Kuwait is preparing a comprehensive plan to overhaul its visit visa policies and implement a more pragmatic and forward looking scheme that will align with Kuwait’s new vision and in line with the aspirations of the political leadership, revealed Colonel Abdul Aziz Al-Kandari, head of the Residency Affairs Sector

Explaining the new rules in an interview on KTV Col Kandari said under the supervision of Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Major General Ali Al-Adwani a study had been submitted for amendments to the rules and regulations governing the issuance of visit visas following their publication in the Official gazette Kuwait Today.

Al Kandari said that the Residency Affairs Department have identified four types of tourist visas that will be issued and will fall under the following categories

• Category 1: Citizens of approved countries, ranked according to global peace indicators, passport strength, crime rate, and per capita income. No requirements are imposed on these countries, and their citizens have six options for obtaining a tourist visa, either single or multiple entry, with a stay period ranging from one to three months, or up to six months and up to a year, provided that the duration of stay on a single entry does not exceed one month.
• Second category: Residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, or in the United States, Britain, and the European Union, in addition to those who hold tourist visas for those countries, provided that their profession is one of the approved high- or medium-level professions, and having financial proof to sustain their visit.
• Third category: Currently under study, it aims to grant an open visa to those wishing to visit Kuwait for tourism purposes, with the requirement to provide financial proof during their visit such as a bank statement.
• Category 4: iI designated for local and international events and exhibitions, with the visa duration determined according to the event requirements, such as international and regional sports tournaments.

Al-Kandari also disclosed that no conditions will be applied on the visitors of choice of carrier or their entry through air, sea or land.

Further he pointed out that they have introduced digital transformation through the Kuwait Visa platform, in cooperation with the General Administration of Information Systems, so that visitors can obtain visas electronically without having to visit the Residency Affairs Departments.

He explained that the platform consists of a website and a smartphone application, and currently offers four services (tourist visas, family visit visas, government visit visas, and business visas).

He revealed that  the salary requirement for family visits has also been abolished, and applications are now permitted to apply for relatives up to the fourth degree, and those within the third degree of marriage. As for business visits, companies and institutions can submit applications, documents, and pay fees electronically.

Al-Kandari emphasized that the platform is closely monitored to ensure speedy transaction processing. The system can read passport data by scanning it, completing the transaction within five minutes under normal circumstances.

Regarding security procedures, he advised passengers to apply online to avoid any inconvenience or financial loss as some country nationals who are entitled for visa on arrival can still be denied visa if their security check is not cleared.

Al-Kandari affirmed that all nationalities are welcome if they meet the requirements “There is no prohibition on any specific nationality as of now. We periodically review the lists of approved countries and professions based on global indicators. Our goal is to attract tourists and provide them with a unique experience, and we emphasize the importance of reviewing the terms and conditions before applying,” he added