Iqama Transfer Rules in Kuwait: What You Need to Know

If you're thinking about switching employers in Kuwait, the iqama transfer rules in Kuwait are the first thing you need to understand. The regime changed meaningfully after Ministerial Decision No. 712/2017 and the 2024 reforms by the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM). Here's what actually applies now.

Quick Answer

Under the current iqama transfer rules in Kuwait, a private-sector worker on an Article 18 visa can transfer to a new employer after completing one year with the original sponsor, provided the current employer consents. Without consent, transfer is only possible after three years, or in specific cases of employer breach. Transfer fees are KD 300 within the first three years and KD 150 after that. The new employer must have a valid work-permit quota, and the worker must pass a medical check and update their Civil ID.

When Can You Transfer Your Iqama?

The default rule, set by PAM, is simple on paper but strict in practice. You need one completed year with your current sponsor before a transfer can be processed, and your current employer has to sign a release (what people on the ground call the "no-objection"). ^[1]

No release? Then you wait until the three-year mark. After three years with the same employer, you can transfer without their consent — this was the big 2024 change meant to loosen the sponsorship grip. ^[2]

There are narrower exceptions. If the employer fails to pay salary for a documented period, closes the business, or doesn't renew your work permit on time, you can file a complaint with PAM and request transfer without consent even before three years. The complaint route is slow. Budget two to four months, and expect to produce bank statements, WPS (Wages Protection System) records, and your contract.

Government-sector (Article 17) transfers follow a separate track through the Civil Service Commission and aren't covered by these private-sector rules.

What Does an Iqama Transfer Cost?

Fees are set by PAM and were last adjusted under Decision 552/2021, still in force. ^[3]

Costs (2026):

• Transfer within first 3 years: KD 300
• Transfer after 3 years: KD 150
• Work permit issuance/renewal: KD 10 per year
• Health insurance (Afya): KD 50/year
• Medical fitness test: KD 10
• Civil ID update: KD 5

The transfer fee is legally the new employer's responsibility. In reality, many employers push it onto the worker as a "signing cost" or deduct it from the first months of salary. That's technically a violation of Article 10 of Law No. 6/2010 (the Labour Law), but enforcement is thin unless you file a complaint. ^[4]

Honestly, most workers just pay it to keep the move clean.

What Documents and Steps Are Involved?

The transfer runs through PAM's Ashal portal or Sahel app — paper submissions at service centres still exist but the digital route is faster.

You'll need: a signed release from the current employer (if within the three-year window), a new work-permit application filed by the receiving employer with proof of their active file and quota, your passport copy, Civil ID, a fresh medical fitness certificate from an approved centre, and the new employment contract uploaded in Arabic and English.

Once PAM approves the new permit, you have 60 days to complete the Civil ID update at the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI). Miss that window and you'll pay a KD 2/day late fee, capped but annoying.

Typical timeline from release signature to new iqama in hand: 10 to 25 working days if nothing's flagged. Add weeks if your file has any pending traffic fines, unpaid utility bills tied to your sponsor, or an active absconding ("tagharrub") report — that last one blocks everything until cleared.

What About the Absconding Report Risk?

This is where people get burned. If you leave your current job and your employer files an absconding report before you've secured the transfer, you're in trouble fast. The report, once registered with PAM and the Ministry of Interior, cancels your legal status and can lead to detention and deportation. ^[5]

You have seven days from the report filing to contest it at PAM. Bring evidence — attendance records, messages, anything showing you were actually working or that the employer refused to accept your presence. Successful challenges are possible but not quick.

The safer play: don't resign or stop showing up until the new work permit is at least provisionally approved and you have the release in writing. The iqama transfer rules in Kuwait don't protect you during the gap between quitting and transferring.

Can Domestic Workers Transfer the Same Way?

No. Domestic workers (housemaids, drivers, cooks, nannies) fall under Law No. 68/2015 and are regulated by the Domestic Labour Department at the Ministry of Interior, not PAM. Transfer rules, fees, and employer-consent requirements differ, and the one-year/three-year thresholds don't map cleanly. If that's your situation, the rules in this article don't apply to you directly — check the Domestic Labour Department's current circulars.

For broader context on worker rights, see our employment law answers.