Visit Visas Could Return But Under New Conditions

Official sources announced that the Ministry of Interior will start issuing new conditions regarding family visas at the end of this year.

Family visas have been terminated over a year ago, in the implementation of ministerial directives to re-assess the mechanisms for their issuance and apply new mechanisms that prevent visitors from passing their permits in staying.

According to Kuwait Times, it is expected that the new conditions to be announced in December.

“The new mechanism is almost ready and will be submitted to the Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled in the coming period,” sources said. “It will include a granting a special card to the visitor and mandating the visitor gets health insurance, whether they are a son, daughter, or parent of a child older than 16 years old or a parent and their child.”

According to official sources, visas will not be issued for a resident’s brother or sister. They added that the health insurance fee could reach up to KD 500 and the visit period cannot be more than one month.

“Fees for issuing a visit visa could increase by 100 percent from what was applied in the past,” sources added.

The new conditions include that the applicant commits to ensuring that a visitor departs the country immediately after the end of the visit period. If they do not leave, the resident who applied for their visa will be legally accountable and subjected to financial and administrative punishment, including permanently banning them from issuing a visit visa, sources said.