Kuwait: New online visa-on-arrival system goes live

The Kuwaiti Minister of the Interior (MOI) announced this month that a new online e-visa service is now up and running.

The new service is available to nationals of the five other Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) countries and nationals of an additional 52 countries travelling to Kuwait. Additionally, the new service gives members of 14 designated professions special considerations, such as visas for spouses, children, and household workers.

Kuwait Airways to NY security stopover

Kuwait Airways announced on Friday that its weekly flight to the US John F Kennedy airport in New York will include a stopover at Ireland's Shannon Airport as part of extraordinary security precautions.

The flight programme has been changed as part of coordination between Kuwaiti and American authorities, aimed at providing maximum security and safety for passengers, reported the Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).

According to Kuwait Airways, the stopover at the Irish airport will not exceed two-and-a-half hours, added Kuna.

Kuwait: 60,000 expats needed for fuel project

In a statement, Al-Shuail added the meeting was to initiate the execution of environmental fuel project and assign workers needed for the project. He also said the officials will simplify procedures for recruitment of about 60,000 workers from abroad. He noted the meeting was attended by the Director of Workers Need Estimation and Director of Environmental Fuel Abdullah Al-Ajmi.

Kuwait: Dependants’ residency renewal limited to sponsor’s residency validity

Director of the Interior Ministry’s Residency Affairs Department Major General Talal Maarafi stressed that starting from January 10, 2016, the renewal validity of expatriates dependants’ residency visa (article 22) would be tied to the validity of those of their own sponsors. “This means that if an expat’s residency is valid for one year, he can only renew those of his wife or kids for a single year,” he explained

Kuwait: Kuwait expats to see 200% surge in health insurance fees

A Kuwait government plan to ban foreign workers getting access to public healthcare services will cause a series of consequences to the expatriate community, local media has reported.

Kuwaiti Economics Committee in the Supreme Council for Planning and Development recently proposed a two-layered alternative health plan for the three million of expats residing in Kuwait which would cause expatriates’ annual health insurance fees to triple to not less than KD150 ($493).

Kuwait approves plan to increase expat visa fees

Kuwait Interior Ministry has approved a proposal to increase expat fees for visas in the country.

The Interior Ministry’s assistant undersecretary for Nationality and Residency Affairs, Major General Sheikh Mazen Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, said the approval will see expat fees increase for visit and tourist visas, temporary residency, self-sponsorship and family dependency visas.

Kuwait to fingerprint expats at airport

All expats will have their fingerprints taken before flying out of the country, a source has told the Kuwait Times newspaper.

The new policy by the Interior Ministry will only include foreign workers and will not include Kuwaiti citizens, diplomats or judges, the report said.

The move is one of around 30 new procedures issued to employees at Kuwait International Airport.

The source told the newspaper staff were also instructed to make sure there are no travel bans issued on a traveller before stamping the passport or the boarding pass.