Kuwait has significantly revised its residency regulations. Foreigners’ temporary stays are now limited to three months, with extensions allowed for up to one year.
Under the new law, regular residency permits can be granted for up to five years, while children of Kuwaiti women and property owners may receive residency for 10 years. Investors can obtain residency for up to 15 years.
Violations of temporary or regular residency rules, including iqama regulations, carry severe penalties:
The draft law includes strict measures against illegal trade in residency permits, with penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of KD 10,000. The penalty doubles if the offender is a state employee committing the offense within their job responsibilities.
Domestic workers cannot stay outside Kuwait for more than four months without prior permission from the Interior Ministry—failure to comply results in the revocation of residency rights.
Expatriate residents must:
Failure to meet these requirements is punishable by fines of up to KD 2,000.
The Kuwaiti government approved this draft law earlier this month, but it awaits final approval from Emir Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad. In May, the Emir dissolved the legislature and temporarily suspended some constitutional articles.
Kuwait has intensified efforts to combat illegal iqama trade, rounding up thousands of undocumented expatriates in recent months as part of a broader crackdown on residency violations.