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Kuwait announces end of visit visa, absence permit extensions from September 1
The Gulf country had first announced the extensions due to Iranian attacks and airspace closures in the region
- PUBLISHED: Thu 20 Aug 2026, 8:10 PM
Kuwait has announced an end to the visit visa and absence permit extensions earlier put in place due to Iranian attacks and airspace closures in the region.
The Ministry of Interior in Kuwait said that effective September 1, 2026, the original regulations governing legal durations for entry visas and absence permits will be reinstated.
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Kuwait and other Gulf countries were targeted by drone and missile strikes after the US-Iran war broke out in February 2026. In March, Kuwait announced that visitors who had entered the country would receive automatic extensions due to the exceptional circumstances. Practical issues such as airspace closures in the region and security concerns were accounted for in the decision.
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Three-month absence permits were given to residents who were outside Kuwait and unable to return to the country, with no in-person processing required and full exemption from fees.
An absence permit in Kuwait is an authorisation required for expats, typically arranged via the Sahel app or Residency Affairs departments, to remain outside the country for more than six months without invalidating their residency.
On August 20, the Ministry of Interior said that the regular legal periods for entry visas and absence permits will be reinstated from September 1 onwards. However, the additional period for absence permits will remain in effect for residents who left the country on or before August 31, 2026.
The residency permit certificate issued through the Sahel app is "the official and approved reference" that will be used to determine when a resident's absence permit will expire. "Residents must adhere to the specified period upon their return to the country," the ministry added.
