New residency law seeks to address legal gaps, enhance business climate

The new residency law issued by Decree 114/2024 aims to overcome prevailing legal lacunae and seeks to make the country more attractive for tourists, investors, and businesses, said Director of the General Department of Residency Affairs, Brigadier Yousef Al-Ayoub.

Elaborating on the new law during a recent interview on state television, Brigadier Al-Ayoub stated that the new residency law replaces the previous one, which was introduced 60 years ago and did not support the openness, ambitions, policies and plans of a ‘new Kuwait’.

A major focus of the new law is to attract investors and new businesses to Kuwait and to position the country as a financial and economic hub, while also ensuring fairness to all, said Al-Ayoub.

Explaining some features of the new law, Al Ayoub noted that under the new law, “foreign real estate owners are granted residence for up to ten years, provided their passports are valid, while iInvestors are granted a 15-year residence, which is renewable according to the conditions set by the Council of Ministers.”

He explained that “this step aims to attract capital owners.” The new law also provides for visitors to the country to obtain a tourist, commercial, or family visa with a stay of up to three months, instead of the previous one-month period.

Regarding violations of the new law, Al-Ayoub said that the new ‘overstay’ violation fees are now set at KD10 per day with the maximum fine fixed at KD2,000. A ‘block’ will also be placed on both the violator and the sponsor, and if the sponsor is an expatriate, the penalty may include deportation.

For those in residence for family reunification, study, or work, the violation fine will be up to 1,400 dinars, while the fine for domestic labor violations will be 600 dinars.”