Skip to content

Kuwaiti visa resources

Sponsorship and the Iqama System

How Kuwait's kafala sponsorship model and the iqama residency permit work.

Official guidance Regularly updated

Important

This information is for general guidance only. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee your application will be approved.

Kuwait operates a sponsorship (kafala) system: a foreign national's right to live and work is tied to a sponsor (kafeel), usually an employer for work routes or a resident family member for dependants.

The iqama is the residency permit that legalises stay. For employment, the Public Authority for Manpower issues the work permit and the Ministry of Interior issues the corresponding residency permit. Recent reforms have lengthened maximum residency periods and attached mandatory health insurance to residency.

Because status is sponsor-linked, changing employer, losing sponsorship, or letting an iqama lapse can affect a person's legal right to remain in Kuwait.

Next steps

  1. Check the documents you’ll needView documents
  2. How to applyStart here
  3. Choose your visaFind a visa

Official sources

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official government sources.

Verified against official sources · last reviewed 2026-08-21. Information only — not legal advice.