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The Gulf Expat

Leaving a job in Kuwait: what you're owed and by when

  • You are owed your end of service indemnity and your wages up to your last day.
  • If your employer ended the contract, you get the full indemnity (Art. 52).
  • Ask PAM when your final pay is due.
  • If you are not paid, claim soon.
  • If your employer denies the claim, you have 1 year from the end of the contract to file it (Art. 144).

Your own dates

Checked 22 October 2026

On this page

An example, in order

This is the order things happen in after your last day. Your own dates are in the leaving plan.

Deadlines after a job ends in Kuwait
  1. 7 Nov 2026Your last working day
  2. Final payAsk PAM
  3. Unemployment insuranceFor Kuwaiti nationals only
  4. Your visaAsk before your residence is cancelled
  5. 7 Nov 20271 year: last day if your employer denies the claim

Example: an expat whose employer ended the job, with a last working day of 7 Nov 2026.

Your indemnity

  • 15 days' pay for each of your first 5 years.
  • A month's pay for each year after that.
  • Part years count in proportion.
  • If you are paid monthly, the total is capped at 18 months' pay (Art. 51).

The law counts regular allowances, commissions and similar payments as wage (Art. 55). Ask PAM which of yours count. Debts or loans you owe your employer can be deducted.

When you get the full indemnity

  • Your employer ended the contract.
  • Your fixed-term contract ran out and was not renewed.
  • You left for one of the reasons in Articles 48 to 50, such as your employer breaking the contract.
  • A woman resigns within 1 year of getting married.

If you resign from an open-ended contract

  • Under 3 years: no indemnity.
  • 3 years until you reach 5: half.
  • 5 years until you reach 10: two thirds.
  • 10 years or more: the full indemnity.

These shares come from Article 53. Your employer may treat unexcused absence for 7 days running, or 20 days in a year, as resigning (Art. 42).

A mutual agreement is not on the list of full-indemnity cases. So before you agree to leave, ask for a signed paper with the indemnity figure on it.

During probation, up to 100 working days, either side can end the contract without notice. If your employer ends it, you still get the indemnity (Art. 32).

If you are dismissed for misconduct

It depends on what you are said to have done. Article 41(a) lists three acts that end the job with no notice and no indemnity.

  • A fault that causes your employer a heavy loss.
  • Cheating to get the job.
  • Giving away the secrets of the work.

Article 41(b) lists other acts, such as an assault or repeatedly refusing instructions. Your employer can dismiss you for those, but you keep your indemnity.

You can challenge the dismissal in court. If it is found arbitrary, you get your indemnity plus compensation for the harm done (Art. 41(c)).

Next: Your leaving plan

Notice and unused leave

On an open-ended contract, give at least 3 months' written notice if paid monthly, or 1 month if not (Art. 44).

Whoever skips the notice pays the other side the wage for that period.

Leaving a fixed-term contract early without a right means paying for the damage. That is capped at your wages for the rest of the term (Art. 47).

Ask PAM how your unused annual leave is paid out.

Final pay

Ask PAM when your final pay is due. Work out your indemnity first, so you can check what arrives.

Keep your contract, payslips and proof of your start date. You need them if you have to claim.

Next: Complaint deadline checker

Unemployment insurance

Kuwait's unemployment insurance is for Kuwaitis in the private and oil sectors (Law 101/2013, Art. 1). Expats are not covered.

Kuwaitis register within 30 days to be paid from day 8. It pays 60% of the salary your pension is based on, for up to 6 months each time.

Ask PIFSS whether your reason for leaving qualifies before you rely on it.

Your visa

Before your residence is cancelled, ask your employer or the residency affairs office how long you may stay afterwards.

Plan your move or your new sponsor around that answer, and get it in writing if you can.

If you are not paid

Start with the PAM online service page. See all six countries side by side.

  1. Apply to the PAM labour relations unit. PAM calls you and your employer in to settle (Art. 146).
  2. If it cannot settle, it sends the case to the Court of First Instance within one month.
  3. The court sets a hearing within 3 days of receiving it.

You pay no court fees. If your employer denies the claim, it is not heard after 1 year from the end of the contract (Art. 144).

To file online, go to your labour relations unit and register your phone number. You get a login by text message.

Next: Complaint deadline checker

Questions

Do I get my indemnity if I resign in Kuwait?
Only after 3 years. Then half from 3 years, two thirds from 5 and all of it from 10 (Art. 53).
Is there a cap on the indemnity?
Yes. If you are paid monthly, it cannot be more than 18 months' pay (Art. 51).
How long do I have to claim unpaid indemnity?
1 year from the end of the contract, if your employer denies the claim. Apply to the PAM labour relations unit first (Arts. 144 and 146).
Can expats claim unemployment insurance in Kuwait?
No. The scheme is for Kuwaitis (Law 101/2013, Art. 1).

More on leaving a job in Kuwait