Kuwait doubles key residency fees as new visa rules impose sweeping cost increases on expats

Kuwait has announced one of its most extensive overhauls of residency and visa fees in years, with multiple categories set for steep increases under the updated Residency Law.

The new charges, published in the official gazette and effective a month from now, mark a major shift in how expats and their families will navigate sponsorships, renewals, and visits, Kuwait Times reported.

Alongside the revised fees, the Interior Ministry has reiterated that a minimum monthly salary of KD 800 will be required to sponsor a spouse and children, while the cost of sponsoring parents or siblings has increased to KD 300 annually.

The updated by-laws introduce new residency conditions, expanded visit visa options, and fresh rules for dependents. Under the revised structure, all visit visas, whether for tourism, family, work entry, or residency entry, will carry a flat fee of KD10.

These visas can now be renewed once for the same duration and, in certain circumstances, converted into residency permits. Parents of newborns will have up to four months to complete residency stamping.

Annual residency renewal fees have also risen sharply. Standard residency categories, covering government employees, private-sector workers, foreign students, clergymen and others, will now cost KD20 a year, double the previous rate. Bedouns who acquire another nationality will follow the same rule. Residency fees for foreign investors and property owners (Articles 19 and 21) have been set at KD50 annually. A new self-sponsored residency category (Article 24) has been introduced at KD500 per year.

Dependents across income groups will face revised annual charges:

• KD20 for dependents of government and private-sector workers or students

• KD40 for dependents of foreign investors, property owners and clergymen

• KD100 for dependents under the self-sponsored category 

• KD300, up from KD200, for dependents outside the immediate family, including parents

Children of naturalised Kuwaiti women will pay KD20, while children of Kuwaiti women who gained citizenship by birth remain exempt.

Temporary residency fees will be KD10 per month, while domestic helpers will pay KD5. The same rates apply to extensions. Foreigners cancelling their residency ahead of departure will be charged KD10 per month during the “departure period.”

Temporary residency, granted to those leaving permanently, facing urgent circumstances, or requiring additional time, is valid for three months and renewable for up to a year. Residents seeking permission to stay outside Kuwait beyond the six-month limit will be charged KD5 per month.

The Interior Ministry’s sweeping revisions set the stage for wider changes to Kuwait’s residency system, directly affecting expats, employers, families, and long-term residents navigating sponsorship and renewal rules.