Kuwait MOH licence rules and application
Your Kuwait MOH licence route depends on your job and sector. Ask who must check your papers before you pay.
Facts last verified 5 October 2026. Updated 6 October 2026.
Which licence route applies to you?
You need a Kuwait Ministry of Health (MOH) licence to work in Kuwait. Your licence names your workplace (Law 70/2020, Article 4). The law gives 60 days for a licence decision. No decision counts as refusal (Article 5).
Decision 339/2025 covers doctors who are not Kuwaiti and want private-sector work. MOH decides your title. Work must stay within your licensed title and specialty. Ask MOH about health checks, residence steps and when you can start work.
Do you need EPIC?
EPIC checks your degree with the body that issued it (ECFMG rules). Since 16 December 2018, it covers doctors who are not Kuwaiti and got their basic medical degree outside Kuwait.
- Locum and temporary doctors are exempt.
- Doctors already checked by Kuwait’s Ministry of Higher Education are also exempt.
How to send your EPIC documents
- Set up MyIntealth and an EPIC Portfolio. Choose Kuwait MOH as your licence body.
- Send your final medical diploma. Add postgraduate training, specialist awards or advanced medical-science degrees that apply to you.
- Choose the MOH report recipient for your sector: private, government or primary care.
- You can apply to MOH once you send your papers for checking. Make sure the reports reach MOH.
Your private-sector doctor file
You and your employer send the licence file together (Decision 339/2025). It includes:
| Document group | What to send |
|---|---|
| Qualifications | Attested qualifications and approved verification |
| Experience and equivalence | Proof of experience and qualification-equivalence papers |
| Earlier licences | Proof of earlier licences |
Doctors with no past government service need an electronic competency test. The rule also names a group of former government applicants. Ask MOH if you are in that group. If your specialty has no test, a video online interview can replace attending in person.
| Group | Scope |
|---|---|
| Kuwait graduates | Graduates of Kuwait’s medical and dental faculties |
| Local programmes | Graduates of approved local programmes |
| Foreign programmes or fellowships | Similar to those approved for sponsored Kuwaiti doctors; the decision names no foreign fellowship |
| Another Gulf licence | No exemption under this decision |
Private-sector nursing rules
The private nursing service asks for a nursing award from a recognised institute. You need at least 3 years’ study after the intermediate certificate. Nurses need 1 year of experience; midwives need 3 years. It has no bachelor-only rule.
- Bring your papers and the form to MOH’s licence office.
- Resident applicants need home-country nursing registration and papers showing their award is equal to the Kuwait award.
- If you are not Kuwaiti, your certificates go to the Ministry of Higher Education for checking.
- Complete the interview and health check. If you are not Kuwaiti, you also need a valid residence permit.
Other document checks and assessments
We did not find a Kuwait MOH rule requiring DataFlow for every profession. EPIC covers doctors. The private nursing service does not name DataFlow. Dentists and pharmacists should ask MOH who must check their papers.
| Material | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Kuwait Hospital reference | An employer programme, selected under Jordan |
| Higher-education agreement | Academic credentials; announced on 3 September 2026 |
Pharmacy has its own MOH department (MOHKW). Ask it how to apply. Ask MOH if dentists or pharmacists need an oral assessment. Decision 339/2025 covers only private-sector doctors. It does not cover nurses, dentists, pharmacists or government-sector applicants.
Your next step after the exam
After a pass, ask MOH what is left for your licence. If you use EPIC, make sure your reports reach the right MOH recipient. Check fees and booking before paying, or results and retakes after your exam.