Kuwait Visa Procedures In Kuwait

A. TYPES OF ENTRY VISAS IN KUWAIT

I. Student entry visas 

Student entry visa for students will be given according to the Certificate from the Education institutions in Kuwait indicating that their acceptance as a student. Patients Entry Visa - Patients entry visa will be issued on the basis of Kuwait Public Health Ministry indicating that the patient is accepted for treatment in Kuwait Hospitals.

II. Visit Visa 

Entry visa for visiting purposes requested by a Kuwaiti national or foreigner living in Kuwait, or issued from Kuwaiti Consulates abroad. The visitor can stay for a month and then extend his visit into a temporary residence permit for two more months (Article 14). As per the GCC agreement GCC citizens are allowed to enter Kuwait without Visa. All other nationalities are permitted to enter in Kuwait with a valid visa or the foreigner whose country has a visa abolition treaty with Kuwait; these persons however may require an entry permit. Entry permits are acquired in the same way and under the same procedures as visit visa. Visit visa and entry permits are valid within 90 days of the issue date and visitor can stay up to 30 days from the day of entry. All nationalities are subject to strict rules of entry and registration as foreigners under the sponsorship of Kuwaitis or Kuwait companies or a dependent of foreign resident under who already enjoy residence under Kuwait sponsorship.

Kuwait Authorities are instructed to all International Airlines not to board passengers for Kuwait unless they have valid visa for entry. Kuwait Ministry of Interior grants Entry visas to the enlisted 34 nationalities on arrival, these nationalities are from USA, UK, France, Italy, Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, China, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea. Other countries can obtain visa through Kuwait Airways offices. The airline has an online facility to process the visa through the Ministry of Interior. However, all other nationals are subject to strict rules of entry and registration as foreigners under the sponsorship of Kuwaitis or as dependents of foreigners who already own residence under Kuwait sponsorship.

Tourist Visa - This visa is solely for the purpose of leisure travel, including vacationing, sightseeing, cruising, and for other such recreational activities.

III. Transit Visas  

Transit visas are issued by Kuwaiti consulates, or by Kuwaiti entry ports upon the request of persons concerned and are valid for one week. The applicant should also hold a valid onward visa for his next destination and a confirmed onward ticket.

[Under Article 14 an expatriate may be granted temporary residence in special cases where he does not need or cannot get ordinary residence. This allows him to stay for up to one year. Though it is usually only given to visitors with personal emergencies such as illness. Temporary residence may also be given to expatriates who have resigned but who need to remain in Kuwait for some time in order to settle their financial affairs or a court case.]

IV. Multiple Entry Visas 

Multi Entry visas are normally allowed to Americans and Europeans, Multi Entry visits visas holders can visit the country “N” number of times within a year and some times it will issue a validity of 10 years and allow an indefinite number of entries, normally it will allowed to the business people in connection with Ministry of Defence. 

V. Employment Visa [Article 17 & 18] 

Visa issued for work in the government or public institutions in accordance with article 17 where a request form the party that offered the foreigner a job or appointed him to a job. Entry visa for work in the private sector issued in accordance with article 18 which necessitates a work permit processed in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. Work Visa Kuwait Labor law specifies two types of work visas are Article No 17 Public Sector Employees Article No 18 Private sector Employees Procedures to obtain a Work visa in Kuwait Sponsoring Company/employer must apply for a work permit from the Ministry of Social Affairs & Labor . The documents required at the time of application are Copy of the employee’s passport showing the sector, No objection Certificate from the General Administration of Criminal investigation at the Ministry of Interior.

Work Visa Procedure in Kuwait : After received the work visa the sponsor should send visa to the employee in his home country . The employee must provide a medical report form the Kuwait consulate recognized Clinics to prove that their general state of health is good and that they are free of specific epidemic diseases mainly tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS. If there is no Kuwait embassy representation in the employee’s home country, the sponsor will obtain an entry permit from the Ministry of Interior in Kuwait and have it sent to the employee.

B. TYPES OF VISAS IN KUWAIT

I. Dependent Visas [article 22] 

Entry visa for a family member of a bearer of a Kuwaiti residence permit who applies and processes the procedures in the immigration department. A male employee can sponsor his wife and his children as dependents in Kuwait, if he has a valid Kuwait Residence and his minimum salary requirement to sponsor is limited to KD 250 per month. But Working wife cannot sponsor her husband as dependent. Sons age over 21 years cannot be sponsored as dependents where as parents may sponsor his daughters up to marriage. Dependent family members may not work without transferring to a work visa under Kuwaiti sponsorship.

II. Domestic Visas [ article 20] 

Entry visa issued to domestic helpers in accordance with article 20 from the General Directorate of Immigration upon the request of a Kuwaiti or a foreign resident provided the age of the domestic helper is between 20 and 50 years. Resident Expatriate family can apply domestic visa for a female full time employee. Single man is not permitted to employ female servants. A man to sponsor a maid, he must have his wife and children living with him. The age limit for the maids between 20 and 50 years. The immigration office will check the size of the home/flat, its monthly income and will check the family really need a maid etc will take into consideration before issuing a visa.


Documents required for applying Domestic Visa: Application of Domestic workers are to filed to the Passport and Immigration department of the area where you are residing (the address in the Civil ID) The following documents need to be filed along with the application form:
- Salary certificates of sponsor and his wife
- Copy of house rent agreement
- Copy of sponsor and wife’s passport
- Proof of ages of children. I.e. copy of local birth certificates or passport
- Copy of the sponsor’s and wife’s civil ID
- Copy of the servant’s passport plus eight passport sized photography
- Copy of the work contract for the servant
- KD 3.000 stamp on application
- Non relationship affidavit from embassy
- All affidavit must be authenticated by Ministry of Foreign Affairs


III. Self Sponsorship [Article 24] 

Expatriates who have spent several years in Kuwait can sponsor themselves under article 24 of regulations and obtain a residence for two to five years, provided, they can support themselves financially and can produce good conduct certificate. Such a form can be renewed on expiry. Such foreigners can also sponsor their wives and children and can run their own business.