's pay per year: 2 × KD 350 = KD 700.

Total full indemnity is about KD 1,709. Two-thirds of that is roughly KD 1,139.

This is an estimate. The exact figure depends on your contract, any amounts you owe your employer, and any unused leave, which may be paid separately. Please confirm the final amount with the Public Authority for Manpower or a licensed lawyer, especially before you hand in your resignation.

Was your contract open-ended, or was it for a fixed period? That changes how the notice and indemnity rules apply.

Not getting your end-of-service money is frustrating, and you have clear rights here. Under Article 51 of the Labour Law, you're entitled to your indemnity, and under Article 52 you get it in full if your employer ended the contract or your fixed-term contract ended without renewal. If you resigned, you may only get part of it under Article 53, depending on your years of service.

The usual steps are these:

• Gather your proof: your contract, payslips, your start and end dates, and any messages or letters about the payment.
• Send your employer a written request for the amount due, and keep a copy.
• If they still don't pay, file a complaint with the Public Authority for Manpower, which handles labour disputes for private-sector workers.
• If that doesn't resolve it, the Labour Court can hear your claim. A licensed lawyer can help you with this stage.

Two things to check: any amount you owe the employer, such as loans, can legally be deducted from your indemnity, so ask for a written breakdown. And if you're not sure whether you're a private-sector or domestic worker, tell me, because the process differs.

Are you still employed, or has your contract already ended? And do you know roughly how many years you worked there?

That sounds really stressful, and I'm sorry you're dealing with it. Being blacklisted in Kuwait is serious, but there are formal routes to look into.

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior is the authority that places and lifts travel and residency bans, so that's where the answer lies. The first step is to find out exactly why you were listed and whether the ban is administrative (for example a residency or work violation) or judicial (from a court case). These two work differently. A judicial ban usually needs a court or legal process to lift, while an administrative one may be reviewed through the Ministry of Interior with the right sponsor and paperwork.

Practically, you'll want to:

• Get a clear picture of the reason and the type of ban, ideally through a licensed Kuwaiti lawyer who can check your file.
• Clear any outstanding fines, debts or pending cases linked to the listing.
• Ask whether a new sponsor can apply to have the ban reviewed, if your situation allows it.

Lifting a ban can take time and there's no guaranteed outcome, so I'd recommend speaking with a licensed lawyer before taking any step. Could you tell me roughly what led to the blacklisting, such as a work issue, a residency problem or a court case? That would help me point you to the right kind of help.

Thanks for sharing that. Since your total monthly salary is KD 120 and your basic is KD 80, the difference of KD 40 matters for your indemnity. Under Article 55 of the Labour Law, your "wage" for this calculation includes not just your basic salary but every allowance, commission, bonus or grant you receive regularly under your contract or company rules. So the calculation should use the full KD 120, not just the KD 80 basic.

Your indemnity is based on Article 51. Since you're paid monthly, you get 15 days' pay for each of the first 5 years and one month's pay for each year after that, capped at 18 months' pay. Your daily rate is your wage divided by 26.

Here's a rough example using KD 120. If you've worked exactly 3 years, the full amount under Article 51 would be about 3 × 15 days of pay, roughly KD 207. On resignation from an open-ended contract, Article 53 gives you half of that, around KD 104. If your employer ends the contract, you'd get the full amount under Article 52. These are estimates, so please confirm the exact figures with your employer's final settlement.

One more thing to check: if your company is paying you only KD 80 on paper while you actually receive KD 120 in regular allowances, ask for a written breakdown in your contract or payslip, since that affects both the calculation and any dispute.

Could you tell me your exact start date and whether your contract is open-ended or fixed-term?

Kuwait has a new media law, Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026, which covers newspapers, broadcasting, advertising, news websites and social media. It was published on 4 October 2026 and takes effect six months later, around 4 April 2027. Until then, the older laws still apply.

For most people posting personal content, nothing changes. Personal accounts, personal blogs and business accounts that only talk about the business itself don't need a licence. But once you use an account to promote products, services or brands to people in Kuwait, whether you're paid or get free products, you'll need a licence. Kuwaiti citizens, residents and visitors are all covered. The licence lasts two years and you apply through the Ministry of Information. The exact licensing criteria will be set in executive regulations that were not yet issued when this was published, so check those when they come out.

Even without a licence, the content rules apply to everyone. Paid or sponsored posts must be clearly labelled as ads. False or misleading advertising is banned. Posting fake news, insulting religion or the Amir, or content that stirs up hatred or division is also banned. Fines for unlicensed promotion or misleading posts range from KD 1,000 to KD 50,000, and courts can block an account for up to a year.

Posting false or insulting content can also be a crime under the cybercrime law (Law No. 63 of 2015). If you're earning from social media, get the licence before the grace period ends. If you face a complaint, speak to a licensed lawyer.

Do you create content for paid promotion, or are you just a regular user?