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Under normal circumstances, visitors toKuwait must obtain avisa unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or countries eligible for visa on arrival/eVisa.[1] All visitors (exceptGulf Cooperation Council citizens) must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Citizens of the following GCC countries do not require a visa to visit Kuwait and may use national ID Cards to enter the country for an Indefinite Period Of Stay:
As of November 2023, use of GCC ID Cards for entry has been restored for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries.[2]
In addition to GCC Countries which are already visa exempt, Holders of diplomatic, official & service passports ofAlbania,Algeria,Azerbaijan,Bangladesh,Bulgaria,Cambodia,Cyprus,China,Egypt,Germany,Honduras,Hungary,India,Indonesia,Ireland,Jordan,Laos,Malaysia,Malta,Mongolia,Morocco,Pakistan,Peru,Philippines,Portugal,Romania,Russia,Serbia,Singapore,South Korea,Switzerland,Tajikistan,Turkey,Ukraine,United Kingdom andVietnam and just diplomatic passports ofArmenia,Estonia,France,Greece,Iraq,Italy,Mexico,Poland,Spain andUzbekistan do not require a visa for 30 days.
Citizens of the following 53 countries and territories may obtain a visa valid for 3 months on arrival to Kuwait if arriving by air or they may obtain an eVisa before arrival:[3][4]
A visa can also be obtained on arrival valid for one month for those holding a confirmation from a transporting carrier and are travelling for tourism purposes.
Passengers arriving by sea or land must obtain a visa in advance.[5]
Residents of GCC countries belonging to designated professions may also obtain a visa online.
As of 10 August 2025, Kuwait will allow all foreign residents of GCC countries to get a tourist visa on arrival at any entry point. Residency must have at least six months of validity[6]
Nationals of most countries who hold a valid visa or residence permit from the United States, the Schengen Area, or the United Kingdom are eligible to apply for a simplified Kuwait e-Visa. The supporting document (visa or residence permit) must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of application.[7]
The Kuwait e-Visa may be issued as a single or multiple-entry visa, with each stay allowed for a maximum of 30 days. The e-Visa itself can be valid for up to 1 year, depending on the applicant's eligibility and the type of visa issued.[8]
Nationals of
Israel (including dual citizens traveling on another country's passport) are banned from entering and transiting in Kuwait. Kuwait also refuses entry to any passport with evidence of travel to Israel.[9]
Previously, nationals of
Ethiopia were also refused entry and transit until 2018.[10]
In recent decades, Kuwait has enacted certain measures to regulate the issuance of new visas for foreign labor. For instance, workers fromGeorgia are subject to heightened security when applying for entry visas, and an outright ban was imposed on the entry of domestic workers fromGuinea-Bissau andVietnam.[11] Workers fromBangladesh andPakistan are also scrutinized when applying for new visas.[12] Scrutiny also includes their medical tests from GAMCA/WAFID approved medical centers.[13] GAMCA medical fit report[14] declares the applicant is fit to travel. So its a must to attach that medical test report with visa application. In April 2019, Kuwait added Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Bhutan, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the list of restricted countries. According to Migrant Rights, the visa restrictions are put in place mainly due to the fact that these countries lack embassies and labour corporations in Kuwait.[15] A visa restriction on nationals of Ethiopia was lifted in 2018.[16][17]
