Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has announced an amendment to residence regulations, including higher visa fees, additional stay categories, and stricter rules for dependents and domestic workers, reports Khaleej Times.
The new legislation is one of the most significant changes to Kuwait’s immigration system in years, and it will take effect on December 23, 2025.
Entry visas, residency permits, renewals, and transfers have a new fee structure designed to simplify processes and boost government revenue. Long-term residency options for investors and property owners also feature updated fees.
New Fee Structure
Most categories now have higher visa fees as a result of the new law. The interior ministry raised the annual fee for sponsoring dependents other than wives and children to KD300 and reaffirmed the KD800 minimum salary criteria for family residence.
The updated regulations introduce penalty tables for overstaying visitors, where fines are calculated daily and capped according to the visa type.
The executive regulations set detailed provisions for all categories of visas, including Family visit visas, Medical treatment visas, Commercial and business visit visas, Tourist visas, Work visas, Study visas and Domestic worker visas.
New and Revised Fees
A KD10 fee is now required for all visit or entry visas, which include tourism, family visits, medical treatment, business, and work or residency visas. Most visit visas are valid for three months and can be renewed once for an additional three months, totaling up to one year. Multiple-entry visit visas can be valid for up to one year, with each stay limited to one month.
Residency permit fees in Kuwait have been revised based on residency type and sponsor status. Government and private sector work permits cost KD20 annually, investor residencies are KD50, and property owner residencies have a fee of KD500 per year. Domestic workers sponsored by Kuwaiti families are charged KD10 per year, while the new self-sponsor category for foreigners with independent income has a KD20 annual fee.
According to Gulf News, Kuwait has broadened its residency framework to allow eligible expatriates to receive long-term residence permits for up to 10 or 15 years, according to new executive laws controlling expatriate stays in the country, Al Qabas Arabic daily said.
