Hire a Japanese Chef in Kuwait: Market, Labour Law and Mobility

Kuwait has more Japanese restaurants than its tiny Japanese community would suggest, which means most kitchens hiring a Japanese chef recruit from abroad. This guide sets out the market figures, the labour law terms an employer should build into a chef's contract, and the rules on changing employer. We were not able to verify Kuwait's current work permit procedure and fees on an official page during this update, and we say so plainly below rather than repeat unofficial figures.

1. A bigger restaurant market than its community suggests

• Japan's agriculture ministry (MAFF) counted 170 Japanese restaurants in Kuwait in 2025, up 20 on 2023. That is the same count MAFF gives for Saudi Arabia, and more than three times Bahrain's 50.
• Japan's foreign ministry (MOFA) recorded only 142 Japanese nationals in Kuwait on 1 October 2025, down 15.5% on the year: 79 long-term residents and 63 permanent residents.

Put those together and the conclusion is clear. There are more Japanese restaurants than there are Japanese long-term residents, so most kitchens are likely run by non-Japanese cooks, and a restaurant that wants a Japanese head chef will almost certainly bring one in from Japan or another country. If you are planning that hire, also plan how the chef will train the existing team; see training staff in Japanese cuisine.

2. What we could and could not confirm

We checked official sources in September 2026. What we could confirm comes from the International Labour Organization's factsheet on Kuwait (updated December 2023), which summarises the Private Sector Labour Law (Law No. 6 of 2010) and related decisions. According to it, article 10 of the Labour Law provides that the Minister sets by resolution the procedures, documents and fees that the employer pays to recruit a worker.

We could not load the website of the Public Authority for Manpower or the text of Kuwait's newer rules, so this guide does not describe the current work permit steps, processing times or fee amounts. Kuwait's state news agency KUNA reported in November 2024 that an Amiri decree issued a new law on foreigners' residency; we could not open the text to confirm its effect on employers. Before you budget or promise a start date, confirm the current process with the Public Authority for Manpower and the Ministry of Interior, or with a licensed local representative.

3. Labour law terms for the contract

From the ILO factsheet (private sector workers other than domestic workers):

• Contract: may be verbal or written in Arabic. If written, it is issued in three copies, and translations can be added. For a chef from Japan, use a written contract with an attached English or Japanese version.
• Minimum wage: KD 75 a month (Ministerial Decision No. 14 of 2017). This is far below what a Japanese chef will expect and matters only as a legal floor.
• Hours: 8 a day or 48 a week, reduced to 36 a week during Ramadan. A one hour rest after 5 hours of work.
• Rest and overtime: one day off a week. Work on the rest day is paid at least 150% of the daily basic wage. Overtime is paid at 125% to 150% of the basic hourly rate and is capped at 2 hours a day, 6 a week and 180 a year.
• Wages are paid fortnightly or monthly through the Wage Protection System to an accredited bank.
• Annual leave: 30 days of paid leave after six months of service.
• Health insurance: mandatory for expatriates, linked to residency, and arranged and paid for by the employer or sponsor.
• Passports: employers may not confiscate them.
• End of service: for monthly paid workers, 15 days' wages for each of the first five years and one month's wages for each later year, capped at 18 months' wages.

The overtime caps deserve attention. A Japanese kitchen that routinely runs 11 or 12 hour days will exceed 2 hours of overtime a day. Design shifts and staffing so the chef's schedule fits the law. Our contract checklist and overtime rules by country guide help with this.

4. When a chef can change employer

According to the ILO factsheet, most private sector workers in Kuwait can transfer to another employer after one year of continuous employment with the employer's approval. Without the employer's permission, a transfer is allowed only three years after the work permit was issued, with exceptions for some sectors and for small and medium enterprises. A worker who wants to move before the contract ends without consent must file a complaint with the Labour Relations Department of the Public Authority for Manpower.

These rules give an employer more control over the first years than in Bahrain, but a chef who feels trapped rarely performs well. Retention still depends on pay, housing and working conditions. See retaining Japanese chefs.

5. A practical sequence

1. Confirm the current work permit and residency procedure and fees with the Public Authority for Manpower, the Ministry of Interior or a licensed local representative.
2. Budget for flights, housing, health insurance and the end-of-service gratuity as well as salary. See budgeting an international chef hire.
3. Recruit and test the chef remotely, and collect employment certificates and a police certificate early. See police certificates from Japan.
4. Sign an Arabic contract with an attached English or Japanese version that sets hours, overtime and rest days within the law.
5. Register the chef for wage payment through the Wage Protection System from the first month.

General information checked in September 2026 against the ILO factsheet on Kuwait (December 2023) and Japanese government statistics. We could not verify Kuwait's current work permit procedure or fees on an official page. This is not legal or immigration advice; confirm with the Public Authority for Manpower and the Ministry of Interior before acting.