What is the deadline to claim unpaid indemnity in Kuwait?
1 year from the end of your contract. After that, if your employer denies the claim, it is not heard (Art. 144).
Checked 21 October 2026
So file well before the year is up. PAM needs time to try a settlement, and a court case may follow.
Official page: PAM online service page. Ask the PAM labour relations unit for your login, in person. Bring your contract and payslips.
What to do now
- Note the date 1 year after your last day. The leaving plan shows it.
- Register at your labour relations unit so you can file online.
- Apply to the PAM labour relations unit as soon as payment is clearly late.
See an example plan
What to ask HR
- On what date will my indemnity be paid?
- Can I have the figure, and how you worked it out, in writing?
Also happening to you?
Where to file
- Apply to the PAM labour relations unit (manpower.gov.kw). A case has to start at PAM (Art. 146).
- PAM calls you and your employer in and tries to settle (Art. 146).
- If that fails, PAM must send the case to the Court of First Instance no later than one month after you applied.
- The court sets a hearing within 3 days of receiving it.
Costs
Workers pay no court fees for these claims, and they are heard promptly (Art. 144).
Filing online
You can file and follow a complaint online. First visit your labour relations unit and sign the declaration they give you.
They register your phone number, and a username and password arrive by text message.
What you can claim
Your indemnity under Article 51. That is 15 days' pay a year for 5 years, then a month a year, capped at 18 months.
If your employer ended the contract, the full indemnity is due (Art. 52). If you resigned, the share for your years applies (Art. 53).
List any unpaid wages too, and notice pay if your employer skipped the notice period.
What to bring
Bring your contract, your payslips or bank statements, and anything showing your start date and last day. Keep copies of every message about your pay.
If you resigned
Check that you had at least 3 years of service. Under 3 years, a resignation pays no indemnity (Art. 53).
If you are leaving Kuwait
Start the claim before you go if you can. Keep a phone number that works abroad, because the login and updates come by text.
If your employer has admitted the debt in writing, keep that message. The 1-year limit is for claims your employer denies, so an admission can matter.