Kuwait e-visa: applying on the Kuwait Visa platform

The platform has three doors. Individuals sign in to apply for a tourist visa for themselves and their family, or, if they live in Kuwait, to request a family visit visa for a relative after authenticating with Kuwait Mobile ID. Companies log in through Business sign-in with an organisation user ID to request business visits; the system checks whether the company is eligible to sponsor. Government entities have their own sign-in for official visits issued on an invitation from the host government.

A short-lived event visa for the Gulf Cup (Khaleeji Zain 26) also ran on the platform and is no longer available. Residence entry permits for work, study or joining family are not self-service: the sponsor in Kuwait requests them through the residency channels.

Images must be JPEG, JPG or PNG and at most 2 MB; PDFs up to 5 MB, and supporting documents for the purpose of a visit up to 10 MB. The face photo must be in colour, 40 mm high by 30 mm wide, at least 720 pixels, less than 12 months old, against a plain white or light grey background, with the face filling 70 to 80 percent of the frame and no shadows, glare, tilted head or closed eyes. Civil documents for family visits must be uploaded together with an Arabic translation from a certified translation office in Kuwait.

The fee appears in the application once you have entered your details and is paid in Kuwaiti dinars by credit card or another secure online method; the application then moves from Waiting for Payment to processing. The ministry's tables put most visit visas at KWD 3, the transit visa at KWD 2 and the multiple-entry visa at KWD 3 plus KWD 1 per month. Paid amounts are not refunded, and a visit extension is charged at the same rate again.

After registration you verify your email, then fill in a personal profile. The profile is reviewed by the authorities, and you cannot apply until it shows as active; if they need more information the status changes to Request Update. The application wizard then walks through visa type, GCC information if relevant, passport details, passport and face photos, any previous visit or residence in Kuwait, your address in Kuwait, contact details and a final review.

The system reads the machine-readable zone of the passport, so a blurred or cropped scan is rejected. It also refuses a passport with less than six months of validity, a passport with another active request, and independent applications from anyone under 18.

Tourist visas are usually decided within one to two business days. Possible statuses include New, In Queue, Processing, On Hold, Request Update, Accepted, Rejected, Cancelled and Visa Expired. You receive email updates and can download the receipt and the visa from your account once it is accepted.

If an application is refused, the platform gives the reason where possible and you may apply again after correcting the problem; no fee is taken for a refused application. Giving false information or misusing the platform can lead to a ban from the portal, and the authorities may cancel a visa even after issue without stating reasons.

The Electronic Services Department of the General Administration of Residence Affairs answers online and email enquiries around the clock and receives visitors in the Dajeej area of Kuwait from Sunday to Thursday, 8:00 to 14:00 Kuwait time. Logged-in users can raise status questions through the inquiries form.