Kuwait work visa for Kenyan citizens

After securing a work permit, Kenyans must apply for a work visa (residence visa) to legally work in Kuwait.

How can Kenyan citizens get a work visa to Kuwait?

Kenyans need to submit their work visa application to the Kuwaiti embassy or consulate in their country of residence. If no Kuwaiti mission is present, the visa can be issued through the emirate's migration service, at the request of the employer.

Documents needed for a work visa to Kuwait for Kenyans

Kenyan citizens will need to provide the following documents to get a work visa to Kuwait:

• A passport that’s valid for at least six months
  
• A completed visa application form from the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  
• Passport-sized photo
  
• A copy of the work permit
  
• HIV/AIDS test results
  
• A health certificate from a local doctor
  
• A certificate confirming no criminal record
• Health insurance
  
  

If you’re applying for a public sector job, you’ll also need to submit:

• The visa application form
  
• A copy of the work permit
  
• A criminal record certificate
  
• Medical certificates confirming that you’re in good health and free from HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases
  
  

For a private sector job, additional documents include:

• A No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Interior of Kuwait
  
• A copy of the Kuwaiti employer’s company registration certificate
  
  

What is the validity period for a Kuwait work visa for Kenyan citizens?

The length of the work visa is usually determined by the applicant’s employment contract with the sponsoring company, but it can be extended at the authorities' discretion. The visa is typically valid for three years, but it does not grant permanent residency rights.

How long does the work visa process take from Kenya?

The application is typically processed in 1 to 2 weeks.

What are the steps for Kenyan citizens upon arrival in Kuwait?

When Kenyans arrive in Kuwait, they must sign an employment contract in triplicate, typically in both Arabic and English. The employee keeps one copy, the employer retains another, and the third is submitted to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs ("shuun"). If necessary, the contract must be translated into a language the employee understands before signing.

The employment contract will detail the job nature, salary, payment schedule, workdays per week, and contract duration.

After signing the contract, the employer must provide the employee with health insurance, a residence permit (iqama), and a civil ID. The employer is responsible for the cost of insurance and the state fees for issuing or renewing the residence permit.

What documents do Kenyans need to apply for a residence permit in Kuwait?

To apply for a residence permit in Kuwait, Kenyan citizens must submit the following documents to the Immigration Department of the Ministry of the Interior (or its territorial branches). Usually, the employer or their official representative (the "mandub") handles the submission:

• Application form (signed by both the employee and employer, with the employer's seal)
  
• Passport
  
• 2 passport-sized photos (3.5x4.5 cm, blue background)
  
• Employment permit
  
• Permission from the Ministry of Interior of Kuwait
• Medical certificate from a recognized institution (must be legalized and translated into Arabic)
  
• Certificate of no criminal record and no criminal liability (also legalized and with a certified translation into Arabic)
  

One of the characteristic features of labor legislation in Kuwait is the so-called the "sponsorship system" (or "kafala"), which imposes certain restrictions on migrant workers' right to change the Kuwaiti employer ("sponsor") who invited them to Kuwait and issued them a work and residence permit.

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So, foreigners who have worked for at least one year at their previous employer are entitled to change their place of work without obtaining a new work visa. At the same time, a necessary condition for a change of employer is that the foreign employee receives the appropriate consent of the current "sponsor".

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If the employer refuses to grant the specified permission, the employee can apply to the territorial body of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs ("labor office" or "shuun"). If the specified body establishes that the employer has violated the terms of the employment contract or the provisions of the labor law, it can authorize the transfer of the employee to a new employer regardless of the wishes of his previous "sponsor".

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At the same time, foreigners employed in the public sector and domestic workers are allowed to transfer to a new employer only with the consent of the current "sponsor", without the possibility of appealing to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

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It should be noted that the above mechanism of changing the place of work is allowed only within the same specialty. In the event of a change of occupation, or failure to obtain permission to change employers, the employee must cancel his previous work visa, leave Kuwait and enter with a new work visa obtained on the basis of a new employment permit. At the same time, such persons do not necessarily have to return to their country of citizenship or permanent residence. They can go to any third country, even neighboring Kuwait, and return to the emirate after 48 hours, provided they have all the necessary documents for employment at the new place of work (in particular, a medical certificate and a certificate of non-criminal liability).

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On the other hand, Kuwaiti employer companies are fully responsible for the stay of foreign workers in Kuwait (in terms of providing housing, proper working conditions, health insurance policies, timely issuance of relevant residence permits, etc.).

A domestic servant visa is a type of residence visa that can be granted to a permanent foreign resident who has been hired from a country outside of Kuwait.

The visa is granted because expatriates are usually allowed to bring a full-time domestic helper to Kuwait.

Basic requirements:

• The age of the domestic worker is 20-50 years;
• A male sponsor must have a wife to hire a domestic helper;
• There are no minimum wage requirements if the sponsor's husband and wife work and if the sponsor's family has children;

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Upon arrival in Kuwait, passport photos and documents will be required to obtain a domestic worker visa.

The assistant must pay a living fee of 200,00 KD for the first year and 10,00 KD for subsequent years.

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How to get a visa?

1. To obtain such a visa, you need to contact the Kuwaiti Embassy/Consulate.
2. The application form will then need to be filled out in Arabic.
3. A domestic worker for whom a visa is issued must visit the Kuwaiti embassy in his country.

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To obtain a visa for a domestic worker, the following documents are required:

1. Salary certificates of both the sponsor and the spouse;
2. Photocopy of the house lease agreement;
3. A photocopy of the passport of both sponsors and their spouse;
4. Certificate of age of children (photocopy of local birth certificate or passport);
5. A photocopy of the identity card of both sponsors and their spouse;
6. A photocopy of the domestic worker's passport together with 8 passport-size photos;
7. Photocopy of the domestic worker's employment contract.

A business visa to Kuwait is granted to foreigners who wish to visit the country to participate in business meetings or to invest in a business. To obtain a Kuwait business visa, the applicant must have a sponsor. In such cases, the hotel where travelers plan to stay may sponsor their visa.

To obtain a business visa, the applicant must provide:

• A completed Kuwait visa application form and a security form completed by the sponsor;
• A copy of the visitor's passport;
• A copy of the sponsor's signature as registered for commercial purposes;
• Copy of the request letter