Jobs in Kuwait for Indians: what the Indian Embassy says to check first
Get a written contract and an employment visa, because the Indian Embassy in Kuwait says any other visa makes you an illegal worker if you are found employed. Use only a registered recruiting agent, complete emigration clearance if your passport is ECR, and keep your passport and every receipt with you.
How can an Indian safely get a job in Kuwait?
Get a written contract and an employment visa, because the Indian Embassy in Kuwait says any other visa makes you an illegal worker if you are found employed. Use only a registered recruiting agent, complete emigration clearance if your passport is ECR, and keep your passport and every receipt with you.
Checks before you commit
Confirm you hold an employment visa. The Embassy of India in Kuwait advises that any other visa renders you an illegal emigrant if you are found employed there, and that the designation on your visa should match the job you were recruited for.
Ask the recruiting agent for the Registration Certificate issued by the Protector General of Emigrants, and also for the demand letter and power of attorney from the foreign employer. The Embassy says not to deal with the agent unless the registration is valid. Check the agent first.
Read the employment contract for salary and service conditions, and keep a signed copy. The Embassy advises insisting on a copy in English authenticated by the recruiting agent.
If your passport is ECR, complete emigration clearance on eMigrate. The Ministry of External Affairs states that persons with ECR passports going to any of the 17 ECR countries need it. Kuwait is one of the 17 countries listed in our ECR guide.
Check your passport is valid for at least six months and that a valid visa is stamped on it or accompanies it.
What the Embassy advises about fees and agents
The Embassy's advisory says not to pay more than the equivalent of 45 days' wages offered under the contract, subject to a maximum of Rupees Twenty Thousand, and to take a receipt. A newer advisory cited in our service-charge guide gives a different figure, so confirm the current limit before paying.
Pay by demand draft or cheque where possible and keep the receipt. Complaints about overcharging go to the Protector of Emigrants or the Protector General of Emigrants.
The Embassy says not to deal with sub-agents, as the Emigration Act, 1983 does not permit them.
Do not hand your passport to an agent or employer for emigration clearance before you have been selected.
Nurses
The Embassy's advisory says recruitment of Indian nurses for the 17 ECR countries has been restricted to four state-run agencies through eMigrate: NORKA Roots, ODEPC, OMCL Chennai and the Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation. It also says nurses should not pay advance money to any agent and should resist offers of interviews in a third country. Check the Embassy's latest nursing advisory before applying, as arrangements change.
Domestic workers and unskilled workers
The Embassy says unskilled and domestic workers should ensure their employment documents are pre-attested by the Indian Mission in Kuwait, and that employment of female domestic workers from India has been discontinued since 12 December 2014 according to its advisory. Ministry of External Affairs documents also require attested contracts for unskilled workers. Confirm the current rule before any such offer is accepted.
Once you are in Kuwait, and where to complain
The Embassy advises obtaining a resident permit or identity card and labour card (Iqama), and never giving up your passport or your signed contract.
Do not sign a different contract or a blank paper.
Report non-payment of wages or other problems to the Embassy of India in Kuwait, whose emergency contact number is shown on its website as +965-22562151.
Last reviewed 2026-10-17. Information only, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Kuwait on a visit visa?
No. The Embassy of India in Kuwait says a visa other than an employment visa makes you an illegal emigrant in the country if you are found employed.
Do I need emigration clearance for Kuwait?
If your passport is ECR, yes. Kuwait is one of the 17 ECR countries, and the Ministry of External Affairs requires clearance for ECR passport holders going there for employment.
How much can an agent charge for a Kuwait job?
The Embassy advisory says not more than 45 days' wages under the contract, up to Rupees Twenty Thousand. A newer advisory gives a different cap, so check the current limit on eMigrate and keep the receipt.