Terms Of Use Privacy Statement
Latest News

Expats & foreign investors may be granted long-term residency visa in Kuwait

29 May 2022

Expats and foreign investors in Kuwait may soon be granted long-term residency visa in the country.

The Interior and Defense Affairs Committee in Kuwait has revealed that discussions have been made about proposals to amend the Foreigners Residency Law.

Saadoun Hammad, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, in its statement to the National Assembly Media Centre has confirmed that the committee approved the proposal and it will be referred to the Assembly for voting.

Among the proposed changes to Foreigners Residency Law are:

The articles of the bill include increasing the maximum residency period for expats working in the country to five years. Once the residency period expires, expats will have to either leave Kuwait, or renew their residency application.

As for foreign investors, the residency visa may be extended to 15 years, if the Kuwait Assembly accepts the proposals put forth by the committee.

Owners of real estate properties in Kuwait will be granted 10-year visas. Children whose mother is a Kuwaiti, married to a non-Kuwaiti, will also be offered 10-year visa.

The duration of stay for family visit visa may be increased from 3 months to one year.

Fines / violations:

Fines for extending one’s stay beyond Kuwait’s residency permit and visit visas will be KD4 per day (earlier KD2).

Further, the sponsor or employer will have to bear the cost of deportation of expat worker.

Kuwait’s Interior Ministry will have the right to deport expat workers in the interest of public good, maintain national security and for moral reasons, as per the committee’s proposals.

Robin Vinod

Writer/blogger who writes on topics such as travel, real estate, employment and everyday life on GCC countries.

Related Articles