Kuwait has announced that starting July 1, 2025, all foreign workers in the private sector must obtain an exit permit approved by their employer before they can leave the country. This new mandate, issued by the Public Authority of Manpower through its official X (formerly Twitter) account, refers to a directive from First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef. Authorities claim the measure aims to tighten supervision of expatriate movement and ensure a fair balance between workers’ rights and employers’ interests.

However, labour rights advocates argue that this decision strengthens employer control and limits the personal freedoms of foreign workers.

What Is an Exit Permit and Why It Matters

An exit permit is a formal document that allows a foreign worker to leave their host country. Under the Gulf region’s kafala (sponsorship) system, a worker’s legal status and ability to travel are directly tied to their employer. Without an exit permit, workers cannot leave the country—even after completing their contract or during emergencies.

Kuwait’s new policy will require employers to grant permission through a digital platform before a worker can exit the country. Authorities insist that the system will enhance monitoring, reduce disputes, prevent illegal job switches, and stop workers from fleeing employment without notice.

Authorities Outline Their Justifications

Officials have outlined four major goals for the new exit permit requirement:

• Track foreign worker movement more effectively

• Reduce disputes between employers and employees

• Prevent unauthorised job changes or absconding

• Reinforce employer supervision over sponsored staff

While the process will shift online for easier access, the requirement itself clearly returns power to employers, allowing them to block a worker’s departure at will.

Kuwait Re-embraces the Kafala System

By introducing this policy, Kuwait reaffirms its commitment to the kafala system, which has faced extensive criticism for fostering exploitation. The system grants employers nearly total authority over migrant workers’ employment, residency, and travel. Rights organisations argue that such practices strip workers of their independence and expose them to forced labour and abuse.

This latest decision signals Kuwait’s move away from labour reforms and toward stricter control—despite international appeals to eliminate such restrictions.

How the Gulf Region Compares on Exit Permits

Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, exit permit rules have varied, with some countries enacting reforms while others continue to enforce strict employer control.

• Qatar took a major step in 2018 by abolishing exit permits for most foreign workers. This reform came ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and significantly improved worker mobility.

• Saudi Arabia, in contrast, still requires exit permits for most migrant workers, though some parts of the process have moved online.

• Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have taken partial steps to reduce employer control, but exit permit requirements remain for some job categories.

Now, Kuwait aligns more closely with Saudi Arabia—tightening controls instead of expanding freedoms.

Foreign Workers and Businesses Face New Challenges

This policy shift will affect millions of foreign workers who make up roughly 70% of Kuwait’s workforce. Many of these workers are employed in construction, healthcare, domestic service, and retail. With this new rule, their ability to return home or travel abroad will depend entirely on their employer’s approval.

Global companies operating in Kuwait must now prepare for potential legal and ethical risks. This rule may also complicate relationships between Kuwait and countries that supply labour—such as the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, and Egypt—many of which have repeatedly raised concerns about the treatment of their citizens abroad.

Rights Groups Condemn the Policy

Human rights organisations have condemned Kuwait’s new rule, warning that it could lead to further abuse and exploitation.

“Exit permit systems violate international labour standards,” said a representative from Human Rights Watch. “They give employers too much power and trap workers in abusive situations with no way out.”

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has also criticised exit permit requirements, stressing that they can lead to forced labour, wage theft, and mental health problems for workers who are unable to return home—even after finishing their contracts.

Digitising the System Doesn’t Fix the Problem

While Kuwaiti authorities promise a fully digital platform to streamline exit requests, critics argue that modernising the process does not reduce employer control. Instead, the core problem remains unchanged: workers still need employer permission to travel, regardless of contract status or personal circumstances.

According to labour advocates, real reform means removing this requirement entirely—not just digitising it.

What’s Next Before the Policy Launches

With just over a year until the rule goes into effect, employers, workers, and international stakeholders must prepare for significant changes. Unless the government introduces protections for workers or adds a system for appeals, this policy could deepen existing inequalities and leave foreign workers more vulnerable than ever.

Kuwait now joins a shrinking group of nations still upholding exit permit systems, even as global pressure mounts to scrap them altogether.

Conclusion: A Step Back for Worker Rights

By reinstating exit permits, Kuwait has strengthened employer control at the expense of worker autonomy. Although officials claim the policy will reduce disputes and improve oversight, it unmistakably reinforces a system that limits personal freedom.

If left unchanged, this rule could severely damage Kuwait’s reputation as a host country and expose it to international criticism for failing to protect the rights of millions of migrant workers. The move represents a significant setback for labour reforms in the region—and a chilling reminder of the power imbalance embedded in the Gulf’s labour systems.