Do we need an exit permit for expats?

24/08/2025

Ahmed Al Jarallah

24/08/2025

Ahmed Al Jarallah

We appreciate the measures taken by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef to open up the country. These measures have been warmly welcomed by citizens and expatriates alike, and have stimulated commercial activity. Today, Kuwait is poised to become a leading destination for tourism and trade, providing a comfortable business environment. These positive developments will soon become more evident. Thus, allowing expatriates in Gulf countries to enter Kuwait is stimulating the stagnant waters and has begun to reinvigorate hotels, real estate, and markets.

His Excellency the First Deputy Prime Minister promised to develop the ‘Kuwait Visa’ platform to make it more advanced than others in the region and the world. This demonstrates the conviction that Kuwait has significant potential, which was not visible in recent years due to artificial obstacles. We will not discuss these obstacles today, as they are well known to everyone. We want these blessed procedures to be completed. We do not want them to be spoiled by a ministerial circular requiring company owners, businesspersons, and workers to obtain an exit permit. This circular obstructs more than it benefits. In one way or another, it is beneficial to visa traders who exploit every hint to impose new fees on ordinary workers.

It makes business difficult for companies and their owners. It burdens the Public Authority for Manpower, which issued more than 35,000 permits during the first implementation of the circular. It is well-known globally that an individual has the right to leave and return whenever he or she wishes to do so. No one has the right to prevent anyone from traveling except through a court order.

Furthermore, this procedure does not exist in any country. Here, we want to ask: If someone— a company manager, a businessperson, a senior employee or an ordinary worker—wants to travel for an urgent matter, should they wait for their sponsor to authorize their departure? If they have a leave of absence for a few days, how should they proceed? Should they wait for the leave to end before the Public Authority for Manpower approves the permit?

On the other hand, there is an unclear, rather surprising, point – domestic workers are exempted from the exit permit, while it was imposed on all other workers in the private sector that already suffers from numerous restrictions due to old decisions, some of which are still in effect. Here, we remind His Excellency the First Deputy Prime Minister about the ‘Sixty Resolution’, which proved to be a failure. Upon assuming office, Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al- Yousef rescinded this unfair decision against all companies and businesses. This was a major step that corrected many of the mistakes made during the period of its implementation.

However, if the purpose of the exit permit is to prevent perpetrators of crimes or violations from traveling, this is useless. It is no longer a problem because the criminal can obtain the permit and then leave immediately after committing the crime. Consequently, the responsibility falls on the employer, who will uncover the crime or violation after the employee’s departure. This greatly preoccupies the security authorities.

Moreover, the expatriate does not leave until all fines have been paid, which is a good measure.

So why the exit permit? So, after about two months of implementing the circular, its flaws have begun to appear. We are confident that His Excellency the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, will study these obstacles. We leave the matter for the approval of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.