Nearly quarter-million visit visas issued over last four months
Immigration departments across Kuwait’s six governorates are said to have approved over 235,000 visit visas since the launch of the ‘Kuwait e-Visa’ online portal in July this year.
Visit visas are now open to all nationalities, with no restrictions as in the past, with no single nationality dominating in approved visas. The total figure also includes visas issued during the Gulf Zain 26 Cup, hosted recently in Kuwait.
Facilitating the issuance of visas through an online process aims to boost tourism, as visitors can now easily obtain tourist, business, or family visas without the need to visit Kuwait’s embassy or consulates in the visitor’s country. Applicants can now fill in their application at the ‘Kuwait e-Visa’ portal, which grants electronic visas to eligible categories.
The portal currently offers four main services: tourist visas, family visit visas, government visit visas, and business visas, while waiving both the salary and national carrier requirements for family visits. Residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states having specific approved professions can obtain entry visas upon arrival.
On a related note, the Ministry of Interior has warned expatriates against bringing relatives to work in violation of visit visa terms, stressing that any visitor caught working will be deported, along with the sponsor, who will be blacklisted from re-entry.
