Kuwait City: In a significant move, the Kuwaiti government has introduced new rules governing expat residency through a draft decree-law adopted on Tuesday, November 12.
The draft law is still awaiting final approval from Emir Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad.
The rules are intended to ensure rigorous control over expat residency and inflict harsh penalties for violations of residency and employment standards, Arabic daily Al-Rai reported.
Key rules are
- Expats who lose or damage their passports must notify the Ministry of Interior (MoI) within two weeks.
- Hotels and providers of furnished accommodations must notify foreign guests’ arrival and departure within 24 hours.
- Expats visiting Kuwait can stay for up to three months unless granted an extension or residency status.
- Temporary residency permits last three months but can be extended for up to a year.
- Regular residency is limited to five years, with exceptions of up to ten years for children of Kuwaiti women and property owners, and fifteen years for investors.
- Domestic workers are not permitted to leave Kuwait for longer than four months without first obtaining approval from the MoI.
- Sponsors are obligated to inform the ministry of any changes in a foreigner’s visa status or overstaying.
Penalties for violations
- Fines of up to 2,000 Kuwaiti dinars for failing to meet reporting requirements.
- Hotel managers and transport operators who fail to comply with regulations may face fines of up to 400 dinars.
- A one-year imprisonment and fines of up to 1,200 dinars for violations of residency.
- Violations related to visits can result in fines of up to 2,000 dinars.
- Illegal entry is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 3,000 dinars.
- For illegally employing foreigners or failing to pay dues, penalties include up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 10,000 dinars.
- Residency trafficking involves a maximum punishment of five years in prison and a fine of 10,000 dinars.
