Kuwait has announced that expatriate residents of Gulf countries are now eligible to obtain a tourist visa upon arrival, provided they hold a residency permit valid for at least six months, said media reports. 

 

The new regulation, issued by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al Yousef and published in the Kuwait Alyoum official gazette, came into immediate effect yesterday (August 10). 

 

Local media reports said the move takes precedent over decision No. 1228 of 2008, which previously governed the entry of GCC residents into the country under similar provisions.

 

Under the revised rules, foreign nationals living in any GCC member state - Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain - can now enter Kuwait as tourists without the need for prior visa approval, as long as their residency is valid for six months or more.

 

The visit visa will be available upon arrival at ports of entry across Kuwait.