Kuwait offers a variety of visa types, each designed to meet specific entry requirements, duration of stay, and the purpose of the visit. We provide detailed information on the available Kuwaiti visa categories, including the Kuwait Tourist Visa,Kuwait visit visa, residence visa, Work visa, transit visa and entrance visa.
Each category outlines the essential e-Visa entry prerequisites for travelling to Kuwait, with requirements varying based on the applicant's nationality and visit to Kuwait.
The Kuwaiti eVisa, accessible to nationals from numerous countries, facilitates tourist visits to this Gulf state. This digital visa grants a single entry and permits a stay of up to 90 days. Applicants can quickly complete the online application form from their home or office, negating the need for embassy appointments. Processing times range from one to three business days, with the eVisa delivered via email.
Process of Kuwait Tourist Visa
A Kuwaiti entity or a resident relative must sponsor the visit visa. Before arrival, visas can be processed and passports stamped at the nearest Kuwaiti embassy. Sponsors may forward a passport copy to secure the visitor's visa for travel, with original documents provided upon entry. Business and family visit visas have specific documentation and process requirements, detailed below.
Required documents for a family visit visa
The process to obtain a visa for a family visit
Non-GCC expatriates must obtain a residence visa (iqama) for long-term stays in Kuwait. Categories include work, domestic, and dependent visas, each necessitating a sponsor. Detailed requirements for each visa type, including application processes and fees, are outlined.
An employed man can bring his spouse and kids to live with him in Kuwait after obtaining residency. If he has a 17-visa, he needs to make at least 450KD per month; if he has an 18-visa, he must complete at least 650KD. If both men and wives work in Kuwait, they can sponsor their children there, but only if their salaries exceed 350KD monthly.
There are several limitations to dependent visa:
Process and Requirements for Family Visa (Dependent Visa)
Employees of the public and private sectors are eligible for work visas under articles 17 and 18 of the immigration regulations. To receive a Kuwait residence visa on a work visa, an employment offer must be accepted first. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour must receive an application for a work permit from an employer sponsor in Kuwait.
The sponsor must give the work permit and NOC to the Ministry of the Interior for the employee to obtain an entry visa if they reside in a nation where Kuwait has no diplomatic representation.
When an employee accepts a job offer, they must depart Kuwait on a visitation visa and return with a new entrance visa.
Most nationalities must travel back to their home countries for medical examinations and approval from the Kuwaiti Embassy. Travellers from the West can make a one-day round-trip flight to Bahrain.
A full-time employee of a resident expatriate who is hired from a nation outside of Kuwait is granted a domestic servant visa. For this kind of visa, the resident will act as the sponsor. Generally speaking, foreign households can bring a maid into the country.
Additional Conditions for Domestic Servant Visa
Domestic Servant Visa documents required
Travelers needing a Kuwait transit visa can get one from the port authority in Kuwait or its consulate abroad. This visa is essential for those with valid onward travel visas and confirmed tickets, facilitating smooth transit through Kuwait.
Required Documents
Process
This visa caters to government and civil sector employees, allowing for the issuance of visas for joining providers. Eligibility criteria and required documentation are provided to ensure applicants meet the requirements.
The required documents for the Kuwait Entrance Visa
Process for Kuwait Entrance Visa
Those with a visa for multiple visits can enter Kuwait as often as they want during one year. For foreigners travelling to Kuwait on business, this kind of visit visa is beneficial. But the Ministry of Defence must be the sponsor.
Unlike other Westerners, Americans can obtain multiple entry visit visas for Kuwait with a validity of 10 years and unlimited entries.
When a child is born in Kuwait, foreigners are required to obtain an iqama, also known as a visa. It is a dependent Kuwait visa or iqama for the child.
Requirements for Newborn Child Kuwait Visa
A formal birth notification is advised by the hospital where the kid was born. You can get the address from the hospital. The writing is in Arabic. If the child's parents do not write and speak the language, the child's name will be written in phonetic Arabic. Other records needed to complete the birth certificate include:
If you need to stay longer, you can obtain one of the following types of Kuwait visas: e-visa, visa on arrival, or visit visa.
Kuwait's work visa/permit is issued under Articles 17 and 18 of the immigration laws of the nation. Public sector employees are covered by Article 17, and private sector employees are covered by Article 18.
A type of temporary resident permission, the type 14 visa permits visitors to remain in the nation for specific exceptional circumstances where a regular visa cannot be issued.
An Iqama in Kuwait is known as the “Civil ID”, which is both a Plastic Card and a phone application that has the primary information of the resident and the validity of their residency.
Yes, After filling out the application form with all the required information and uploading the supporting papers online, applicants will receive their visas by email. The eVisa needs to be valid for travel.
If you're looking to hire a domestic helper in Kuwait and need a visa for them, here's a more straightforward to understand the process:
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