Kuwait: Stuck Without an Exit Permit?

PAM dispute department + MoI referral

The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) is the operative labour authority in Kuwait. From February 2025, PAM accepts digital complaints (Ministerial Order of 19 February 2025) — anonymous filings allowed, and the Sahel screenshot is dispositive evidence. Exit-permit denials are handled through PAM's dispute department, with referral to the Ministry of Interior for review under Circular 2/2025.

The four employer patterns the rule is meant to catch

1. Bare denial with no reason given. Reviewable by PAM's dispute department, with MoI referral for exit- permit review — they may override.
2. Inaction — Sahel sits without movement. After roughly 7 days, sustained inaction is itself a violation.
3. Conditional approval. "Sign a release", "drop your wage claim", "pay a fee" — all unlawful conditions under Circular 2/2025. Any waiver signed under duress would not bar your statutory claims.
4. Pretextual reason. "Project not ready", "next month", "need to settle accounts". Submit to PAM's dispute department; the MoI handles review on referral and decides if the ground is legitimate.

Your country's embassy welfare attaché

Every embassy in Kuwait has a labour or welfare attaché. Calling your embassy is FREE and you do not need permission from your employer. A relative back home can also file on your behalf.

Don't see your country? Migrant-Rights.org maintains a directory of active NGOs in each Gulf country: migrant-rights.org

Copy-paste SOS message

This message fits into one WhatsApp / SMS / email. Fill in the bracketed parts and send it to PAM (digital complaint), your embassy's labour attaché, or a trusted relative at home.

I am [your name], a [nationality] worker in Kuwait, in [governorate].
I work for [employer name]. PAM file / CR: [number if known].
I submitted a Sahel-app exit-permit request on [date].
Status:
  • Denied with no reason: [YES / NO]
  • Ignored — no answer from employer: [YES / NO]
  • Employer demands I sign a release or pay a fee for approval: [YES / NO]
  • Medical or family emergency: [YES / NO — describe briefly]
I want PAM and the PAM dispute department with MoI referral for exit-permit review to override the refusal under Ministerial Circular 2/2025.
Please open a PAM digital complaint on manpower.gov.kw and a grievance with the joint committee.
My Civil ID last 4 digits: [XXXX].

Right now — what to do

1. If you are in immediate physical danger: dial Kuwait police on 112.
2. Screenshot the Sahel exit-permit request with the timestamp and status. That is your primary evidence.
3. Open a PAM digital complaint on manpower.gov.kw or via the Sahel app. Attach the screenshot. Anonymous filings are accepted.
4. File a grievance with the joint MoI/MoL committee under Circular 2/2025 — they may override the refusal directly. Priority routing for medical and family emergencies.
5. Send a written demand to the employer citing Circular 2/2025 and Articles 51, 53, 67 of Law 6/2010. The Commoner Law letter below does this with the right citations.
6. Call your embassy welfare attaché. Use the list above. Place the complaint on the consular record.
7. Save Sahel screenshots and the PAM reference number on a personal phone — workplace devices may be reviewed.

After the emergency call — the demand letter

Once you have opened the PAM file, you will want to put your demand in writing to your employer. Two Commoner Law products are tailored to Kuwait's 2025 digital channels. They are paid (the letter is $5; the pack is $12), but PAM and your embassy are always free and should always come first.

• Kuwait Exit-Permit Denial Grievance Letter ($5) — formal demand to your employer citing Circular 2/2025, with the grievance-committee escalation built in.
• Kuwait Sahel Shift / Wage Shortfall Demand Letter ($5) — if Sahel records exceed WPS-paid wages, this letter uses the screenshot as dispositive evidence.
• Kuwait Digital-Filing Pack ($12) — four letters together: exit-permit grievance, Sahel shortfall, experience certificate, and end-of-service indemnity.
• Emergency: Gulf Domestic Worker (general) — broader emergency directory for the six GCC countries (free).