Kuwait notice period rules: 3 months either way

What is the notice period in Kuwait?

For an open-ended (unlimited) contract, Article 44 of Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 says the side that wants to end it must give written notice of at least:

The same notice applies whether you resign or the employer ends the contract. Your contract can give a longer notice, never a shorter one.

What if notice is not given under Article 44?

The side that ends the contract without notice pays the other side the worker's wage for the same period (Article 44(b)). It works both ways:

• The employer skips notice: it pays you 3 months of wage on top of your other dues.
• You leave without notice: the employer may claim 3 months of your wage from you.

Your rights while you serve notice

1. 1The employer gives written notice
2. 2You keep working on full pay
3. 3A paid day or 8 hours a week to look for work
4. 4Service and indemnity count to the last day

• Job-search time: when the employer gives notice, you may take one full day or 8 hours a week off, paid, to look for a new job. You choose the time and tell the employer the day before (Article 44(c)).
• Excused from work: the employer may let you stop working during the notice. Your service still counts to the end of the notice and the wage for it is paid (Article 44(d)).
• Not during leave: the employer may not give you notice while you are on leave under the law (Article 45).
• No dismissal without a reason: Article 46 bans ending a contract without a reason, or because of union work, claiming your rights, sex, origin or religion.

When can you leave without notice?

Article 48 lets you leave without notice and with full indemnity if the employer breaks the contract or the law, assaults you, hired you by fraud, accused you of a crime you were cleared of, or commits an indecent act against you, or if the Ministry of Health medical committee finds the work a risk to your health or safety. The employer can dismiss you without notice and without indemnity only for the 3 acts in Article 41(a): a mistake causing serious loss, getting the job by fraud, or revealing work secrets.

Probation and fixed-term contracts

• Probation: at most 100 days of work (100 working days), once per employer. Either side can end it without notice. If the employer ends it, it pays indemnity for the time worked (Article 32).
• Fixed-term contract: the notice of Article 44 is for open-ended contracts. If one side ends a fixed-term contract early without a right, it pays compensation for the actual harm, at most the wage for the rest of the term (Article 47).

Worked example: the employer ends it without notice

Wage KWD 500, joined 1 January 2020, last day 31 December 2025. No notice given, 10 days of wages unpaid, 10 leave days left, a KWD 200 loan still open.

1. Indemnity (Article 51): KWD 1,945.047.
2. Notice pay: 3 × 500 = KWD 1,500.000.
3. Wages and leave: 20 × 500 ÷ 26 = KWD 384.615.
4. Loan taken off: −KWD 200.000.

Final settlement: KWD 3,629.663.

Work out your own final settlement with notice pay →

If your dues are not paid, file a request with the Public Authority for Manpower first (Article 146). The court will not hear a denied claim more than 1 year after the contract ended (Article 144).

This is an estimate under the published law, not legal advice. The Public Authority for Manpower or a court gives the final figure.

Questions people ask about notice in Kuwait

Is the notice period 3 months for resignation in Kuwait? Yes, for a monthly-paid worker on an open-ended contract (Article 44).

Can my employer refuse my resignation in Kuwait? The law gives the employer no right to refuse it. Written notice under Article 44 is enough to end an open-ended contract once the notice period runs out.

Can I pay instead of serving notice? Yes. Leaving without notice means you owe the employer the wage for the notice period (Article 44(b)). The law does not say how it is collected, so agree it in writing.

Is there a notice period during the 100 days of probation in Kuwait? No. Either side can end the contract during probation without notice (Article 32).

Do I get indemnity during probation? If the employer ends it, yes, for the time worked (Article 32).

Sources

• Kuwait Labour Law No. 6 of 2010, Arabic text (PAM print, June 2017) (Articles 32, 41, 44 to 48, 51, 144, 146)
• Kuwait Times: notice period and indemnity (2016)
• Teamed: Kuwait end-of-service indemnity

This guide is general information, checked in November 2026. Rules can change, so confirm with the Public Authority for Manpower.