🇸🇴→🇰🇼Somalia→Kuwait

90 dayssingle entry1-3d processingonline

Electronic pre-arrival visa for tourism and leisure visits to Kuwait, available online for nationals of 53 eligible countries and GCC residents.

Fee is 3 KWD (approximately USD 10). Available to nationals of 53 countries and GCC residents (excluding Afghan, Bangladeshi, Iranian, Iraqi, Pakistani, Yemeni nationals). Apply via kuwaitvisa.moi.gov.kw. Processing 1-3 business days. Land and sea arrivals must obtain e-visa or embassy visa in advance; air arrivals from eligible countries may also use visa on arrival. Portal relaunched January 2025, enhanced June 2026. For multiple-entry options, check portal at time of application.

single entry

Short-term tourism and leisure visits to Kuwait. Applicant must have a Kuwaiti resident or citizen sponsor.

Fee is 10 KWD per month (approximately USD 33/month). Application submitted in person to the General Department of Immigration in the relevant governorate. Required documents: visit application form, passport copy (minimum 6-month validity), proof of kinship, recent salary certificate or work permit of sponsor, sponsor's Civil ID copy, hotel authorization if applicable. Visa on arrival available at Kuwait International Airport for nationals of 53 eligible countries (see visa_on_arrival policy). Extension possible via separate Temporary Residence extension service.

30 dayssingle entry1-3d processingonline

Electronic pre-arrival visa for foreign nationals visiting Kuwait for business purposes in the private sector.

Fee is 3 KWD (approximately USD 10). Maximum stay 30 days. One of four e-visa categories on kuwaitvisa.moi.gov.kw. Available to nationals of 53 eligible countries. SUSPENSION NOTE: Suspended for all nationalities on 10 June 2026; RESUMED for all nationalities on 19 June 2026 per Fragomen alert. Tourist e-visa category remained operational throughout the suspension. NOTE: A separate Fragomen advisory (September 3, 2025) reports resumption of the sponsored Commercial Visit Visa for Pakistani nationals - this is a single-entry visa issued only at the request of a company registered in Kuwait (employer/sponsor-conditional), NOT a visa-on-arrival nor a general ordinary-passport e-visa grant. Pakistani nationals remain excluded from the standard 53-country e-visa/visa-on-arrival facility. Fragomen is an immigration-advisory firm, not an official Kuwaiti government source.

single entry

Entry visa for foreign nationals seeking medical treatment at Kuwait hospitals or healthcare facilities.

Fee is 10 KWD per month. Requires a letter issued by the Kuwait Ministry of Health confirming the visitor has been accepted for treatment at a Kuwait hospital. Required documents: designated visit application form, passport copy (minimum 6-month validity), Ministry of Health acceptance letter, sponsor's Civil ID copy. Application submitted to General Department of Immigration.

single entry

Dependent entry visa allowing family members to join employees working in Kuwait's government or private sectors.

Fee is 10 KWD fixed plus variable fees. Sponsor minimum salary: KWD 450 per month (unless one of 15 exempt professions). Required documents: entry visa application form, sponsored person's passport copy (minimum 2-year validity), sponsor's Civil ID, proof of kinship (passport for Arab nationals; embassy certificate for non-Arab nationals), work permit (private sector) or salary certificate (government sector). For Article 19 holders: license or company contract copy required. Article 24 holders: reviewed at Director General's discretion. Application submitted to General Department of Immigration.

30 dayssingle entry1-3d processingonline

Electronic pre-arrival visa for family visits to Kuwait, for nationals of 53 eligible countries.

Fee is 3 KWD (approximately USD 10). Maximum stay 30 days (shorter than tourist e-visa at 90 days). One of four e-visa categories offered via kuwaitvisa.moi.gov.kw: tourist (90 days), family visit (30 days), business (30 days), official. Available to nationals of the same 53 countries eligible for tourist e-visa.

single entry

Allows relatives of Kuwait citizens or residents to visit their family members in Kuwait for a temporary period.

Fee is 10 KWD per month. Application submitted to General Department of Immigration. Required documents: designated visit application form, visitor's passport copy (minimum 6-month validity), proof of kinship (embassy oath certificates not accepted for some nationalities), recent salary certificate for government-employed foreign sponsors, sponsor's Civil ID copy. Embassy oath certificates not accepted as proof of kinship; must use official government-issued kinship documents. Both Kuwaiti citizens and non-Kuwaiti residents can sponsor family visitors.

single entry

Entry visa for foreign nationals admitted to a Kuwaiti educational institution and holding a Student Permit, in order to study in Kuwait.

Issued by Kuwaiti embassies/consulates (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to students holding a Student Permit; converted to a study-based residence (iqama) after arrival. Requirements: passport valid at least 2 years, MOFA visa application form, photo, HIV test, health certificate (hepatitis B & C, malaria, filariasis, syphilis, chest X-ray for TB) issued within 3 months, No Criminal Record (FBI for U.S. applicants) and a Student Permit. Fee is USD 175 for U.S. citizens plus USD 25 for police-clearance authentication; fees vary by nationality/consulate. Not offered as an e-visa or visa on arrival. Source: official Kuwait MOFA embassy page (washington.mofa.gov.kw).

single entry

Residence/work visa for foreign nationals employed as domestic workers (maids, drivers, nannies, household helpers) under the sponsorship of a Kuwaiti citizen or resident.

Kafala 'Article 20' visa category for domestic staff, distinct from the Article 18 private-sector work visa and the Article 17 government-sector work visa. Sponsored by a Kuwaiti citizen or resident who must meet salary and housing requirements; recruitment is through agencies registered with the Public Authority for Manpower with a notarized employment contract. Residence permit (iqama) is issued by the Ministry of Interior General Department of Residency Affairs and renewed annually. First-time civil registration of the worker is completed online via the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) service linked here. Commonly issued to nationals of the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.

single entry

Entry visa for foreign nationals who have secured employment with the Kuwait government or civil service.

For foreign nationals hired by Kuwaiti government entities. Application submitted to General Department of Immigration. Specific fee amounts and visa duration were not published on the official e.gov.kw page at time of research. The e.gov.kw page URL was not accessible directly (HTTP 404) but linked from official portal navigation.

single entry

Ministry of Interior entry visa for foreign nationals sponsored by a private-sector employer in Kuwait, issued against a work permit granted by the Public Authority for Manpower under Article 18 of the residency (kafala) system.

Fee is 10 KWD fixed (approx. USD 33) plus additional variable fees. Required: designated entry-visa application form, work permit from the Public Authority for Manpower (verified electronically), copy of valid signature authorization, and sponsored person's passport copy (minimum 2-year validity). Applicant/sponsor must visit the General Department of Immigration in person to complete the service; the work permit itself is checked via a computerized system but the entry-visa issuance is not a self-service online process. This is the Ministry of Interior entry-visa counterpart to the Article 18 work permit administered by the Public Authority for Manpower (captured separately in this list as 'Private Sector Work Permit (Article 18)'). Previous catalog entry cited only the generic e.gov.kw homepage as its source and lacked fee data; this is the correct dedicated official service page.

28-56d processingonline

The principal work authorization for foreign nationals employed by a private-sector company in Kuwait, sponsored by the employer under Article 18 of the residency (kafala) system.

Article 18 is the standard private-sector work permit, distinct from the Article 17 government-sector permit and the Article 20 domestic-worker permit. The employer must hold a valid commercial registration and available work-permit quota and submits the application through the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) 'Ashal' e-portal (e-portal.manpower.gov.kw). Work-permit fee is KWD 150 (approximately USD 490) under Ministerial Resolution No. 4 of 2025, effective June 2025. The related Ministry of Interior entry visa is captured separately in this list as the 'Business Visit Visa (Private Sector Work Visa)'; after entry the worker receives a residence permit (iqama), typically valid 1-3 years and renewable annually. End-to-end work-permit plus iqama processing is roughly 4-8 weeks. Requirements published officially by the Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Requirements for a Work Visa - Private and Government Sectors); permit administered by the Public Authority for Manpower (manpower.gov.kw).

single entry

Entry visa for foreign workers engaged under temporary government contracts administered through the Public Authority for Manpower.

Fee is 10 KWD (fixed). Required documents include: letter from the Government Contracts and Projects Department of the Public Authority for Manpower, financial guarantee statement showing worker count and guarantee amount, application form, passport copy (minimum 6-month validity), legal entity signature authorization, valid representative ID. Application submitted in person to General Department of Immigration.

Initial residence permit for foreign nationals employed in Kuwait's civil (government) sector for the first time.

Listed under 'Immigration and Travel' section on e.gov.kw portal. Specific fees, processing times, and duration not available from accessible official pages at time of research. Part of Kuwait's kafala (employer-sponsor) residency system. Ministry of Interior General Department of Residency Affairs handles applications.

single entry

Official entry visa for foreign government officials and delegations visiting Kuwait on state business.

Listed under 'Working in Kuwait' section on e.gov.kw portal. For official government delegations and state visitors. Specific fees and duration not published on an accessible official page at time of research (HTTP 404 on direct page access). Processed through General Department of Immigration.

single entry1-3d processingonline

Electronic pre-arrival visa for foreign nationals visiting Kuwait on official business for government delegations.

One of four e-visa categories offered via kuwaitvisa.moi.gov.kw: tourist (90 days), family visit (30 days), business (30 days), official. Specific eligibility criteria and maximum stay duration for official category not specified in accessible official sources. Fee estimated at 3 KWD (same as other e-visa categories).

Extension of an existing temporary visit or residence permit for foreign nationals already in Kuwait.

Fee is 1 KWD fixed plus 1 KWD per month variable (approximately USD 3 fixed + USD 3/month). For individuals with existing temporary residence status seeking to prolong their stay. Required documents: original passport and copy, entry visa documentation, two passport photos, sponsor's Civil ID copy, health insurance certificate, work permit from Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, signed authorization forms. Application submitted to General Department of Immigration. Residence Application Form must be signed by the sponsor.