Kuwait has officially implemented its updated residency law, introducing stricter penalties for residency and visa violations. Effective Sunday, the law aims to enhance compliance among foreign nationals while imposing substantial fines for infractions like overstaying visit visas or failing to renew residency permits.
Key Penalties and Regulations
The new rules outline heavy fines for individuals and companies violating residency or visit visa regulations:
Residency Permits
Foreign nationals entering Kuwait under specific entry visas—including family joining, school enrollment, private sector work, and medical treatment—are required to secure residency permits. Fines for delays are:
- KD2 per day within the first month.
- KD4 per day after the first month.
- Maximum fine: KD1,200.
Expired Residency and Escaping Cases
For foreigners with expired residencies or terminated employment:
- KD2 per day for initial delays.
- KD4 per day for extended delays.
- Maximum fine: KD1,200.
Domestic workers face:
- KD2 per day for expired residency.
- Maximum fine: KD600.
Visit Visas
Visitors overstaying after their visa expires are charged KD10 per day, with a maximum fine of KD2,000.
Newborn Notifications
Failure to register a newborn within four months incurs fines:
- KD2 per day initially.
- KD4 per day for continued delays.
- Maximum fine: KD2,000.
Temporary Residency
Exceeding the duration of temporary residency incurs the same penalties as other violations, capped at KD1,200.
Visit visas
Overstaying after the expiration of a visit visa results in:
- KD10 per day for each day of overstay.
- Maximum fine: KD2,000.
This applies to various types of visit visas, including:
- Governmental visits
- Private visits
- Tourism
- Commercial purposes
- Family visits
- Multiple-entry visas
- Transport vehicle drivers (trucks, buses, etc.)
- Cultural, sports, or social activities
The updated laws are part of Kuwait’s strategy to tighten its residency system and improve compliance with immigration rules. Officials emphasize the new measures align with broader efforts to reform and modernize the country’s immigration framework.
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