Kuwait reopens visit visas under stricter conditions
KD 400 minimum salary • Travel on Kuwaiti carriers
The interior ministry announced on Monday that it will start accepting from Wednesday applications for visit visas for family members but under new conditions, including a higher salary for applicants. The ministry said in a statement that residents applying for parents, wives and children must draw a monthly salary of KD 400, and a salary of at least KD 800 for other relatives.
Applicants must book an appointment in advance to submit the application through the interior ministry’s platform Meta app. The app is available both in English and Arabic and pre-registration is required with a password. The ministry said the move was taken in a bid to promote trade, economic and tourism activities in the country, and in response to social considerations.
Last week, the interior ministry resumed accepting dependent visas for only wives and children after a halt of over one and a half years. It required that the sponsor must draw a minimum salary of KD 800 and have a university degree. The applicants’ occupation must be in accordance with their profession. A number of professions are exempted from the salary precondition but not the university degree.
Applicants for family visit visas must meet a number of conditions, the interior ministry said. They must provide a two-way air ticket to visitors issued on Kuwaiti national carriers — Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways. The applicants must sign a written commitment pledging they will not attempt to transfer the visit visas to dependent residency. They must also pledge to comply with the duration of the visit visa.
Medical treatment must be taken strictly in the private sector and visitors will not be allowed to seek treatment at public health facilities. If visitors overstay, they and their sponsors will be listed under a special security tracking system run by the detectives of the residency affairs department and legal measures will be taken against those violators, the ministry said.
The ministry said business or commercial visas are issued in accordance with applications submitted by Kuwaiti companies and establishments and are given to persons holding university degrees or technical skills in line with the activities of those companies. It said tourist visas are offered to nationals of 53 countries, mostly European and Asian, either on arrival or by visiting the ministry’s website to obtain the visa.
Tourist visas are also given to foreign residents of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) states who are engaged in certain professions outlined in ministry decision 2030/2008 and its amendments. Tourist visas can also be issued through hotels and companies that are linked with the residency affairs department in accordance with listed conditions. Commercial and tourist visas had not been halted but continued with some restrictions.