23/11/2025
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23/11/2025
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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 23: The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, recently enacted the executive regulations for the updated decree governing the residency of foreign nationals in Kuwait. These regulations specify the conditions, application procedures, and fee structures for all categories of entry visas, visit visas, and residence permits.
Visit Visa Fees
Article 39 details the fees for entry visas and related services offered by the General Directorate of Residency Affairs. For residency purposes, a fee of 10 Kuwaiti dinars (KD) is imposed on the following nine types of entry visas:
- Employment in the government sector
- Employment in the private sector
- Entry for domestic workers and similar categories
- Engagement in commercial or industrial activities
- Family reunion (joining a family member)
- Enrollment for study
- Entry as a foreign investor
- Temporary government contract work
- Temporary employment in the oil sector
For Visit visas issued for visits, a monthly fee of 10 KD applies to each of the following nine categories:
- Government visits
- Business visits
- Family visits
- Private visits
- Medical treatment visits
- Multiple-entry visits
- Tourism visits
- Visits for commercial activities
- Visits for cultural or social events
Additionally, 10 KD fees are set for three specific visa categories: transit (passage) visas, entry for drivers of transport vehicles (including trucks and buses), and emergency entry visas.
Residence Permit FeesDepending on the applicant's status and purpose of stay, residence permit fees are prescribed as follows:
20 KD for:
- Government sector employees (Article 17)
- Private sector employees (Article 18)
- Foreign students (Article 23)
- Individuals previously considered Stateless /Bedouns granted status after obtaining foreign passports, retired military personnel from this group, and families of foreign martyrs (Article 30)
- Religious personnel, imams, and preachers serving Husseiniyas (Article 31)
10 KD for:
- Domestic workers and related roles in Kuwaiti households (Article 20)
- Foreign women who are widowed or divorced from Kuwaiti citizens and have children from those marriages (Article 28)
50 KD for:
- Foreign business partners (Article 19)
- Foreign investors (Article 21)
- Foreigners who own property in Kuwait (Article 25)
500 KD for a residence permit where the self sponsorship(Article 24)
Fees for Family/ Dependent Visa
Article 39, paragraph three, also lays out the fees for family/dependent visa —if the application involves a spouse or child, the fees for joining the resident in Kuwait are:
- 20 KD for government employees (Article 17), private sector employees (Article 18), or students (Article 23)
- 40 KD for foreign partners (Article 19), investors (Article 21), property owners (Article 25), or religious figures, imams, and preachers of Husseiniyas (Article 31)
- 100 KD if the resident is self-sponsored (Article 24)
For a Visa with relatives other than spouse or children, Article 39, paragraph four, stipulates:
- 300 KD for ten categories, including expats who are children of Kuwaiti women who obtained citizenship through marriage to a Kuwaiti (in this specific case, a fee of 20 KD applies)
Visit Visa Features for Residency
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Visit visa for work in the government sector | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for work in the private sector | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for domestic workers and similar categories | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for conducting business or industrial activity | 10 KD per month |
| Family Visit visa | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for study | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for foreign investor | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for temporary government contract | 10 KD per month |
| Temporary work Visit visa for the oil sector | 10 KD per month |
Visit Visa Fees
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Government visit visa | 10 KD per month |
| Business visit visa | 10 KD per month |
| Family visit visa | 10 KD per month |
| Special visit visa | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for treatment | 10 KD per month |
| Multiple-entry visit visa | 10 KD per month |
| Tourist entry visa | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for visiting sports activities | 10 KD per month |
| Visit visa for cultural or social activity visits | 10 KD per month |
Other Visit Visa Fees
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Visit visa | 10 KD |
| Visit visa for drivers of transport vehicles (all truck types & buses) | 10 KD |
| Emergency Visit visa | 10 KD |
Residence Fees
| Category | Fee (Per Year) |
|---|---|
| Government work residency (Article 17) | 20 KD |
| Private sector work residency (Article 18) | 20 KD |
| Foreign partner (Article 19) | 50 KD |
| Domestic workers for Kuwaiti families (Article 20) | 10 KD |
| Foreign investor residency (Article 21) | 50 KD |
| Foreign student residency (Article 23) | 20 KD |
| Self-sponsored residency (Article 24) | 500 KD |
| Foreign property owner (Article 25) | 50 KD |
| Foreign widow/divorcee of a Kuwaiti with children (Article 28) | 10 KD |
| Illegal residents obtaining residency after foreign passports | 20 KD |
| Retired military (formerly illegal residents) & families of foreign martyrs (Article 30) | 20 KD |
| Religious figures, Imams, Husseiniya preachers (Article 31) | 20 KD |
Family Visa Fees (Wife, Children)
| Category | Fee (Per Year) |
|---|---|
| Government employees (Article 17) | 20 KD |
| Private sector employees (Article 18) | 20 KD |
| Foreign partner (Article 19) | 40 KD |
| Foreign investor (Article 21) | 40 KD |
| Foreign student (Article 23) | 20 KD |
| Self-sponsored resident (Article 24) | 100 KD |
| Foreign property owner (Article 25) | 40 KD |
| Religious figures (Article 31) | 40 KD |
Family Visa Fees
| Category | Fee (Per Year) |
|---|---|
| Children of Kuwaiti women naturalized by marriage | 20 KD |
| Expat woman married to a Kuwaiti / Expat man married to a Kuwaiti woman (Article 26) | 10 KD |
| Children of Kuwaiti citizens by birth (Article 27) | Exempt |
| Joining family other than wife and children (Article 29) | 300 KD |
| Wives & children of Bedouns with foreign passports and retired military among them | 20 KD |
| Wives and children of foreign martyrs | 20 KD |
| Expat children of Kuwaiti citizens | 10 KD |
| Parents of Kuwaiti citizens (foreigners) | 10 KD |
| Expat spouses and children of GCC citizens | 20 KD |
| Foreigners, spouses and children of Gulf citizens | 20 KD |
Temporary Visa Fees
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Temporary residence (Article 14) – domestic workers | 5 KD per month |
| Temporary residence (Article 14) – other categories | 10 KD per month |
| Departure notice (Article 34) | 10 KD per month |
| Visit extension (Article 15) | 10 KD per month |
Other Services Fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Changing a expats nationality | 10 KD |
| Absence outside Kuwait | 5 KD per month |
| Issuance of representative ID | 5 KD |
Fees for Domestic Workers (Article 20)
| Category | Factor | Fee Per Worker Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic workers for Kuwaiti families – First factor | 1 | 10 KD |
| Domestic workers for Kuwaiti families – Second factor | 2 | 10 KD |
| Domestic workers for Kuwaiti families – Third factor | 3 | 10 KD |
| Domestic workers for foreign families – First factor | 1 | 10 KD |
| Domestic workers for foreign families – Second factor | 2 | 10 KD |
| Domestic workers for foreign families – Third factor | 3 | 10 KD |
| Domestic workers for foreign families – Fourth factor | 4 | 10 KD |
| Domestic workers for foreign families – Fifth factor | 5 | 10 KD |
| Domestic workers for diplomats – First factor | 1 | 50 KD |
| Domestic workers for diplomats – Second factor | 2 | 50 KD |
