KUWAIT: Kuwait has introduced major increases to residency permit (iqama) fees, effective immediately after new executive regulations were published in the official gazette. The revisions represent the first comprehensive fee hike in more than ten years and apply to all new and renewed residencies from the date of publication.
Under the changes, annual renewal fees for standard work residencies in both the public and private sectors have doubled from KD 10 to KD 20. Family dependents joining or renewing now pay KD 20 per person, also up from KD 10.
The steepest increase targets self-sponsored residencies (Article 24), which surge from KD 10 to KD 500 annually. Dependents under this category now pay KD 100 per year, compared to the previous KD 10. For domestic workers, the cost depends on the nationality of their sponsor: KD 10 per year for those employed by Kuwaiti families, or KD 50 per year for those working under non-Kuwaiti sponsors. Entry visas have been standardized to a flat rate of KD 10 per month for most categories.
Kuwait raises visa fees
Annual fee increases include KD 20 for work and dependent visas; visit visas up to KD 10 per month
KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry issued Sunday new regulations for expatriates’ visas, which includes increased fees for residency and visit visas across all categories.
The new fees are as follows:
Annual residency visa fees:
• Public sector work (Article 17): KD 20
• Private sector work (Article 18): KD 20
• Business partner (Article 19): KD 50
• Domestic worker (Article 20): KD 10
*For Kuwaiti families
• Foreign investors (Article 21): KD 50
• Foreign students (Article 23): KD 20
• Self-sponsorship (Article 24): KD 500
• Real estate owners (Article 25): KD 50
• Divorced or widowed wives of Kuwaiti citizens with children (Article 28): KD 10
• Stateless residents who get foreign passports and martyrs’ children (Article 30): KD 20
• Religious priests (Article 31): KD 20
Annual dependent visa fees (per spouse/child):
• Public sector work (Article 17): KD 20
• Private sector work (Article 18): KD 20
• Business partner (Article 19): KD 40
• Foreign investors (Article 21): KD 40
• Foreign students (Article 23): KD 20
• Self-sponsorship (Article 24): KD 100
• Real estate owners (Article 25): KD 40
• Religious priests (Article 31): KD 20
Annual dependent visa fees (others):
• Children of Kuwaiti women naturalized after marrying Kuwaiti men: KD 20
• Kuwaiti citizens’ spouses (Article 26): KD 10
• Children of Kuwaiti women (Article 27): KD 0
• Relatives other than spouses/children (Article 29): KD 300
• Wives and children of stateless residents who get foreign passports: KD 20
• Wives and children of foreign martyrs: KD 20
• Foreign children of Kuwaiti citizens: KD 10
• Foreign parents of Kuwaiti citizens: KD 10
• Foreign spouses/children of GCC citizens: KD 20
Visit visa fees are set at KD per month for the following categories:
• Government
• Commercial
• Family
• Private
• Treatment
• Multiple entry
• Tourism
• Sports events
• Social and cultural events
