Kuwait visa requirements for Indians

• The Kuwaiti tourist visa is eligible for foreigners who intend to visit Kuwait for the purpose of tourism. The tourist visa is also referred to as the visit visa
• The Kuwaiti tourist visa requires foreigners to be sponsored to be in Kuwait. The sponsors can either be residents of Kuwait or a Kuwaiti Company 
• This visa is a single-entry visa, allows a  and it is valid for 90 days.
• For Indians who have a GCC residence card, they can apply online for their visa. Note that the e-visa cannot be used more than once.
• The online application requires you to give certain personal information which should be accurate. You would also provide biometric information as well.
• Upon completion, you are to double-check your details and wait for the Ministry of Interior of the State of Kuwait to approve it.
• After approval, you are to print out your visa.
• Applicants are required to provide a bank statement and other proof of the financial sustainability of the sponsor.
• Foreigners are required to have at least 30 USD per day in order to finance their stay in Kuwait.
• A faxed copy of the visitor’s passport can also be faxed by the sponsor to obtain the visit visa. The visa copy will then be faxed to the visitor to enable him to travel to Kuwait.
• You’ll be denied entry into Kuwait if you do not have a return ticket.
• You risk immediate imprisonment for possession of alcohol or driving under the influence.
• Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs, synthetics, and drug-making ingredients are severe. Convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
• It is illegal to photograph government buildings, military installations, and oil-related infrastructure. Ask for permission before photographing people. Some women find being photographed offensive and may report the incident to local police.

• The Kuwaiti business visa is a visit visa issued for the sole purpose of doing business in Kuwait.
• The business visa is usually issued as a multiple-entry visa as this is the handiest for business-sponsored foreigners. It is valid for one year.
• It is required that the sponsor for the multiple-entry visa is the Ministry of Defence.
• A fully completed and signed visa application form should be submitted. You are advised to crosscheck properly in case of any omission or inaccurate information as any of these can cause a delay in the processing of your visa application.
• You are also required to provide proof of accommodation, such as a hotel booking, a rental agreement or a letter of invitation from a host whose house you will be staying, for the duration of your intended stay in Kuwait.
• Proof of your financial sufficiency for the duration of your stay in Kuwait is required. This could be in the form of your bank account statement, not older than three months or sponsorship letter by the company that confirms that they will be sponsoring your trip financially.
• You should also get an invitation letter from a company in Kuwait. This letter has to appear as an invitation to attend meetings or other relevant events that match trade, industry or work.
• It must be stated in either the cover letter from your employer or the letter of invitation from the Kuwaiti company that one or both of the companies will be covering your travel expenses during your stay in Kuwait.
• Any proof of previous trade relations between the two companies, you are required to provide proof of such an event.
• If you are employed, you need to present an employment contract, your bank statement of the latest six months, leave permission from your employer, and an income Tax Return form.
• If you are self-employed, a copy of your business license, the company’s latest six months bank statement and an Income Tax Return should be presented.

This is the visa that allows foreigners to stay in Kuwait for a specific period of time.

This visa is in three types: Work visa, Domestice visa, and Dependents visa. Note that these three types require sponsors. 

For a Work Visa, an employment offer must have been accepted first before applying for the visa. 

The work visa is granted for both the public and private sectors in Kuwait.

The Kuwaiti employer and sponsor is to apply for the work permit from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in Kuwait. They should also provide your passport to the ministry.

A NOC (No Objection Certificate) would be issued from the General Administration of Criminal Investigation at the Ministry of Interior for the applicant.

After approval, a copy of the employee’s work permit would be sent to the Kuwaiti embassy in the employee’s country. The employee should also have a copy with them to take to the embassy.

The Domestic visa is for those from another country who serve an expatriate or foreigner who already resides in Kuwait.

To apply for this, expatriates must provide documents such as:

•         House rental agreement (Photocopy)
• Sponsor’s passport (Photocopy)
• Sponsor’s civil ID (Photocopy)
• Servant’s work contract (Photocopy)
• Photocopy of servant’s passport 

After successful application and entry into Kuwait, the domestic servant must pay a residence fee of 200KD for the first year and 10KD for the succeeding years.

The Dependent visa is for an expatriate’s family. To get a Dependent visa, you would need to go to the “Jawazaat” bureau and fill an application (This must be in Arabic). You’d also bring documents showing ties with the person you are applying for.

An employed man can bring his wife and children to Kuwait under the Family Visa (Dependent visa).

To do this, the person has to prove that he earns between 450KD and 650KD monthly.

Note that wives cannot sponsor their husbands to come into Kuwait and sons over the age of 21 cannot be sponsored into Kuwait as well.

If the husband and wife both work in Kuwait, they can sponsor their children on this visa provided that their combined salary exceeds 350KD monthly.

The visa fees for this category is usually between 100KD to 200KD. There are also renewal fees between 10KD-200KD depending on what visa is being renewed.

• This visa is issued to those traveling through Kuwait and would be staying for more than 24 hours or would be leaving the airport while they wait for their connecting flight.
• This visa is valid for only 7 days.
• To obtain this visa, you need to have a confirmed onward ticket to another country and a valid visa for the country as well.
• This visa can be obtained from a Port Authority of Kuwait or a Consulate abroad.
• You can also apply for a visa online.
• It is advised not to leave the airport if your transit is not longer than 4 hours.