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KUWAIT – New penalties for breaches of residency laws are introduced.
January 30, 2025
By: Vivek Radhakrishnan, Immigration Manager, Middle East & Africa Operations, Newland Chase
The Ministry of Interior in the State of Kuwait has introduced new decisions regarding penalties for breaches of residency laws, along with fines for various violations under different categories of residency. The following is a summary of the new regulations now in effect:
Violations of Article (6) – Notification of Newborn Birth.
Failure to notify authorities of a newborn’s birth within four months of birth will incur a daily penalty of 2 KWD, with a maximum fine of 2,000 KWD.
Violations of Article (9) – Residency Permit Requirement.
Foreigners who enter Kuwait with an entry visa for purposes such as family joining, school enrollment, government work, private sector work, commercial/industrial work, treatment, or a temporary government contract and fail to obtain a residency permit will face:
- A 2 KWD fine per day for the first month
- A 4 KWD fine per day after the first month
- Maximum fine of 1,200 KWD.
Violations of Article (11) – Overstaying Visit Visa.
Foreigners who overstay the duration of their visit visa for government, private, tourism, commercial, transit, or family purposes will incur:
- A 10 KWD fine per day
- Maximum fine of 2,000 KWD.
Violations of Article (13), Clause (5) – Expired or Non-Renewed Residency.
Foreigners who fail to renew or leave the country after their residency expires will face:
- A 2 KWD fine per day for the first month
- A 4 KWD fine per day after the first month
- Maximum fine of 1,200 KWD.
Further changes to work permit rules.
The Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) in Kuwait has announced that work permits will not be issued for spouses without the approval of the General Department of Residency Affairs under the following conditions:
- Divorce of the spouse
- Death of the husband (widow)
- Husband is in central prison
- Husband’s residency is canceled due to being out of the country for more than six months
- Husband has been deported
Please reach out to your Newland Chase dedicated contact or submit an inquiry should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.
This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.