KUWAIT CITY, Nov 2: The Residency Affairs General Department at the Ministry of Interior recently issued a circular to the directors of its branches in the six governorates regarding the new conditions for issuing entry visas – dependent, tourist, commercial and government visit visas – to the nationals of 53 countries.

1. Dependent/Family Visa Expatriates are allowed to obtain dependent visa only for their wives, while their children who are below 16 years old will be granted dependent or tourist visa provided the conditions are met– the most important of which is the salary stated in the work permit should be KD 500 or more.

According to the circular, the entry visas will not be issued to those above 12 years old unless they have completed the required doses of Corona vaccines approved in Kuwait as follows:
■ Pfizer-BioNtech – two doses
■ AstraZeneca/Oxford – two doses
■ Moderna – two doses
■ Johnson & Johnson – one dose

A certificate confirming the above must be submitted and this certificate must contain the ‘QR-Cle’ code as this is presented to the receptionists in different departments before issuing the entry visa.

2. Commercial Visit Visa This will be issued for all activities at the discretion of the director of the department.

3. Government Visit Visa This will be issued for those visiting ministries and other government agencies.

4. Electronic/Online Visa The following can apply for entry visa online:
■ Kuwaiti embassies abroad
■ Nationals of 53 countries as per the approved list
■ Residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries depending on their professions
■ Hotels and companies registered in the automated link as per the regulations in the Special Services Department.