KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait has introduced a new fee for people who want to convert a visit entry visa into a regular residency permit. The new charge is KD 150 and comes under updated executive regulations of the Foreigners Residence Law.
The amendment was officially published in Sunday’s edition of the Kuwait Alyoum gazette. It was issued through Ministry of Interior Decision No. 1091 of 2026. The decision updates parts of Ministerial Decision No. 2249 of 2025, which governs the executive regulations related to residence permits.
Under the latest changes, a new Clause (4) has been added to Paragraph Nine of Article 39. The amendment makes it mandatory to pay KD 150 when converting a visit visa into a regular residency permit. This process is carried out under the provisions of Article 16 of the executive regulations.
The government said the new fee applies to eligible applicants seeking to change their immigration status from a temporary visit visa to a legal residence permit. The amendment is part of Kuwait’s efforts to update and organize its residency procedures.
However, the new rules also include an important exemption. Domestic workers and people in similar employment categories will not have to pay the KD 150 conversion fee. The exemption follows the provisions outlined in Article 20 of the executive regulations.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the exemption aims to ensure that workers covered under special residency categories are not affected by the new payment requirement. Other eligible applicants must follow the updated rules when applying for residency conversion.
The Ministry of Interior has instructed all relevant government authorities to implement the amended regulations. Officials have been directed to apply the new rules within their respective departments and ensure proper enforcement.
The amendment became effective immediately after its publication in the Official Gazette. This means all new applications for converting visit visas into residency permits will now follow the revised regulations.
The latest decision reflects Kuwait’s ongoing efforts to improve its immigration and residency system through updated legal procedures. People planning to convert their visit visas into residency permits should review the new requirements before submitting their applications.
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The authorities have advised applicants to follow the updated regulations carefully to avoid delays during the residency conversion process. The new fee structure is now part of the official residency framework and applies from the date of publication.
