Ministerial resolution cancels exemptions on additional work permit fees

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahd Al-Youssef, has issued Ministerial Resolution No. (4) of 2025, amending key provisions of the previous Resolution No. (3) of 2024 concerning the issuance of work permits and related procedures.

The new decision, according to Al-Jarida daily, cancels Article Two of the earlier resolution, which had exempted certain sectors and entities from paying the additional fee for obtaining work permits based on assessed labor needs.

With the new amendment, these exemptions have been removed, and all affected entities are now required to pay the additional fee of 150 Kuwaiti dinars per work permit.

The list of entities now obligated to pay includes — government-owned companies, hospitals, clinics, medical centers licensed by the Ministry of Health, private universities and colleges, private schools, foreign investors approved by the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority, sports clubs and federations, public benefit associations, cooperative societies, labor unions, charities and endowments, as well as licensed agricultural plots, hunting activities, animal pens, grazing of sheep and camels, commercial and investment real estate, industrial establishments, and small industries.

The resolution also annuls Article Five of the 2024 decision, which had required the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Manpower to conduct a study on the effects of implementing the resolution within one year of its enactment. The cancelled article also mandated submission of the study, along with any relevant recommendations, to the concerned minister.

The new ministerial directive signals a shift toward unified fee structures and the elimination of sector-specific exemptions, reinforcing standardized procedures across labor and employment frameworks in Kuwait.