Kuwait employment contracts, probation, notice and annual leave (2026)
A Kuwaiti employment contract must be in writing and in Arabic, and a fixed term runs for one to five years. Probation can last up to 100 working days, once per employer, and either side can end it without notice. An open-ended contract needs at least three months' written notice for monthly-paid staff, and every employee gets at least 30 working days' paid annual leave a year, earned after six months in the first year.
Contracts and leave in Kuwait
- Written Arabic contracts lodged
- Probation up to 100 working days
- Three months' notice
Kuwait sets annual leave at 30 working days, not 30 days
What happened
Law No. 85 of 2017, published in Kuwait Al-Yawm on 9 July 2017, replaced Article 70 of the Labour Law. Annual leave is now at least 30 working days. Weekly rest days, official holidays and sick leave that fall inside the leave do not count towards it.
What it means for you
An employee who takes the full entitlement is away for more than a calendar month. Leave in the first year is earned only after six months' service, and part years earn leave in proportion.
Dates to know
- 9 July 2017Law No. 85 of 2017 published in Kuwait Al-Yawm, Issue 1348
Source: Public Authority for Manpower, Kuwait. We check this page every week. Last checked .
Kuwait's Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 sets the minimum terms of every private-sector employment contract. Article 6 makes those terms a floor: a contract, company rules or custom can give more but never less. The rules on contract form and probation sit in Articles 27 to 32, notice in Articles 44 and 45, working hours and rest in Articles 64 to 68, and annual leave in Articles 70 to 74.
What must a Kuwaiti employment contract contain?
The contract must be in writing and state the signing date, the start date, the wage, the contract period if it is fixed-term, and the nature of the work (Article 28). It is made in three copies: one for each party and one lodged with the competent authority. It must be in Arabic, and the Arabic text wins in any dispute (Article 29).
Without a written contract the employment still exists, and the employee can prove their rights by any means of evidence. The wage cannot be reduced while the contract runs, and any agreement to cut it is void (Article 28). The employer also cannot assign work that does not match the job in the contract or the employee's qualifications.
How long can a fixed-term contract in Kuwait last?
A fixed-term contract must run for at least one year and no more than five (Article 30). It can be renewed by agreement. If both sides simply carry on after it ends, it is treated as renewed for the same period on the same terms (Article 31).
Renewal cannot take away rights the employee built up under the earlier contract. A fixed-term contract ended early without a valid reason makes the party ending it pay compensation, capped at the employee's wage for the rest of the term (Article 47). A contract with no fixed term is open-ended and ends by notice under Article 44.
How does probation work in Kuwait?
Probation is set in the contract and cannot exceed 100 working days. An employee can be on probation with the same employer only once. Either side can end the contract during probation without notice (Article 32).
An employer that ends the contract during probation must still pay the end-of-service indemnity for the time worked. So a short probation exit has a cost, though a small one. The Minister sets the detailed rules for work during probation.
How much notice is needed to end an open-ended contract?
At least three months' written notice for a monthly-paid employee, and one month for other employees (Article 44). The side that does not give notice pays the other the employee's wage for the notice period.
During notice given by the employer, the employee may take one day, or 8 hours, a week on full pay to look for work, and must tell the employer at least a day before. The employer can release the employee from working the notice, but the period still counts as service and is paid in full. An employer cannot use this notice right while the employee is on any leave set by the law (Article 45).
How much annual leave do employees get in Kuwait?
At least 30 working days' paid annual leave a year (Article 70, as amended by Law No. 85 of 2017). In the first year, leave is earned only after six months' service. Weekly rest days, official holidays and sick leave that fall within the leave are not counted.
Leave for part years is earned in proportion, including in the first year. Leave pay is due before the leave starts (Article 71). The employer sets the dates and can split the leave after the first 14 days with the employee's consent. Leave can be carried over for up to two years, or longer if both agree (Article 72). Unused leave is paid in cash when the contract ends (Article 73), and an employee cannot waive leave (Article 74).
What are the working hours and overtime rules in Kuwait?
No more than 48 hours a week or 8 hours a day, and 36 hours a week in Ramadan (Article 64). Staff cannot work more than five hours in a row without at least an hour's break, which is not counted as working time (Article 65).
The financial, commercial and investment sectors may work eight hours in a row instead. Overtime needs a written order and a reason the law lists, such as an unusual workload. It is capped at 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, 90 days a year and 180 hours a year. It is paid at 25% above the normal wage (Article 66). Employees get a paid 24-hour rest after every six working days. Work on the rest day earns at least 50% extra plus another day off (Article 67).
Which public holidays are paid in Kuwait?
Article 68 lists 13 fully paid official holiday days: Hijri New Year, Isra and Miraj, three days of Eid Al-Fitr, Arafat Day, three days of Eid Al-Adha, the Prophet's Birthday, National Day, Liberation Day and Gregorian New Year.
An employee who works on one of these holidays is paid double and gets another day off. Because official holidays inside annual leave do not count against it, they extend the time an employee is away.
Key figures
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Contract form, Articles 28 and 29 | Written, in Arabic, three copies (one lodged with the competent authority). States signing and start dates, wage, term if fixed and nature of work. The wage cannot be reduced during the contract. (source) |
| Fixed-term contracts, Articles 30 and 31 | At least one year and no more than five. Carrying on after expiry renews the contract for a similar period on the same terms. (source) |
| Probation, Article 32 | Up to 100 working days, only once with the same employer. Either side may end it without notice; if the employer does, the indemnity for the time worked is due. (source) |
| Notice, Article 44 | Open-ended contracts: three months for monthly-paid staff, one month for others. Pay in lieu equals the wage for the notice period. One day or 8 hours a week paid job-search time during employer notice. (source) |
| No notice during leave, Article 45 | The employer may not use its Article 44 right to end the contract while the employee is on any leave set by the Labour Law. (source) |
| Annual leave, Article 70 | At least 30 working days a year, earned after six months in the first year. Weekly rest days, official holidays and sick leave within it are not counted. Part years earn leave in proportion. (source) |
| Leave pay, splitting and carry-over, Articles 71 to 73 | Paid before the leave starts. May be split after the first 14 days with consent. Carry-over up to two years, longer by agreement. Unused leave paid in cash at contract end. (source) |
| Working hours, Articles 64 and 65 | Maximum 48 hours a week or 8 a day; 36 hours a week in Ramadan. A break of at least one hour after five hours in a row, except in the financial, commercial and investment sectors. (source) |
| Overtime and rest days, Articles 66 and 67 | Overtime capped at 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, 90 days a year and 180 hours a year, paid at 25% extra. A paid 24-hour rest after six working days; rest-day work earns at least 50% extra and another day off. (source) |
| Official holidays, Article 68 | 13 fully paid days a year. Work on an official holiday is paid double plus another day off. (source) |
Frequently asked questions
Can an employee in Kuwait be put on probation twice?
Not with the same employer. Article 32 allows probation only once per employer, for up to 100 working days.
Is Kuwaiti annual leave 30 calendar days or 30 working days?
Working days. Since Law No. 85 of 2017, Article 70 gives at least 30 working days, and weekly rest days, official holidays and sick leave inside the leave are not counted.
Can an employer pay notice instead of having it worked?
Yes. Article 44 lets the employer release the employee from working the notice, but the notice period still counts as service and must be paid in full.
Does a contract in English only count in Kuwait?
Article 29 requires contracts to be written in Arabic. A translation can be added, but the Arabic text prevails in any dispute.
Can a fixed-term contract in Kuwait be shorter than a year?
No. Article 30 sets a fixed term of at least one year and no more than five.
Each of the six Gulf states writes its own labour law, its own end-of-service rules and its own quota for hiring citizens. When Teamed is your legal employer, we apply the right rules for the country each person works in and update your contracts, policies and payroll as the law changes, so you never have to read a statute to stay compliant.
