Kuwait transit visa

The transit visa is one of the visit entry permits in the Ministry of Interior's instructions. It is meant for someone who stops in Kuwait on the way to a third country and wants to leave the airport or stay a few days before continuing. The key condition is that the traveller already holds a visa for the destination country.

Travellers whose nationality is eligible for the tourist visa can usually cover a stopover with the tourist visa instead: it is available online or on arrival, allows a longer stay and is free for nationalities on the exempt list. The transit visa matters most for nationalities that are not on the tourist visa list.

The passport must be valid for at least six months. The permit is valid for 30 days from issue, allows a single entry and a stay of up to seven days from entry. The holder may not work and must leave Kuwait when the permitted period ends. Like all visit visas, a transit visa can be refused or cancelled by the authorities without reasons, and any security restriction on entering Kuwait prevents its use.

The transit visa costs KWD 2, collected in Kuwaiti dinars and not refunded. Staying beyond the seven days is fined at the visit visa rate of KWD 10 per day.

The ministry also lists an emergency visit visa, valid 30 days from issue for a single stay of up to seven days at a fee of KWD 3, and a transport drivers visa for up to 14 days, also KWD 3. Neither allows work. The platform's public pages do not explain how these three permits are requested, so travellers whose nationality is not eligible for the e-visa should contact a Kuwaiti embassy, which is where the platform directs them.