Want To Travel On Thursday But Leave Starts On Saturday? Here’s What You Need To Know About Exit Permits

12/07/2025

Want To Travel On Thursday But Leave Starts On Saturday? Here’s What You Need To Know About Exit Permits

Kuwait has implemented exit permits for all expats working in the private sector (Article 18) from July 1st 2025. Under current regulations, you must apply for your exit permit between 7 days and no less than 24 hours before your planned departure via the Sahel app

If your permissible leave officially begins on Saturday, but you plan to depart Thursday night, you'll likely face denial at the immigration counter, because:

The permit records departure date doesn't match.
Departing before your approved leave start is considered a violation.( Hence you will not be able to depart)
You must align your application with the actual travel dates, so for a Thursday departure, set your travel period to start Thursday

If the company HR has officially set the leave to start on Saturday, but the employee wants to travel Thursday night, this creates a conflict with the Sahel app’s exit permit system. Here’s what the employee should consider doing:

Request HR to Adjust Leave Dates

Communicate clearly with HR about the travel needs and the legal requirement for the leave date and the departure date.
This ensures that the Sahel app permit aligns with the departure date, avoiding denial at Airport

Employers and companies are required to comply with the employee leave regulations set by the Public Authority for Manpower. Friday off day is generally not deducted from your annual leave entitlement.

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