Visas for Kuwait
Your employer should assist you with the requirements for processing your visa both prior to travelling to Kuwait and after you arrive. Depending on your contract and position, your company may issue a temporary work visa through your local Kuwait embassy before travelling to Kuwait. This visa will only be issued to the employee — any family members travelling with you, will obtain a three-month visitor visa upon arrival, depending on their citizenship.
Visas-on-arrival are available to citizens of 52 countries, including the United States, Canada, the EU, New Zealand, and Australia. If you are not a citizen of a country granted a visa-on-arrival, your spouse and family may have to remain in their home country until you have arrived and secured their visas for them. The visitor visa is a piece of paper and you must keep it with your passport at all times. You must present your visa when exiting Kuwait.
Many employers will have a liaison meet you as soon as you step off the plane and take you to get any necessary visas. The liaisons typically obtain the visas for you and help you to find a porter to assist with your bags and find transportation to your new residence.
Attention:
You will be denied entry into Kuwait if your passport contains an Israeli stamp.
Good to know:
You can also apply for a visitor's visa on Kuwait's website and print it off. This will allow you to proceed directly to passport control on arrival.
Obtaining a resident visa
Once in Kuwait, your company will assist you in obtaining residency visas for yourself and your family members. Your employer will provide you with a comprehensive list of documents to bring with you to Kuwait for visa processing. Typically, you and your spouse (if applicable) will need to have your highest university degrees attested, copies of your home driver's licence attested, an original background check, one set of certified fingerprints, and several passport photos.
Medical testing may also be required in addition to the completion of a full medical assessment in Kuwait. Although companies also recommend spouses have the same medical tests completed prior to arriving in Kuwait, this may not be necessary. If your spouse will be obtaining a family visa, they will have to complete medical testing in both Bahrain and Kuwait. Medical testing from your home country will not be used. Your employer will assist you with instructions on completion of medical testing both in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Your residence visa will replace your work visa once it is issued. Please note that there will be periods during the visa process that you will not have your passport and you will, therefore, be unable to leave the country. Once your residence visa has been issued, you may come and go into the country as often as you please.
Student and business visas
In order to obtain a student visa to study in Kuwait, contact your local Kuwaiti Embassy to determine which documentation from the university is required.
A business visa is valid for 12 months and allows multiple entries within the valid period. This visa must be applied for in advance and is not available upon arrival. Your employer will be able to assist you with the application process for this type of visa.
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