Kuwait Work Visa Apply Online, Eligibility Criteria, Required Documents, Processing Time, Cost, Validity

By Vipul Jain

26 Nov, 2024

Scholarship

Kuwait Work Visa Apply Online - To live and work in Kuwait, persons other than Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens must apply for a Kuwait residence visa. A work visa in Kuwait comes under the residence visa category.

Thus, Indians wishing to live and work in Kuwait must know the eligibility criteria and application process for Kuwait work visas for Indian citizens. read along!

What Is A Kuwait Work Visa?

The work visa in Kuwait is Iqama which allows private and public sector employees to take up jobs in this country. The rules regarding these are stated under sections 17 (public sector employees) and 18 (private sector employees) of the Immigration Rules.

As stated in the introductory paragraph, expatriates other than Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens must obtain an Iqama or Kuwait residence visa to reside in this country. There are mainly three types of residence visas, namely work, dependent, and household visas.

All of these visas require sponsorship. If expatriates have sufficient funds they can sponsor their residence or live in Kuwait with or without applying for work.

Kuwait Work Visa Apply Online

As stated earlier, employees require sponsorship to obtain a Kuwait work visa. Here, employers sponsor this type of visa.

Here is a step-by-step guide on the application process for Kuwait work visa:

• Step 1 – On Work Visa To obtain a residence visa, employees must accept the employment offer.
• Step 2 – Next, the Kuwait-based employer must sponsor this work permit and apply for it from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.
• Step 3 – Here, employers need to collect the employee's passport and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the General Administration of Criminal Investigation in the Ministry of Interior.
• Step 4 – Now, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait to send a copy of the work permit to the Kuwaiti Embassy in the employee's home country (here in India) for endorsement.
• Step 5 – The sponsor or employer must also send a copy of the work permit to the employee. After this, the employee will have to take this document to the embassy.
• Step 6 – At this stage, employees must apply for an entry visa to Kuwait. Employees belonging to private sector organizations require a copy of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) and the authorized signatory of the employer or sponsor who has been registered on a business basis.
• Step 7 – In some circumstances where there is no Kuwait embassy in the employee's home country or country of residence, the sponsor must submit a work permit and no objection certificate to the Ministry of Interior to obtain an entry visa.

If workers enter Kuwait on a visit visa and accept employment, they must leave the country and return on a new entry visa.

Note: Most nationalities will be required to return to their home country to complete a medical examination and endorsement from the Kuwait Embassy in their home country.

Eligibility Criteria

Following is the list of Kuwait work visa requirements for Indian citizens -

• Applicants must have a job offer and a sponsor.
• Applicants must be genuine travelers i.e. they must have good intentions behind traveling to this country.
• They must have sufficient funds to financially support themselves and their dependents during their stay in Kuwait.
• They should have the intention to return to their country and this should be ensured.
• The applicants have a clean criminal track record. In that case, they may have to provide a PCC (Police Clearance Certificate) to prove credibility.
• Applicants must fulfill the necessary health requirements prescribed by the authorities.

Documents Required to Apply for a Kuwait Work Visa for Indian Citizens

Individuals must have the following documents to get their Kuwait work visa stamped in India:

• Original visa
• Air ticket (one-way)
• Medical report
• Passport with ECNR
• Original work contract. The employer and employee must sign this agreement.
• PCC
• Driving license and experience certificate for drivers. Applicants will have to submit this document after verification from the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Experience certificate for cooks. Applicants will have to submit this document after verification from the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Photo with a blue or white background.
• To obtain the stamp on the passport, applicants must approach an authorized (Kuwaiti Consulate in India) travel agent.

Please note that the travel agent does not have the authority to approve or cancel the applicant's entry into Kuwait. It completely depends on the Kuwait Embassy.

Additional Information Regarding Kuwait Work Visa

When an employee enters Kuwait, he or she is required to register their fingerprints for security clearance and residence at registered fingerprint departments in the country. There are 4 fingerprint registration companies in Kuwait.

To complete the process, individuals must submit the following documents:

• Application Form
• Original medical report with a copy
• Original visa with a copy
• Original passport with a copy
• Original insurance receipt with a copy
• Letter for work permit from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor
• 4 photos

What Is the Processing Time of a Work Visa for Kuwait?

The work permit application process takes 3-4 weeks to complete.

What Is The Cost Of A Kuwait Work Visa?

See the table mentioned below for the cost of a Kuwait work visa -