JOBSPUZZLE
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Working in Kuwait
For India passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15
Route available
Kuwait employs Indian workers at large scale on the employer-sponsored Employment Visa No. 18 — and if your passport is ECR you must get Emigration Clearance before flying.
What the employer must have
- The Kuwaiti employer (sponsor) must obtain your Employment Visa No. 18 for private-sector work, and the employment contract must be signed by the sponsor.
- For ECR-category hires the contract/demand documents must be attested — in Kuwait first, then by the Embassy of India (for direct recruitment).
- A foreign employer not registered on India's eMigrate portal must register via the Indian Embassy before recruiting ECR workers.
What you must do before you leave
- If your passport is ECR, get Emigration Clearance from the Protector of Emigrants through eMigrate before flying — Kuwait is one of India's 18 notified ECR countries.
- Do your medical at a GAMCA-approved lab in India and obtain a Police Clearance Certificate before applying for EC; the visa, medical papers and PCC are stamped by Kuwait's Embassy/Consulate in India first.
- Make sure the visa is Employment Visa No. 18 — a No. 14 commercial visit visa is not a work visa and does not guarantee conversion.
- Buy the mandatory PBBY insurance (ECR category) and deal only with MEA-registered recruiting agents — the legal fee cap is INR 30,000 plus GST, and sub-agents are illegal.
Things to watch
- Women under 30 with ECR passports are not granted emigration clearance for domestic work and several other listed occupations.
- Domestic-sector workers (Visa 20) follow a separate, stricter attestation flow; female domestic workers must go through state-government-approved recruitment agencies.
- Kuwait's own government portals were unreachable from this session's location; Kuwait-side rules are documented here via Government of India sources.
What you may lawfully be charged
THE MOST A REGISTERED RECRUITING AGENT MAY LAWFULLY CHARGE YOU is ₹30,000 plus 18% GST — ₹35,400 in total, once. Not per year, not per document.
Rule 25(1), Emigration Rules under the Emigration Act 1983.
⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.
Official sources
This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.