KUWAIT: Official sources revealed that the Ministry of Interior will issue new conditions regarding family visas at the end of this year. Family visas have been suspended for over a year ago, in implementation of ministerial directives to re-evaluate the mechanisms for their issuance and applying new mechanisms that prevent visitors overstaying their permit. Sources told Kuwait Times they expect the new conditions to be publicized in December.

“The new mechanism is almost ready and will be submitted to the Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled in the coming period,” sources said. “It will include a granting a special card to the visitor and mandating the visitor gets health insurance, whether they are a son, daughter, or parent of a child older than 16 years old or a parent and their child.”

Visas won’t be issued for a resident’s brother or sister, sources said. They added that the health insurance fee could reach up to KD 500 and the visit period can’t exceed one month. “Fees for issuing a visit visa could increase by 100 percent from what was applied in the past,” sources added.

The new conditions include that the applicant promises that a visitor leaves the country immediately after the end of the visit period. If they do not leave, the resident who applied for their visa will be legally accountable and subjected to financial and administrative punishment, including permanently banning them from issuing a visit visa, sources said.