Kuwait's New Residency Law Proposes 3-Month Visit Visa and Much More
The National Assembly's Interior and Defense Committee approved amendments to the residency law on Thursday, Dec. 14, which includes extended visit visa durations, long-term residency, and increased fines for violations.
Visit Visa Duration and Penalties for Violations
The new amendments have extended the visit visa duration from one month to three months.
The new law penalizes foreigners who overstay in Kuwait beyond their visit visa duration with a one-year imprisonment and a fine of KD 2,000.
Penalties for Residency Law Violations
The daily fine for violators of the residency law will be KD 2 and if the fine is not paid after the first month of penalization, then the fine will be increased to KD 4.
Foreigners working for businessmen who do not sponsor them will be penalized with a fine of KD 3,000.
Parents of a newborn baby are given four months to obtain a residency visa for the child, or they will be fined KD 2 for the first month after the deadline.
The fine will be increased to KD 4 if the fine is not paid for the second month after the deadline.
Other Amendments to the Residency Law
Foreign wives of Kuwaiti locals who are divorcees or widows with children can sponsor themselves for a residency permit.
The following individuals can obtain a ten-year residency visa:
- Foreign investors
- Landlords
- Widows or divorced wives of Kuwaitis who have children
- Foreign husbands and children of Kuwaiti women
Domestic helpers who have a residency permit can stay outside of the country for four months if they exceed this duration their residency visas will be cancelled.
Approval of Dependent Visas for Expats
The Interior Minister of Kuwait assured on Wednesday, Dec. 13 that he will approve dependent visas for expats' families once the amendments to the residency law are approved by the National Assembly.
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These amendments now need to be approved by the National Assembly, which will meet from Dec. 19 to Dec. 20.
When will the New Residency Law be Implemented?
With these amendments, the new residency law is expected to be implemented by the start of 2024.
For the latest updates on the amendments to the residency law, check out Kuwait Moments!