Kuwait: Resumption of Family Visit Visa Issuance with Stricter Criteria

Effective immediately, Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior announced that it will resume issuing family visit visas, which have been suspended since August 2022, but under stricter criteria. To apply for the family visit visa, eligible foreign nationals must schedule an appointment with the Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Residency through the Meta Portal. At this appointment, foreign nationals submit the necessary documents for the visa application, including filling out the application form and paying the visa fee of KWD 3. To be eligible, the sponsor must earn KWD 400 (approximately USD 1,300) to invite their wife and/or children; or KWD 800 (approximately USD 2,600) to invite less immediate family members such as parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and in-laws. Previously, the salary requirement for a family visit visa was KWD 250 and it was only available to immediate family members. Foreign nationals on visit visas must also have a confirmed return ticket within one month of the visa application on one of the national airlines, Kuwait Airways or Al Jazeera Airways—if the visa holder arrives on another airline, they will not be allowed to enter Kuwait. However, if there are no direct flights with the national carrier airline, the visa holder should book a transit flight via any country where the national carrier operates. Previously, there was no requirement to fly on a certain airline. Additionally, the visa holder must sign a written pledge not to convert the family visit visas into a residence permit in Kuwait and agree to adhere to the 30-day visit duration. The resumption of family visit visas for foreign nationals will allow sponsors living in Kuwait to have family members visit them, making Kuwait a more attractive destination for employment, and follows the introduction of additional relaxed immigration rules, including the resumption of the issuance of certain types of residence visas.