Kuwait has roughly 350 recruitment offices licensed by the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) to place domestic workers — maids, nannies, cooks, drivers. Unlicensed offices still operate, especially in lower-rent areas of Kuwait City, Hawalli, and Salmiya. If you pay one before PAM shuts them down, your money disappears and your worker has no legal employment status. This is the five-step verification process every Kuwait family should run before paying any recruitment office in 2026.
Why verification matters in Kuwait specifically
Kuwait's 2015 Domestic Workers Law (No. 68) requires every household worker placement to go through a PAM-licensed office. PAM monitors the licensed offices, but new unlicensed operators appear regularly. The window between when an unlicensed office opens and when PAM shuts it down can stretch 6-12 months — long enough for several families to lose money.
Step 1 — Ask for the PAM licence number
Every legal recruitment office in Kuwait has a PAM licence (رخصة هيئة القوى العاملة). The licence number should be displayed on the office wall, printed on their service contract, and produced on request. Walk away from any office that cannot show you this number on the spot.
Step 2 — Verify on the official PAM portal
PAM maintains a public list of licensed offices on its official website at manpower.gov.kw. Search for the licence number from Step 1. If it does not appear in the list, the office is not currently licensed.
Step 3 — Call PAM to confirm active status
Some offices are listed but suspended. The PAM hotline is 103 — call from a Kuwaiti number, give them the licence number, and ask whether the office is currently authorised to place workers. The operator confirms or denies on the spot.
Step 4 — Cross-reference on gccdomestic.com
We maintain a verified directory of Kuwait recruitment offices at gccdomestic.com/agencies/kuwait. We only list offices that have passed PAM verification and that we have independently contacted. If the office is on our list, you have a second confirmation.
Step 5 — Reject cash-only or vague contracts
Two big red flags in Kuwait: (1) cash-only payment requests, (2) verbal "promises" instead of a written PAM-prescribed contract. Licensed offices issue itemised invoices and use the standard PAM contract template in Arabic + English. Any deviation = walk away.
What to do if you find an unlicensed operator
Report it to PAM directly via the hotline 103 or through the PAM mobile app. Kuwait has been increasing enforcement since 2024, and reports lead to inspections within days.
For full Kuwait hiring guidance
If you want the complete operational guide — typical KWD 700-1,400 first-year cost, the standard contract, salary ranges by nationality — start with the 2026 GCC salary report which includes a full Kuwait section: 2026 GCC Domestic Worker Salary Report.
