Kuwait removes minimum salary requirement for family visit visas

Kuwait has removed the minimum salary requirement for expatriates applying for family visit visas, in a policy shift aimed at easing entry rules and strengthening social connections, according to officials. The reform also broadens the definition of eligible relatives and removes restrictions on the mode of travel for visitors.

According to a report by Gulf News, under the new rules, expatriates can invite not only immediate family but also relatives up to the fourth degree by blood and third-degree in-laws. The government has also cancelled the earlier requirement that visitors arrive exclusively via Kuwait’s national carrier. Sheikh Fahad Al Yousuf, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, confirmed that visitors can now enter the country by land, sea, or air on any airline.

As per the report, Col. Abdulaziz Al Kandari, from the General Residency Department’s Electronic Services Administration, said the change eliminates a long-standing financial threshold that previously limited visa sponsorships to residents meeting a set income level. “Now, any legal resident in Kuwait can apply to host visiting family members, regardless of earnings,” he said.

Authorities said the changes are part of a wider reform of the visa system intended to simplify procedures, improve flexibility, and facilitate the movement of people.

Earlier, Kuwait had begun granting tourist visas on arrival to foreign residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, under a new policy announced by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef. The policy allows any foreign national holding a valid residency permit from a GCC member state—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, or Oman—with at least six months’ validity to enter Kuwait on a tourist visa issued at the port of entry. The nationality of the applicant will not affect eligibility as long as the residency condition is met.