Indemnity for domestic workers in Kuwait is one month's wage for each year of service, paid when the contract term is completed (Article 23 of Law No. 68 of 2015 on Domestic Workers). The wage is the basic monthly wage written in the contract (Article 19), so the food, housing and clothing the household provides are not added to it. A housemaid on KWD 120 a month who completes a two-year contract is owed KWD 240.
That rule comes from a different law from the one most Kuwait indemnity guides describe. Private Sector Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 excludes domestic workers in its Article 5, so its 15-days-a-year formula, its 26-day month and its 18-month cap do not apply to anyone the Domestic Workers Law covers: a man or woman doing manual work inside a private home for individuals, under a written contract (Article 1). That means housemaids, cooks, nannies and the other household staff a family employs on a domestic-worker contract.
The Domestic Workers Law and its executive regulations (Ministerial Decision No. 22 of 2022) set the rest of the money rules: a minimum wage of KWD 75 a month, pay at the end of each month and never more than seven days late, no deductions of any kind, at least 30 days of paid leave a year, a paid 24-hour rest after every six working days, and half a day's wage for up to two hours of overtime.
Mukafi's Kuwait calculators all run on Law No. 6 of 2010, so for a domestic worker they would understate the indemnity. That is why this guide has no calculator in it. The sum is short enough to do by hand, and the table below does it for five common cases.
How indemnity for domestic workers in Kuwait is calculated
Article 23 is a single sentence:
«تخصص مكافأة نهاية خدمة للعامل المنزلي بعد إتمام مدة العقد تعادل أجر شهر واحد عن كل سنة.»
In English: the domestic worker is given an end-of-service gratuity, after completing the term of the contract, equal to one month's wage for each year. So the formula is:
Indemnity = monthly wage × years of service
- Take the monthly wage in your contract. Article 19 defines it as the basic wage the contract sets, which may not be below the minimum wage.
- Count your years of service with the employer.
- Multiply the two.
Here is what that gives, next to what the private-sector formula would give for the same wage and service:
| Monthly wage | Service | Domestic Workers Law (Art. 23) | Private-sector formula (Law 6/2010, Art. 51) |
|---|---|---|---|
| KWD 75 | 2 years | KWD 150.00 | KWD 86.54 |
| KWD 120 | 2 years | KWD 240.00 | KWD 138.46 |
| KWD 120 | 4 years | KWD 480.00 | KWD 276.92 |
| KWD 150 | 10 years | KWD 1,500.00 | KWD 1,298.08 |
| KWD 150 | 20 years | KWD 3,000.00 | KWD 2,700.00 (18-month cap) |
The right-hand column is what a Kuwait indemnity calculator built on the Labour Law, ours included, shows for those inputs. For the first five years it comes out about 42% short, because the Labour Law pays 15 days' wage a year on a 26-day month where the Domestic Workers Law pays a full month. The gap narrows after year five and opens again once the Labour Law's 18-month cap bites.
Two things Article 23 does not say. It counts in years and says nothing about a part year. And unlike Article 51 of the Labour Law, it sets no ceiling. If your service ends part-way through a year, how the remainder is counted is a question for the Domestic Workers Department, because the text does not settle it.
When the indemnity is due
Article 23 ties the payment to completing the contract term. Three other provisions decide when that happens and what comes with it:
- The contract renews itself. It is renewed automatically unless the employer or the worker says, at least two months before it ends, that they do not want to renew (Article 16 of the law and Article 25 of the regulations). If the employer claims a contract was renewed, the employer has to prove it (Article 25).
- Everything is paid at the end. When the contract ends, the employer must hand over every amount the contract and the law provide for (Article 16), and the last employer pays for the worker's journey home (Article 25 of the regulations).
- If the worker dies, the employer repatriates the body at its own cost, pays the wage for the month of death and pays every other amount owed to the worker's heirs (Article 22(5) of the law and Article 26 of the regulations).
The law does not deal with a contract the employer ends before its term, or with a worker who leaves early. Those cases go to the Domestic Workers Department as disputes, which is why the paperwork matters. Article 7 names a transfer slip or a signed receipt as a form of proof that a wage was paid, so keep the same record for the indemnity: a bank transfer or a receipt signed for the exact amount.
Salary rules: the KWD 75 minimum wage and pay day
The minimum wage for a domestic worker in Kuwait is KWD 75 a month (Article 27 of the 2022 regulations). Decision No. 22 of 2022 repealed the 2016 regulations, so the KWD 60 figure set in 2016, still quoted on many pages, is out of date. Article 27 also has the Minister fix the minimum by decision at most every five years, so check whether a newer decision has been issued since 2022.
The other pay rules:
- Paid monthly, on time. The agreed wage is due at the end of each month (Articles 7 and 20) and may not be paid more than seven days late (Article 23(1) of the regulations).
- From the first day of work. Pay runs from the date the worker actually starts (Article 8), and it is the employer who has to prove the wage was paid (Article 23(3) of the regulations).
- No deductions. No part of the wage may be deducted for any reason (Article 8 of the law and Article 23(4) of the regulations). That includes deductions for food, for breakages and for recruitment costs. A recruitment office may not take money from the worker either (Article 4).
- Late pay costs the employer KWD 10 a month. A worker paid late is owed KWD 10 for each month of delay on top of the wage itself (Article 27 of the law), counted from the seventh day after the wage fell due under the regulations.
- Board and lodging are extra. Food, clothing, medical treatment and suitable housing are the employer's obligations under Articles 9 and 11. They are not part of the wage and cannot be charged against it.
Hours, rest, annual leave and overtime
| Right | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Working day | No more than 12 hours a day, with rest breaks | Law, Art. 22(2) |
| Weekly rest | 24 consecutive hours, paid, after every six working days | Regulations, Art. 29 |
| Annual leave | At least 30 days a year on full pay; first-year leave once 11 months are served | Regulations, Art. 28 |
| Overtime | Only when necessary, at most 2 extra hours a day, paid at half a day's wage | Regulations, Art. 30 |
| Unpaid overtime | The worker can complain; the Department can order fair compensation of no less than twice the wage agreed in the contract | Law, Art. 28 |
| Work injury | Treatment and compensation at the employer's cost | Law, Art. 22(1) |
| Passport and ID | The employer may not hold them without the worker's consent | Law, Art. 12; Regulations, Art. 23(7) |
| Phone | The worker may own and use a mobile phone outside working hours | Regulations, Art. 23(11) |
According to the International Labour Organization's summary of the standard contract (as amended in 2020), the contract adds an hour of rest after every five hours of work and eight consecutive hours of rest at night. Neither appears in the law itself.
Domestic Workers Law and Labour Law side by side
Most mistakes about domestic workers' pay in Kuwait come from applying the private-sector rules. These are the points where the two laws part company:
| Point | Domestic Workers Law No. 68 of 2015 | Private Sector Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Indemnity rate | One month's wage a year (Art. 23) | 15 days a year for five years, then a month a year, on ÷26 (Art. 51) |
| When it is due | On completing the contract term | From the first day, reduced on resignation from an open contract (Art. 53) |
| Ceiling | None stated | 18 months' wage |
| Wage it is based on | The basic wage in the contract (Art. 19) | Basic pay plus regular allowances (Art. 55) |
| Minimum wage | KWD 75 (Regulations, Art. 27) | Set separately for the private sector |
| First-year leave | After 11 months (Regulations, Art. 28) | After six months (Art. 70, as replaced in 2017) |
| Overtime | Up to 2 hours a day at half a day's wage (Regulations, Art. 30) | 125% of the hourly wage, more on rest days and holidays (Arts. 66–68) |
| Where to complain | PAM Domestic Workers Department | The PAM labour department (Art. 146) |
| Court fees | None for the worker, at every level (Art. 36) | None for the worker (Art. 144) |
If you work for a company rather than a household, the right-hand column is yours, and our Kuwait labour law indemnity rules guide explains it in full. The private-sector leave and overtime rules are in our guides to Kuwait labour law annual leave and how to calculate overtime in Kuwait.
How to claim unpaid indemnity or wages
Domestic workers do not go to the private-sector labour offices. The law gave its powers to the Ministry of Interior, and Council of Ministers Decision No. 614 of 2018 moved them to the Minister of Social Affairs and the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM). Complaints now go to PAM's Domestic Workers Department:
- File the complaint. Either side can complain. A complaint from the worker has to be decided within two weeks at most (Article 34(2) of the regulations).
- Settlement, or court. If the two sides settle, the settlement is put in a written agreement (Article 32 of the law). If they do not, or the other side ignores the summons, the case goes to court (Article 31 and Article 34(5) of the regulations).
- Protection while it runs. Once you have complained, an absconding report cannot be registered against you (Article 35 of the regulations), and the Department's director must have your residence extended until the complaint is finally decided and you have received what you are owed (Article 33 of the law).
- In court, the labour circuit hears the case urgently, with a first hearing within a month (Articles 35 and 37), and a worker who sues pays no court fees at any level (Article 36).
When the dispute is over, the Department issues a clearance certificate stating that neither side has further claims (Article 34). Do not sign for one until you have been paid.
Mistakes that cost domestic workers money
- Using a private-sector indemnity calculator. It applies the wrong law and, as the table above shows, comes out about 42% short in the first five years.
- Quoting the old KWD 60 minimum. It was replaced by KWD 75 in 2022.
- Accepting deductions. Nothing may come off the wage, whatever the reason given.
- Taking cash without a receipt. A bank transfer or a signed receipt is the proof the law names, for the monthly wage and for the indemnity.
- Missing the two-month window. If neither side gives notice at least two months before the contract ends, it renews. Diarise the date if you plan to leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much indemnity does a domestic worker get in Kuwait?
One month's wage for each year of service, once the contract term is completed (Article 23 of Law No. 68 of 2015). The wage is the basic monthly wage in the contract. A worker on KWD 120 a month who completes a two-year contract is owed KWD 240, and four years comes to KWD 480.
Does Kuwait Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 apply to domestic workers?
No. Article 5 of Law No. 6 of 2010 excludes domestic workers. Their rights come from the Domestic Workers Law, Law No. 68 of 2015, and its executive regulations, Ministerial Decision No. 22 of 2022. That is why the private-sector indemnity formula, the 26-day month and the 18-month cap do not apply to them.
What is the minimum wage for domestic workers in Kuwait?
KWD 75 a month, under Article 27 of the 2022 executive regulations. The KWD 60 minimum set in 2016 no longer applies. Food, housing, clothing and medical treatment are owed on top of the wage and cannot be deducted from it.
Can I use an online Kuwait indemnity calculator for a housemaid or nanny?
Not one built on the Labour Law, including Mukafi's. Those calculators pay 15 days' wage a year for the first five years, which is about 42% less than the one month a year the Domestic Workers Law grants. Multiply the monthly wage by the years of service instead.
How many days of annual leave do domestic workers get in Kuwait?
At least 30 days a year on full pay. Leave for the first year can be taken once the worker has served 11 months (Article 28 of the 2022 regulations). Domestic workers also get a paid 24-hour rest after every six working days (Article 29).
What happens if the employer pays the salary late?
The wage is due at the end of each month and may not be more than seven days late. For each month of delay the worker is owed KWD 10 on top of the wage (Article 27 of the law), and a proven complaint can also stop the employer getting new domestic-worker visas.
Where do domestic workers complain about unpaid indemnity in Kuwait?
At the Domestic Workers Department of the Public Authority for Manpower. It must decide a worker's complaint within two weeks, and an absconding report cannot be filed against a worker who has complained. If there is no settlement the case goes to the labour circuit of the court, and the worker pays no court fees.
Is there a maximum indemnity for domestic workers in Kuwait?
The Domestic Workers Law does not set one. Article 23 grants one month's wage for each year without a ceiling, unlike the private-sector law, which stops at 18 months' wage. A domestic worker on KWD 150 a month with 20 years of service is owed KWD 3,000.
Before you rely on a number
Take the monthly wage from the contract, multiply it by the years of service, and check the result against what you were paid and the receipts you hold. If the figures do not match, the Domestic Workers Department is the place to start, and it costs nothing.
This guide is based on the Arabic text of Law No. 68 of 2015 and of Ministerial Decision No. 22 of 2022, cross-checked against the International Labour Organization's factsheet on Kuwait's regulatory framework for migrant workers (December 2023). It is for orientation and is not legal advice. If you work for a company rather than a household, use the Kuwait indemnity calculator instead.