Kuwait Work Visa and Iqama: The Complete Process (2026)

Guide

One permit, then two clocks start running

Employing an expatriate in Kuwait runs on Article 18 of the residence law, the private-sector work visa. The employer applies to the Public Authority for Manpower through the Ashal portal for a work permit against the company's file. Once approved, the employee enters Kuwait on a work entry visa - and from that moment two deadlines apply that a lot of companies miss.

The residence permit, the Iqama, must be completed within 60 days of entry, and the Civil ID is applied for within 30 days of the Iqama being issued. Miss either and you are into fines and, in the worst case, an employee who has to leave and re-enter. The work permit is also tied to one employer, who is the legal sponsor, so a transfer is a formal process rather than a private arrangement.

Article 18 is the private-sector work visa
Work permit applied for via the PAM Ashal portal
Typical processing around 4-8 weeks
Iqama completed within 60 days of entry
Civil ID applied for within 30 days of Iqama
Degree must match the job title on Ashal

See our immigration service

An open PAM file in good standing

An active commercial registration, recorded specimen signatures and the authorised signatory's Civil ID, plus a clean record on labour and social security obligations.

Quota under the Kuwaitisation rules

Sector-specific quotas set how many expatriate permits a company can hold against its Kuwaiti headcount. Running out of allocation mid-recruitment is common.

A job title that matches the qualification

Since the profession-lock tightening, PAM rejects applications where the attested degree does not logically support the job title requested on Ashal. Check this before you make an offer.

01

Confirm file, quota and signatures

Before anything else, confirm the PAM file is active, the specimen signatures are current and the company has quota left for the job title you intend to hire.

02

Check the profession match

Compare the candidate's attested degree against the job title you will request. A mismatch here is the single most common rejection, and it is free to check before offering.

03

File the work permit on Ashal

The Article 18 work permit is submitted through the Public Authority for Manpower's Ashal portal against the company file, with the government fee paid at submission.

04

Entry visa issued and employee travels

Once the permit is approved the work entry visa follows, and the employee travels. They generally enter alone - family applications come after their own residence is complete.

05

Medical examination

Medical screening at an approved centre after arrival, covering the communicable-disease tests required before residence can be granted.

06

Fingerprinting and security check

Biometric fingerprinting is completed at the Ministry of Interior. Appointment availability is a real constraint here, so book early rather than at day 50.

07

Iqama stamped within 60 days

The residence permit is stamped into the passport. This must be completed within 60 days of entry, and the annual residence fee falls due with it.

08

Civil ID within 30 days of the Iqama

The Civil ID is applied for at the Public Authority for Civil Information. It is the card the employee needs for a bank account, a tenancy, a driving licence and health services.

09

Register on Sahel and Mobile ID

With the Civil ID issued, the employee registers for the Sahel app and Kuwait Mobile ID, which is how residence fees and most government services are handled from then on.

Passport valid at least six months
Attested degree certificate matching the job title
Passport-format photographs to specification
Signed employment contract
Police clearance where required
Medical fitness result from an approved centre
Fingerprint and security clearance record
Attested marriage and birth certificates for dependants

Profession lock mismatch

If the attested degree does not logically support the job title entered on Ashal, PAM refuses the permit. This tightened in 2026 and now catches offers that would have passed before.

Quota exhausted

Kuwaitisation ratios cap expatriate permits against your Kuwaiti headcount. Discovering the cap after making an offer leaves you with a candidate you cannot bring in.

The 60-day Iqama window

Medical and fingerprint appointments are the bottleneck, not the paperwork. Leaving them until the second month is how companies end up paying fines.

Unattested or mis-attested degrees

The certificate must be attested in the issuing country, at the Kuwaiti embassy there and then at MOFA in Kuwait. Starting the chain in the wrong order means starting it again.

Transfer restrictions

Moving an employee between sponsors has its own conditions and timing rules, and an assumption that a transfer will simply be approved can leave a hire in limbo.

Lapsed company renewals

An expired commercial registration, licence or Chamber membership stops PAM transactions for the whole company, not just the application in front of you.

Article 18 of the residence law is the private-sector work visa. The employer applies to the Public Authority for Manpower for a work permit against the company's file, and the permit ties the employee to that employer as legal sponsor. Article 17 covers government-sector employment and Article 20 covers dependants.

Around 4-8 weeks is realistic for a company with an active PAM file and quota available. The attestation of the employee's degree is usually the longest single item, and it can be started before the permit is filed.

The Iqama must be completed within 60 days of entry, and the Civil ID applied for within 30 days of the Iqama being issued. The medical and fingerprint appointments sit inside that first window and are usually what determines whether you meet it.

The most common reason is the profession-lock rule: if the employee's attested degree does not logically support the job title entered on the Ashal portal, PAM refuses the application. Exhausted Kuwaitisation quota and lapsed company registrations are the next two.

The Iqama is the residence permit stamped into the passport, which is what makes the stay lawful. The Civil ID is the plastic card issued by PACI that the employee carries and uses for banking, tenancy, driving licence and health services. You need the Iqama first, then apply for the Civil ID.

Transfers between sponsors are possible but governed by conditions including how long the employee has been with the current employer, and both sides have to file correctly. It is not something to assume will be approved when planning a start date.

Yes, under Article 20, once their own residence and Civil ID are complete and they meet the salary and accommodation conditions. Marriage and birth certificates need the same attestation chain as the degree, so start them early.

Kuwait Work Visa and Iqama