KUWAIT CITY, June 29: The implementation of Circular No. 2 of 2025, issued by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, will take effect on July 1. The new regulation mandates that expatriate workers in the private sector obtain an exit permit from their employers before leaving Kuwait.

According to official sources at the Public Authority for Manpower, approximately 21,900 exit permits have been issued since the circular was announced on June 12, with numbers expected to double by the time the regulation formally comes into force in early July.

The circular requires expatriate employees to secure employer approval registered in the company’s official files before traveling abroad. Workers can apply for the permit via the authority’s automated systems through the "Ashal - Companies" labor portal on the website or the government's "Sahel' mobile application.

Authorities emphasized that the speed of obtaining the permit, particularly in emergency or urgent travel cases, depends heavily on how quickly the employer approves the application. It is therefore recommended that workers submit requests well in advance of their intended travel date and maintain direct communication with their employers in urgent situations to expedite approval.

Once approved, the exit permit can be printed or presented digitally through the 'Sahel' app to port officials prior to departure.

The Public Authority for Manpower also clarified that if an employer deliberately obstructs or refuses to grant the permit without valid reason, workers have the right to file a complaint with the labor relations unit corresponding to their company’s file. Legal procedures will then follow to address the grievance.

Furthermore, there is no limit to the number of exit permits an expatriate worker may obtain annually, as long as each request receives the employer’s approval. The new system operates without numerical restrictions, allowing for flexible travel permissions aligned with the employer’s consent.