Kuwait has announced a major overhaul of its domestic labour recruitment system, banning the recruitment of domestic workers from Nigeria and 26 other countries while limiting hiring to workers from just 10 approved nations.
The new directive, issued by Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior, is part of efforts to strengthen oversight of the domestic labour sector, tighten recruitment procedures, and improve regulatory compliance across the country’s domestic worker market.
The policy was adopted following recommendations from several government agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the Public Authority for Manpower.
Under the revised rules, domestic workers may now be recruited only from South Africa, Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Nepal, and Senegal. Recruitment from Senegal is restricted to male domestic workers only.
Authorities said all recruitment procedures will be processed through designated service centres across Kuwait’s governorates.
The decision effectively bars the recruitment of domestic workers from 27 countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Malawi, Chad, Djibouti, Niger, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Madagascar and Bhutan.
In some cases, the restrictions apply only to female domestic workers, while recruitment of male workers may still be permitted.
The circular has already been distributed to residency affairs departments and service centres across Kuwait and is now in force. Officials said the revised framework reflects the country’s broader strategy to regulate the recruitment of domestic workers and strengthen monitoring of the sector through updated administrative controls and procedures.
The move could have implications for thousands of prospective workers from affected countries, particularly in Africa, where overseas domestic employment in Gulf nations remains a significant source of income for many households.
The policy comes amid wider labour and immigration reforms in Kuwait, including the recent rollout of new digital services for processing domestic worker and driver visas and revised sponsorship regulations designed to modernise labour administration.
