Documentation requirements for
International Placement

Employment Visa
• 20 passport size colour photographs with
   white background
• Passport copy
• Passport with ECNR.
Emigration documents required to be attested by Indian Embassy.
• There should be an agreement form Sponsor attested by Kuwait Ministry Interior ministry.
• Kuwait Oil Co. and ISCO and all Government companies are exempted from this.
• 15 passport size colour photos with
   white background
• Medical report by the Kuwait consulate
   approved doctor with Gamca Slip
• Air ticket for that sector ( Kuwait Airways - one way )
• Passport with 6 months validity at the time of departure
• Rs. 3000/- in cash towards the visa fees
• Visa stamped passport
• Insurance paper
• Minimum age required for endorsing the visa is 18 years.

Business visit visa
• 20 passport size colour photographs with
   white background
• Passport copy
• Original Passport with ECNR Stamp
• Visa Copy
• To & Fro Air Ticket.
• No need of Visa endorsement from Indian Consulate.

Residence family visa
• 20 passport size colour photographs with
   white background
• Passport copy
• Marriage certificate and child birth certificate
   attested from Kuwait Consulate
• Passport copy of Sponsor
• Passport with ECNR
• 15 passport size colour photos
   with white background
• Medical report by the Kuwait consulate
   approved doctor
• Air ticket for that sector (Kuwait Airways - one way)
• Passport with 6 months’ validity
• Rs. 3000/- in cash towards the visa fees

Business visit & Family visit visa
• 20 passport size colour photographs
   with white background
• Passport copy
• Marriage certificate and child birth certificate attested from Kuwait Consulate
• Passport copy of Sponsor.
• Original Passport with ECNR Stamp
• Visa Copy
• To & Fro Air Ticket

Obtaining Residence
To live in Kuwait , expatriates other than GCC citizens must have an iqama, i.e. a residence permit. The three main types are work visas, domestic and dependent visas, all of which require a sponsor. An expatriate may however sponsor his own residence, with or without being permitted to work, provided he has lived in Kuwait for many years and has substantial financial means.
Application for Residence
The actual application for an iqama is made at the Immigration and Passport Department of the Ministry of the Interior in Shuwaikh . First time applicants for residence must bring along the following documents in the form of both originals and photocopies:
• Declaration on the prescribed form completed and signed by the sponsor
• Passport
• Work permit
• NOC
• Medical certificate
• Security clearance (fingerprint) certificate
Four passport size photographs are also required. A maximum of five years residence can be granted. The fee is KD10 per year of residence, with an additional KD2 in the first year. If the sponsor is a government organisation then, by law, the employee must bear the cost. If the sponsor is a private company the cost is a matter of negotiation between the sponsor and the employee.
Depedent Visa
Once he has obtained his own residency, a male employee may sponsor his wife and children to live with him in Kuwait . Permission to sponsor wife and children is granted only to those who meet the minimum salary of KD.250/-.
Expatriates of all nationalities are allowed to sponsor their wives and children if they are earning minimum KD.250 per month. A working wife cannot sponsor her husband as a dependent. Sons over 21 years cannot be sponsored as dependants, though adult daughters and parents may. Dependent family members may not work without transferring to a work visa under Kuwaiti sponsorship. An entry visa for a dependent is obtained from the jawazaat (Passport Office) in Shuwaikh. An application form must be typed in Arabic. The following supporting documents are required:
• Sponsor's salary certificate
• Copy of the sponsor's civil ID
• Copy of the dependent's passport
• Authenticated marriage certificate or child's birth certificate
The marriage certificate and child's birth certificate must be authenticated by the sponsor's embassy in Kuwait and certified by the Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once they have entered the country the formalities for a dependent's iqama (art 22) are similar to those for a work visa. The dependent must be medically tested and fingerprinted. The photo-graphs and documents required are the same as shown above except for the work permit. The sponsor's declaration is an undertaking by the family supporter that he will maintain the dependent. The residence fees for each dependent (wife or child) are KD100 in the first year and KD10 a year thereafter. However the fee for a parent is KD200 a year. These charges apply to all expatriate sponsors whether they are working in the public or private sectors.
Civil ID Cards
Once an expatriate has obtained his residence then he must obtain a civil identity (ID) card, no matter what type of residence he is on. Civil ID cards are issued by PACI, the Public Authority for Civil Information. After his first card has been issued, the holder's civil ID number remains the same even if he changes his sponsor or leaves and comes back several years later on a different residence visa.
The civil ID card shows the holder's civil number, full name, date of, local address, blood group, sponsor's name, type of visa, etc, and date of expiry of the card. When ever the card expires or an expatriate changes sponsor, renews his residence or changes his address, his civil ID card must be amended accordingly.
Charges, Time Limits & Penalties
The charge for a civil ID card is KD2 when it is first issued and each time it is renewed. The charge is paid when the card is collected. There is a fee of KD10 to replace a lost card.
An expatriate must apply for a civil ID card within 30 days of getting his residency, and must renew his card within 30 days of renewing his residency. For an expatriate child born in Kuwait , the time limit for first registration is 60 days from the date of birth. In all cases the penalty for late applications is a flat fine of KD100 irrespective of the length of the delay, though in practice PACI only levy a one-off fine of KD20. Medical Tests
The medical tests are taken at the Ports & Borders Health Division, Requirements are passport, copy of NOC, a single photograph and a KD10 revenue stamp.
There is no system of appointments and most people must queue for the various procedures. These include blood tests for serious infectious diseases, such as AIDS, and a chest x-ray. A meningitis vaccination is also given. It takes about a week for the results, which are given in the form of a certificate from the Ministry of Public Health, to come through. Persons found to be infected with epidemic diseases are deported. Expatriates employed in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and food processing are required to go for health check up every year and obtain the certificate.
Obtaining a driving Licence
Some residents, such as Westerners, may obtain a Kuwaiti driving licence on the strength of their national driving licence only. Other nationalities, even if they have a driving licence from their home country, are obliged to apply for a learner's licence and pass a driving test.
To get a Kuwaiti driving licence, applicant must go to the Licence Section in the main Traffic Department in Shuwaikh to obtain approval for a learner's licence To obtain approval, an expatriate must (a) be legally resident in Kuwait, (b) have been resident for at least two years, (c) be earning a salary of not less than KD 400 a month.
Once approval has been granted, the applicant must go to the Licence Section in the Traffic Department in the governorate in which he or she lives. Documents required include passport, original and copies of civil ID, four passport-sized photographs, as well as (if relevant) company employment letter and copy of work permit from Ministry of Social Affairs & Labour or letter of employment from a ministry.

Application for a Visit Visa
Visit visas and entry permits are valid for entry within 90 days of issue and then for a stay of up to 90 days only after entry. A visit visa costs KD3/-. Entry permits are free.
A foreigner whose country has a visa abolition treaty with Kuwait , i.e. a treaty permitting Kuwaitis to enter their country without a visa, may be granted reciprocal rights in Kuwait . These persons however may require an entry permit. Entry permits are acquired in the same way and have the same procedures as visit visas.
A visitor to Kuwait must be sponsored by a Kuwaiti individual or company, or a resident foreigner who is a relative of the visitor. However American citizens are sometimes given visit visas without having a Kuwaiti sponsor. The visa application is made by the sponsor who is responsible for the visitor while he or she is in Kuwait .
To obtain a visit visa for a business visitor, a Kuwaiti sponsor or company will require:
• visa application and security form completed by the sponsor
• copy of the visitor's passport
• copy of the sponsor's signature as registered for business purposes
• copy of the letter of invitation from the sponsor to the business visitor stating the purpose of the visit.
To obtain a visit visa for a relative, a resident foreigner will require:
• visa application and security form completed by the sponsor
• copy of the visitor's passport
• original and copy of the sponsor's passport
• original and copy of the sponsor's civil ID
• original and copy of the sponsor's work permit (private sector employees)
• recent salary certificate from the sponsor's employer
• authenticated proof of the family relationship

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