Kuwait will end the automatic extension of entry visas and leave permits from September 1, 2026, bringing their validity back to the periods prescribed under existing laws and regulations, the Ministry of Interior announced on Friday.
According to a report by Arab Times Online, the new measures will end automatic extensions for all categories of visit visas held by individuals currently in Kuwait. The standard validity periods, procedures and regulations will once again apply.
For expatriates currently outside Kuwait, the normal validity periods for leave permits will also be restored.
However, expatriates who left Kuwait on or before August 31, 2026, will continue to benefit from the additional exceptional extension under the applicable regulations.
The Ministry clarified that the residency permit status certificate available through the Sahel app will serve as the official reference for determining the expiry date of a resident’s leave permit.
Expatriates currently abroad are therefore required to return to Kuwait within the period stated on their certificate.
The Ministry of Interior urged all concerned residents and expatriates to comply with Kuwait’s applicable laws, regulations and procedures to avoid violations.
Foreigners belonging to specific categories are now able to convert their entry visit visas into regular residency in Kuwait, the Interior Ministry said Sunday, provided they pay a KD 150 fee.
Domestic helpers are exempted from paying the fee. The decision, published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm, was implemented immediately, according to the decision issued by the first deputy prime minister and interior minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah.
According to the by-laws of the residency law, there are five types of expatriates who can apply to transfer their entry visa into a regular residency permit for a fee of KD 150.
Expatriates are also among the eligible categories; for them, the government entry visas are issued by the ministries, public establishments or government authorities.
The decision, however, only applies to university degree holders with technical specialisations.
It also extends a provision allowing dependents of legal expatriate residents who are coming in either on a dependent visa or tourist visa to be able to transfer to the regular residency category on the same terms.
Additionally, expatriates who had been in Kuwait on work visas and had begun the process of obtaining residency permits but were subsequently forced to depart the country in the event of an emergency may benefit from the transfer as well.
If they were out of Kuwait for more than a month then the rule does not apply.
The decision also states that the facility can be granted in other situations which are not specifically contained in the decision, if approved by the Director General of Residency Department.
There are also domestic helpers and others who are authorised to obtain regular residency permits from their entry visas.
Unlike the other categories that would have to pay the KD 150 fee, they are not required to pay the fee despite the new regulations and yet they are still allowed to take part in the transfer procedure.
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