Kuwait now grants 90-day tourist visas on arrival to all foreigners residing in GCC states with valid permits.
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait has announced that all foreigners residing in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are now eligible to obtain a tourist visa on arrival at any entry point. The decision, issued by Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah and published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm, takes immediate effect.
Under the new rules, the tourist visa will be valid for 90 days, provided applicants hold a residency permit in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, or Bahrain with at least six months’ validity. This policy replaces regulations from 2008 that restricted the visa-on-arrival facility to specific professions such as doctors, engineers, and executives.
The change is expected to benefit around 25 million foreign residents across the five GCC states, expanding Kuwait’s tourism and visitor base. Nationals from many European, North American, Asian, and Latin American countries have already enjoyed visa-on-arrival privileges for years.
Over the past 15 months, Kuwait has steadily eased entry requirements as part of efforts to attract more visitors. These measures include relaxing family visa rules for expatriates to host close relatives for up to one month, allowing hotels to sponsor tourists, and enabling companies to obtain business visas for foreign partners more easily.
The latest move positions Kuwait as a more accessible destination for GCC residents, aiming to encourage short-term tourism, strengthen regional connectivity, and boost the hospitality sector.
