Kuwait: Expats can now get family visit visas for up to one year

Dubai: Expats in Kuwait can now obtain family visas valid for up to one year, a top official announced on Wednesday, a day after the Interior Ministry removed the salary cap that restricted bringing in extended family members.

Colonel Abdulaziz Al Kandari, Deputy Director of Electronic Services at the Residency Affairs Department, told reporters that visas can be issued for single entries of one, two, or three months or multiple entries lasting up to a year, provided no single stay exceeds one month, according to Kuwait Times.

Al Kandari also announced that professionals residing in GCC states can obtain tourist visas either online or on arrival.

Eligible applicants include company executives, diplomats, judges, lawyers, academics, investors, doctors, engineers, school teachers, journalists, pilots, and more. A full list of permitted professions is available on the Kuwaitvisa platform, the Kuwait Times said.

Applicants must provide a Kuwait address or that of their host. While visas are open to all nationalities, Israeli nationals remain barred by an Emiri decree. Travel document holders can obtain visas with the Interior Minister’s approval.

This reform marks a major shift in Kuwait’s residency and family visa policies, making it easier for expats to unite with their families and travel freely within the country.

On Tuesday, Kuwait abolished its minimum salary requirement for foreign residents seeking to bring family members on visit visas.

The changes eliminate a long-standing financial barrier for expatriates, who were previously required to meet a specific income threshold to sponsor relatives.

Now, any legal resident in Kuwait can apply to host visiting family members, regardless of earnings.

The reforms also expand the range of eligible relatives to include fourth-degree blood relations and third-degree in-laws, extending beyond immediate family, and scrap a mandate forcing visitors to arrive via Kuwait’s national airline. Sheikh Fahad Al Yousuf, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, has ordered the cancellation of the “national carrier” requirement, allowing visitors to enter Kuwait by land, sea, or air via any airline without restriction, the statement confirmed.

Colonel Al Kandari on Tuesday emphasised that these measures aim to streamline procedures and strengthen family bonds, reflecting the state’s commitment to greater openness and facilitating the movement of individuals.