To obtain a work visa, a Ukrainian citizen who will work in the public sector must submit to the Embassy of Kuwait an appropriate visa application form, a copy of the work permit, a certificate of no criminal record, and medical certificates on general health and the absence of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.

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In addition to the above documents, a Ukrainian citizen who will work in the private sector must also provide the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission with the aforementioned certificate of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior on the absence of objections and a copy of the Kuwaiti certificate of registration of the employer company;

So, the basic list of documents for obtaining a work visa looks like this:

• Passport valid for at least six months before the expiration date;
• A completed visa application form issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait;
• Passport-size photo;
• A copy of the work permit;
• HIV/AIDS test;
• A health certificate from a local doctor;
• Certificate of no criminal record;

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Where should I apply for a work visa?

An application for a work visa must be submitted to the embassy/consulate of Kuwait in the country of residence of the foreigner, in Ukraine it is the Embassy of Kuwait.

The processing time for a work visa application is 1-2 weeks.

The duration of the visa will depend on the length of the applicant's employment contract with the sponsoring company, but is at the discretion of the authorities. The initial validity of the visa can last for three years with the possibility of extension. However, the Kuwaiti work visa does not allow permanent residence.

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Immediately upon arrival in Kuwait, an employment contract is signed with employees in triplicate (usually in Arabic and English), of which one copy is retained by the employee, the second by the company, and the third is submitted to the relevant territorial office of the ISSA (the so-called "labor office" or "shuun"). If necessary, the employment agreement must be translated into any other language understood by the employee before signing.

The employment agreement must specify the nature of the employee's work, the amount of salary and the procedure for its payment, the number of working days per week, the term of the agreement, etc.

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After signing the contract, the employing company must issue the new employee with compulsory health insurance, a residency permit (iqama) and a local identity card (civil ID). In accordance with the established practice, the employer pays the cost of the insurance policy and the state fee for obtaining or extending the employee's residence permit in Kuwait.

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What documents are required to obtain a residence permit?

In order to obtain a residence permit in Kuwait, the following package of documents must be submitted to the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Interior of Kuwait or its territorial bodies (as a rule, this is done by the employer or his official representative - "mandub"):

- an application form of the established form (signed by the employee and the employer and sealed by the employer);

- passport;

- 2 photos (3.5×4.5 cm, blue background);

- work permit;

- permission of the Ministry of Interior of Kuwait;

- a medical certificate issued by a medical institution (must be legalized and submitted with a certified translation into Arabic);

- a certificate of no criminal record and non-prosecution (must also be legalized and submitted 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 worker visa is a type of residence visa that can be granted to a permanent domestic worker of a resident alien who has been hired from a country outside Kuwait.

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

Basic requirements:

• The age of a domestic worker is 20-50 years old;
• The male sponsor is required to have a wife to hire a domestic assistant;
• There are no minimum wage requirements if the sponsor's spouse is employed 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 has to pay a residence fee of 200.00 KD for the first year and 10.00 KD for the following years.

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How to get a visa?

1. To obtain such a visa, you need to apply to the embassy/consulate of Kuwait.
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 Embassy of Kuwait in his/her country, in Ukraine - The Embassy of Kuwait.

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The following documents are required to obtain a visa for a domestic worker:

• Salary certificates of both the sponsor and the spouse; 
• A photocopy of the house lease agreement;
• A photocopy of the passports of both sponsors and their spouses;
• Certificate of age of children (photocopy of local birth certificate or passport);  
• A photocopy of the civil ID of both sponsors and their spouses;
• A photocopy of the domestic worker's passport along with 8 passport-size photos;
• A 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