Family Visit Visa (sponsored entry permit): Sri Lankan citizen in United States → Kuwait
Sri Lankan citizens living in the United States are not on Kuwait's eVisa eligible-countries list, so a family visit runs on a sponsored entry permit — and this is identical wherever you live, including the US: a relative residing in Kuwait sponsors you and lodges the request with the General Department of Immigration, then sends you the issued entry permit. The permit is single entry, valid 30 days from issuance, with a stay of up to 30 days from entry; the fee is 10 KWD per month.
Kuwait's sponsored family visit entry permit — a relative residing in Kuwait sponsors your visit and lodges the request with the Ministry of Interior. Single entry, valid 30 days from issuance, stay up to 30 days from entry.
- Validity
- Entry permit valid 30 days from the date of issuance
- Entries
- Single entry
- Max stay per visit
- No more than 30 days from the date of entry
When to start
Start 14–30 days before your travel date.
Sri Lanka passport holders are not on Kuwait's official eligible-countries list for the tourist eVisa or visa on arrival, so a visit runs on a sponsored visit entry permit. For a family visit, a relative residing in Kuwait sponsors you and lodges the request — the Family Visit service issues an entry visa for relatives for visit purposes.
Your sponsor gathers the required documents and submits them to the General Department of Immigration in the relevant governorate, completing the designated service form. A recent salary certificate is required for a foreign sponsor employed in the government sector (or verification through the computerized system).
The prescribed fees are paid when the application is lodged. The family visit visa fee is 10 Kuwaiti Dinars per month of stay.
Once approved, your sponsor sends you the issued entry permit before you travel. The family visit entry permit is single entry, valid 30 days from issuance, and allows a stay of up to 30 days from the date of entry. If the entry permit details do not match your passport, it is invalid and you will not be allowed to enter.
What you'll need
- Valid passport — A copy of the visitor's passport, valid for no less than six months. ✓ verified
- Proof of kinship — Proof of the family relationship with your sponsor. Oath certificates issued by embassies are not recognised. ✓ verified
- Sponsor's salary certificate — A recent salary certificate for a foreign sponsor employed in the government sector, or verification through the computerized system, as applicable. ✓ verified·
- Sponsor's Civil ID — A copy of the sponsor's Kuwait Civil ID. ✓ verified
- Visit application form — The designated visit application form (MOI Immigration form), completed as part of the application. ✓ verified
Where you'll apply
There is no consular application to book from the United States — the process is the same regardless of your US residence and there is no US visa-centre step: your sponsor lodges the family visit request in Kuwait at the General Department of Immigration in the relevant governorate, and sends you the issued entry permit before you travel.
Fees
| Family visit visa fee | KWD 10 |
Gotchas to watch
- There is no tourist eVisa or visa on arrival for this nationality — a family visit needs a sponsor resident in Kuwait.
- Oath certificates issued by embassies are not accepted as proof of kinship.
- The entry permit is single entry, valid 30 days from issuance, with a stay of up to 30 days from entry.
- The visa holder is prohibited from working and must leave the country upon the expiration of the visit period.
- If the entry permit details do not match your passport, the permit is invalid and entry is refused.
- Overstaying the family visit visa costs 10 Kuwaiti Dinars per day.
