Difference between Tourist Visa and Visit Visa

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Recently there were news that “visit visa which was free will now cost KD 30 and tourist visa which was also free will now cost KD 90”.

I have following questions:

(1) Last year I was in Kuwait and received the visa on arrival, and paid KD 3. If the visa was free then why I was charged KD 3 on arrival?

(2) What is the difference in visit and tourist visa?

(3) I am planning to visit Kuwait again in April 2016, which visa will I get visit or tourist visa? Moreover, how much fee I have to pay?

Name withheld
Answer: So far, all that you have read is proposals which have not been approved nor is there a likelihood of the approval being obtained –for such high fees – in the near future. First of all, the visit or tourist visas were never free.

KD 3 was being charged for both. Now coming to the difference between the two visas –there is a lot of difference between the two but people have started to think both are the same — well they are not. Visit visas are issued to those people who are sponsored by their relatives or some firms.

These people come to visit their relatives or have been called to the country for some business by the firms.

Tourist visas are those people who are coming to Kuwait, just to see the country and are not on visit to their relatives or business trips.

They people are touring the country on visits arranged by tour operators or hotels. So, in your case, if you are being sponsored by a relative or coming on a business tour –sponsored by a firm—you will be considered a visitor.

But either way, it doesn’t make any difference because the fees for both the categories so far is KD 3 … and there is no likelihood of a drastic change in the near future.

This news has been read 16472 times!