Kuwait: Government fees for expats expected to shoot up by 500%

Dubai: Kuwait is expected to increase the government service fees on expats by a whopping 500 per cent in the next year, local media reported.

According to Al Qabas newspaper, the fees collected by Kuwait are considered the lowest among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The paper said the Board of Directors of the Public Authority of Manpower will form a committee to review all fees for renewing work permits in Kuwait for raising the price.

The move comes soon after Kuwait officially scrapped the decision number 520 of 2020, which bans issuing new work permits for expats above 60.

Chaired by Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Al Salman, the Board of Directors decided to form a unit headed by the Fatwa and Legislation Committee to oversee the legal drafting of the upcoming “manpower” decisions, including raising government service fees in the next year 2022, in order to avoid any errors that conflict with local laws and international treaties.