Kuwait, Japan Take First Step Towards Waiving Entry Visas

An agreement has been struck between Kuwait and Japan to waive the need for entrance visas for citizens of those two nations who hold diplomatic or official passports, according to the Kuwaiti Embassy in Tokyo.

“The agreement constitutes the first step towards working on the waiver of visa requirements for regular Kuwaiti passport holders in the near future,” the embassy said in a statement to Kuwait’s state media agency KUNA.

According to representatives of the Kuwaiti embassy, Japan is a favourite travel destination for Kuwaitis.

 Since last October, more people have started applying for visas to the nation; the Japanese embassy in Kuwait received 20% more applications in January 2023 than it did during the same time in 2020, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Kuwait, Arata Tatsumi, said.

According to Tatsumi, the embassy receives about 20 visa requests every day, with the number occasionally rising to 30 to 40.

The visa waiver for diplomats and government employees, which the Kuwaiti embassy called a "major achievement" for both nations, will take effect 90 days after it is signed.