Middle East and North Africa

Kuwait
Still current at: 25 November 2009 Updated: 01 October 2009

This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments to the Summary (consular assistance figures). The overall level of the advice has not changed.

(see travel advice legal disclaimer)

Travel advice for this country

Entry requirements

Visas

British nationals travelling by air can obtain a 90-day visit/business visas on arrival in Kuwait. You will be charged three KD 3,000 (three Kuwaiti Dinars, just over £7) for the visa. Further information can be obtained from the Kuwait Embassy in London. Exchange facilities are available at Kuwait International Airport 24 hours a day, every day. You should have a ticket for travel out of Kuwait. It may speed the processing of the visa if the traveller is able to show a sponsor's letter or confirmation of a hotel reservation. If you have an Israeli stamp in your passport you may be refused visas/entry to Kuwait.

Travellers arriving by land or sea should obtain visas in advance from the Kuwaiti Embassy in London.

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the end of your intended stay.

Entering from Iraq

If you are planning to enter Kuwait overland from Iraq, it is best to obtain a visa in advance. Take careful and up-to-date advice (including from the FCO travel advice) about travel in Southern Iraq, which remains very dangerous.

Applying to work or live in Kuwait

For work or residency visas you should apply to the Kuwaiti Embassy in London.

British nationals intending to apply for a residence visa for their dependants in Kuwait must make sure that they have their original marriage certificates legalised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country in which they got married. The same procedure applies to their children’s original birth certificates. These documents are a must for processing a residence visa in Kuwait.

Travelling with children

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the Kuwaiti Embassy in London.

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Contacts

Kuwait, British Embassy

Address:

British Embassy
Arabian Gulf Street
Dasman

Postal Address
British Embassy
P O Box 2
Safat 13001
Kuwait

Trade and Investment:
P O Box 300
Safat 13003
Kuwait

Telephone:

(+965) 2259 4320

Fax:

Political & Defence: (+965) 2259 4339
Consular: (+965) 2259 4359
Trade & Investment: (+965) 2259 4368
Management: (+965) 2259 4352

Office hours:

Local Time:
Sunday-Thursday: 0730-1430

GMT:
Sun-Thur: 0430-1130
The weekend in Kuwait is Fri-Sat

Public access:

Consular, Passport & Notarial Services are availabe to British Passport Holders at the Embassy: Sun - Thu 0800 - 1300

Access to other Embassy Sections: By appointment only

Visa Applications must be lodged at the: Visa Application Centre (VAC).

Website: http://ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk

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Middle East and North Africa

Kuwait