Contrary to what was repeatedly published by many media outlets in recent days, there are no major amendments to visa rules and regulations, and residency fees for expatriates and visitors to the country, remain mostly unchanged.

Reiterating this, Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah issued a ministerial decree No. 957 of 2019 on Tuesday, 22 October, that clarifies the latest residency laws, which show only a few minor changes to existing laws. The new bye-laws came into effect following their publication in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm on Monday.

Among the new bye-laws are: Subject to the Residency Affairs Director’s decision visit visas can be transferred to residency visas in the following cases:

Visitors on government visit visas issued by ministries and public authorities and holding university degrees; domestic helpers; dependents arriving on family or tourist visit visas; holders of valid residencies who exceed six months out of Kuwait and have to enter with a visit visa; those who enter for work and start procedures to get residency, but have to leave for a maximum of one month.

The only change in residency fees is the introduction of a KD3 fee for obtaining a visa on arrival, which used to be offered free of charge for some nationalities. Other residency fees remain the same, including residence and renewal fees at KD10 per person per year; dependent residency fees for spouses and children remain at KD10 per person annually. The new regulations still allow the residency department to grant relatives other than the wife and children, such as parents, a dependent visa against a KD200 annual fee.

The new regulations also maintain the minimum monthly salary required to apply for a family visa at KD500, while giving the director of the department leeway to exempt couples already living here from the salary condition. The regulations also exempt a large number of professions from the salary conditions, including judges, doctors, engineers, teachers, journalists and several other category of workers.

The new by-laws allow tourists to stay in Kuwait for up to three months, and offer a multiple-entry visa, valid for one year, for a fee of KD1 for each month. Foreigners whose residence is cancelled and those who resign are also given up to three months of temporary residency to settle their accounts and exit the country.

 

 


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