Up to 20,000 people enter Kuwait weekly as digitization cuts visa processing to 5 minutes
KUWAIT: Kuwait is moving toward fully digital residency services, aiming to eliminate in-person visits under directives from the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Saud Al-Sabah. Around 25,000 residencies are issued weekly, though numbers fluctuate seasonally, according to Brigadier Mazen Al-Mutairi, Director General of the General Department of Residency Affairs. Weekly entry numbers range from 17,000 to 20,000, including tourists, business visitors and family visits. He emphasized that residency figures are not fixed and can increase or decrease depending on the season. “The goal is to reach a stage where no one needs to visit the department, and all transactions are completed electronically,” Al-Mutairi said.
Al-Mutairi highlighted the new executive regulations for Kuwait’s foreigners’ residency law, which came into effect on Dec 24. The regulations establish a comprehensive framework for how non-citizens enter and remain in the country. The text is structured into specific articles that define authorized points of entry, the various categories of entry visas — ranging from work and investment to family visits — and the formal procedures for obtaining temporary or regular residency permits. The regulations introduce several key updates. The interior ministry has raised fees on all residency and visa services, some substantially, confirmed the KD 800 salary for family residence and hiked fees to sponsor dependents other than wife and children to KD 300 a year.
“One of the most notable updates in the regulations is the introduction of investor residency, residency for freelancers and private business owners, and residency for specialized professional categories. The regulations also organize the residency of domestic workers, specify the number of workers allowed per family, and set conditions for dependent residencies and the categories eligible for them,” he said.
To support the digitization of residency services, Al-Mutairi said the department has expanded online services, including first-time residencies for private-sector workers and residency transfers within the same sector. These digital services reduce the need for in-person visits. The department has also linked its systems electronically with several government entities, allowing them to renew staff residencies and issue visas online.
The electronic administration, which oversees the 24/7 “Kuwait Visa” platform, has shortened entry visa procedures to no more than five minutes, according to Al-Mutairi. “Visits to Kuwait are steadily increasing. The country is open to all nationalities without reservation, but in accordance with approved rules and conditions,” he said, emphasizing the importance of compliance by citizens and residents. — KUNA
