Ministry of Interior's Residency Affairs Sector explained the documents required for family visit visa with the recent changes. The changes include the abolition of the salary requirement and the opening of family visit visa to kinship ties extending beyond the wife and children to the fourth degree, and third degree by marriage.

Speaking at the Government Communication Center on Wednesday, Colonel Abdulaziz Al-Kandari, Director of the Electronic Services Department at the General Administration of Residency Affairs, detailed the specific requirements for each type of entry visa, noting that applicants must meet defined controls, provide necessary documents, and have no security restrictions.

There are Four cate Categories of Tourist Visa, in which the First category is for the nationals from 52 approved countries, who can obtain tourist visas without any restrictions, provided their passport is valid for at least six months from entry.

Second is for Qualified Professionals – Residents of GCC states, as well as valid residents of the US, UK, and Schengen countries, with proof of profession and financial solvency. Gulf residency must be valid for at least six months and must be under the approved job title.

The third type of visa, which has not yet been launched, will be available to nationals not included in the first category. Applicants must prove their financial solvency through methods determined by the administration. Requirements include a passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry, a recent bank statement, and a confirmed hotel reservation for the duration of the stay. Additionally, a security deposit will be taken from the visitor’s credit card (Visa or MasterCard) at the time of payment for the visa. This deposit will be collected in the event of a violation and refunded upon departure.

Fourth Category is Event-Based Visas – Issued for participation in local or international events, with requirements set according to the event.

Tourist visas are available as single-entry (valid for one, two, or three months with a 30-day stay) or multiple-entry (valid for three, six, or 12 months, with a maximum 30-day stay per entry).

Family Visit Visas

Amendments to family visit visas now require proof of kinship in Arabic or certified translation, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate. The relationship must be up to the fourth degree of kinship or third degree by marriage.

Family visit visas are classified into two categories. The first is a single entry for one, two, or three months with a validity of 30 days. The second is a multiple-entry visa, valid for three, six, or 12 months, allowing a maximum stay of 30 days per entry.

Documents required for applying Family Visit Visa for each relationship

Commercial visas, intended for business visitors invited by companies or institutions, are available in single-entry (30-day stay) or multiple-entry options (three, six, or 12 months, with a maximum 30-day stay per visit).

Government visit visas, issued to guests invited by government agencies, have no additional requirements. They are available in the same entry and validity formats as other visa types.

The new “Kuwait Visa” platform, Al-Kandari said, is designed to simplify applications, improve transparency, and support Kuwait’s goal of becoming a more welcoming destination for tourists, professionals, and business travelers alike.