Kuwait Introduces Long-Term Residency of Up to 15 Years While Raising Iqama and Visa Fees

Kuwait has enacted a comprehensive reform of its immigration and residency framework, introducing long-term residency permits of up to 15 years for eligible foreign nationals while simultaneously increasing iqama, visa, and health insurance fees across most categories. The new regime has come into effect on December 23, 2025.

Kuwait has enacted a comprehensive reform of its immigration and residency framework, introducing long-term residency permits of up to 15 years for eligible foreign nationals while simultaneously increasing iqama, visa, and health insurance fees across most categories.

The new regime has come into effect on December 23, 2025, following the issuance of Ministerial Resolution No. 2249 of 2025, which sets out the Executive Regulations of the Law on the Residence of Foreigners (hereinafter, the “new residency law”)

Together with amendments under Amiri Decree No. 114 of 2024, the reforms significantly reshape residency duration, sponsorship rules, compliance obligations, and cost structures for expatriates, investors, and their dependents.

Kuwait long-term residency options: 10 and 15 years

Under the revised framework, Kuwait has formally adopted a tiered residency model linked to investment, property ownership, and family ties:

• Foreign investors licensed under Law No. 116 of 2013 on Foreign Capital Investment may now be granted residency for up to 15 years, providing long-term security for investors seeking to establish or expand operations in Kuwait.
• Residency of up to 10 years may be granted to foreign nationals who own real estate in Kuwait, children of Kuwaiti women, and other categories specified by the Ministry of Interior (MoI). These provisions offer enhanced stability for long-term residents with strong economic or familial connections to the country.
• For most expatriates employed in the public or private sectors, the standard five-year residency remains in place, although the rules governing issuance, renewal, and monitoring have been tightened.

Increased iqama, visa, and health insurance fees

The new residency law introduces notable increases in iqama, visit visa, and insurance costs, reflecting Kuwait’s broader effort to rationalize residency management and strengthen compliance.

The annual iqama renewal fee for most expatriates has been doubled to KWD 20 (US$65.14). This applies to government and private sector employees, foreign students, religious figures, widows or divorcees of Kuwaiti men with children, and certain stateless residents after acquiring foreign nationality.

Residency fees for foreign investors, partners, and property owners have been set at KWD 50 (US$162.84) per year, while the self-sponsored residency category under Article 24 carries an annual fee of KWD 500 (US$1,628.40).

All types of visit visas, including family, business, tourist, medical, and government visit visas, now cost KWD 10 (US$32.57) per month. Visit visas are generally valid for three months and may be renewed for similar periods for a maximum of one year. Multiple-entry visas are valid for up to one year, with each stay limited to one month.

In parallel, mandatory health insurance fees have been doubled to KWD 100 (US$325.68) per year for most expatriates. Residency permits will not be issued or renewed without valid health insurance, and the residency duration may not exceed the insurance validity period.

Dependent and family sponsorship fees

The revised by-laws reaffirm the minimum monthly salary requirement of KWD 800 (US$2,605.44) for sponsoring family dependents, with exemptions for certain professions.

Annual dependent residency fees for spouses and children have increased to KWD 20 (US$65.14) for most expatriate sponsors. Dependents of investors, partners, property owners, and religious figures pay KWD 40 per year, while dependents of self-sponsored residents pay KWD 100 (US$325.71) per year.

For dependents other than spouses and children, such as parents, the annual fee has risen sharply from KWD 200 (US$651.42) to KWD 300 (US$977.12) per person.

Foreign children of naturalized Kuwaiti women are subject to an annual fee of KWD 20 (US$65.14), while foreign children of Kuwaiti women who are citizens by birth are exempt.

Temporary residency and absence rules

Temporary residency under Article 14 is generally valid for three months and may be renewed for similar periods for a maximum of one year. A KWD 10 (US$32.57) monthly fee applies to temporary residency for most categories, except domestic helpers, who are charged KWD 5 (US$16.29) per month.

Find Business Support

As one of the leading firms for registering foreign-owned businesses in the Middle East and Asia, we are equipped to advise clients regarding the optimal options for structuring a company to meet their objectives.

Foreign residents who remain outside Kuwait for more than six months without MoI approval will see their residency lapse. However, exemptions apply to children of Kuwaiti women, real estate owners, and investors holding residency under the Foreign Direct Investment Law. A KWD 5 (US$16.29) monthly fee applies to permits allowing residents to stay outside Kuwait beyond the six-month limit.

Domestic workers: quotas, fees, and conditions

The new regulations also revise rules governing domestic workers. Kuwaiti families may recruit between three and five domestic helpers depending on household size, with escalating fees for additional helpers. The annual residency renewal fee for domestic helpers remains KWD 10 (US$32.57).

For expatriate families, the annual residency fee is KWD 50 (US$162.85 ) per helper for the first two helpers, rising sharply for additional helpers, with renewal fees of KWD 50 (US$162.85 ) per helper.

Domestic helpers must generally be between 21 and 60 years old, although exemptions may be granted by the Minister of Interior (MoI).

Compliance, monitoring, and anti-visa trading measures

The amended law strengthens compliance obligations across the residency system. Deadlines for notifying authorities of births have been extended to four months, while reporting periods for lost or damaged passports have been extended to two weeks.

The law also reinforces prohibitions on visa trading, making it illegal to exploit or facilitate sponsorship arrangements in exchange for money or other consideration, whether genuine or fictitious. Violations may result in fines, deportation, and criminal penalties.

Additional ministerial decisions affecting residency procedures and work permits in Kuwait

Kuwait’s residency reforms are complemented by further ministerial decisions issued by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Acting Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al-Sabah, which amend procedural rules governing residency issuance and work permit administration.

Find Business Support

Service companies entering the Middle East must adapt to local regulatory, tax, and labor environments. We design tailored entry and delivery models.

Under amendments to Ministerial Resolution No. 957/2019, foreigners entering Kuwait under specified entry categories may remain in the country without a residency permit for up to two months from the date of entry. Within this period, procedures must be initiated to obtain either regular or temporary residency.

Regular residency details are recorded on the civil identification card issued by the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI), while temporary residency data is recorded through mechanisms determined by the Residency Affairs General Department at the MoI.

This clarification formalizes the transition window between entry and residency regularization, reinforcing enforcement while allowing administrative flexibility for new arrivals.

Revised work permit rules and additional fees

In parallel, a separate ministerial decision introduces changes to the mechanism for granting work permits and transferring migrant workers, administered by the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM).

Employers must now obtain work permits based on approved manpower needs, with an additional fee of KWD 150 (US$488.56) per work permit. However, the decision provides broad exemptions from this fee, including government-owned companies, licensed healthcare institutions, universities, private schools, foreign investors approved by the Investment Promotion Authority, agricultural and fishing operations, industrial establishments, and charitable or cooperative entities.

The regulations also allow the transfer of migrant workers between employers before the completion of three years, subject to a KWD 300 (US$977.12) transfer fee, where such transfers are otherwise permitted under PAM rules. Sectoral restrictions on labor mobility remain in force where applicable.

Several earlier ministerial resolutions imposing additional recruitment-related fees have been temporarily suspended, and the PAM Board of Directors is required to conduct a review of the impact of these measures within one year of implementation.

The decision took effect on June 1, 2024, for an initial duration of one year.

Practical implications for employers and expatriates

Taken together, these measures reinforce Kuwait’s shift toward a more structured, fee-based, and compliance-driven immigration system. While long-term residency options offer greater stability for investors and select expatriates, employers face higher upfront and administrative costs when recruiting foreign labor. At the same time, clearer timelines for residency regularization and worker mobility aim to reduce informal practices and improve oversight.

For expatriates, the reforms underscore the importance of timely residency conversion, valid documentation, and employer compliance, particularly during the initial post-entry period.

Key takeaways

Kuwait’s new residency framework combines longer residency durations for investors and select groups with higher costs and stricter compliance for most expatriates.

While the 10- and 15-year residency options improve long-term planning certainty, increased iqama, visa, and insurance fees significantly raise the cost of residency. Sponsors and residents must ensure strict adherence to documentation, insurance, and reporting requirements to avoid penalties.

(US$ 1 = KWD 0.31)

See Also: Kuwait Investment Outlook 2025: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities

• Previous Article UAE Introduces Penalties for Non-Compliance with New E-Invoicing Regime
• Next Article Saudi Arabia Tightens Regulatory Framework for Private Schools with New Infrastructure Standards and On-Campus Housing Option