Dubai: Kuwait’s Interior Ministry has unveiled sweeping changes to its residency and visa fee structure, introducing significant hikes across multiple categories. The new charges, published in the official gazette on Sunday, will take effect one month from now as part of the executive by-laws under last year’s updated Residency Law.
Under the revised rules, residents must now earn a minimum monthly salary of KD800 to sponsor a spouse and children. Sponsorship of dependents outside the immediate family — such as parents or siblings — will cost KD300 annually, up from KD200.
Visit Visas Standardized at KD10
All visit visas, whether for tourism, family visits, work entry, or residency entry, will now carry a flat fee of KD10. The regulations allow these visas to be renewed once for the same duration and, under certain conditions, converted into residency permits. Parents of newborns have also been granted up to four months to complete residency stamping, extending the previous deadline.
Residency Renewal Fees Doubled
Renewal fees for standard residencies — covering government employees, private sector workers, students, clergymen, and similar categories — have doubled to KD20 per year. Bedouns who have acquired another nationality will fall under the same rule.
Foreign investors and property owners (Articles 19 and 21) will pay KD50 annually, while the newly introduced self-sponsored residency category (Article 24) comes with a steep KD500 yearly fee.
Dependents Face Higher Charges
Dependent fees have been sharply revised:
- KD20 for dependents of government employees, private sector workers, or students
- KD40 for dependents of investors, property owners, and clergymen
- KD100 for dependents of self-sponsored residents (Article 24)
- KD300 for dependents outside the immediate family, such as parents — up from KD200
Children of naturalised Kuwaiti women will pay KD20, while children of Kuwaiti women who gained citizenship by birth remain exempt.
Temporary Residency and Departure Costs
Temporary residency under Article 14 will now cost KD10 per month, while domestic helpers will pay KD5. These fees also apply to extensions. Foreigners cancelling their residency and preparing to leave Kuwait must pay KD10 per month during the departure period.
Temporary residency is granted to those leaving permanently, visitors requiring more time, or individuals facing urgent circumstances. It is valid for three months and renewable for up to a year. Residents seeking permission to remain outside Kuwait beyond the six-month limit must pay KD5 per month.
Domestic Helper Rules Overhauled
Domestic helper quotas and fees have also been revised. Kuwaiti families with up to six members may hire three helpers; households with 6–9 members may hire four; and larger families may employ five. Renewal fees are set at KD10 annually.
Additional helpers will incur higher costs: KD50 for the first, KD100 for the second, with fees rising further thereafter. For expatriate households, the first helper costs KD50, but the first additional helper jumps to KD400, and the second to KD500. Diplomats will pay KD10 for the first helper, KD100 for the next, and KD200 for the third.
Domestic workers must be aged between 21 and 60, though the minister retains discretion to waive age limits in special cases.
A Landmark Overhaul
The Interior Ministry’s adjustments represent one of the most comprehensive overhauls to Kuwait’s residency system in recent years. The changes will have wide-ranging implications for residents, employers, and families across the country, reshaping the financial and administrative landscape of expatriate life in Kuwait.
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