Kuwait Housing Fees GCC Visa
Kuwait Launches Major Housing Projects, Raises Service Fees, and Opens GCC Visa on Arrival
KUWAIT CITY – Kuwait has unveiled an ambitious plan to build new cities covering more than 300 hectares (740 acres), marking the first initiative under a landmark real estate law that allows private investment in the country’s housing sector.
The move comes as oil-rich Kuwait struggles to meet the growing housing needs of its 1.5 million citizens. More than 100,000 people remain on a government waiting list for homes, with many waiting years. The state currently provides housing for all Kuwaiti families.
According to the Official Gazette, the projects will be developed under a 2023 law enabling the government to partner with local and foreign private companies. These partnerships will design, finance, build, operate, and maintain residential units over 30-year contracts, including four years for construction. Non-residential facilities will eventually revert to government control.
New Service Fee Structure
In a parallel development, Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced plans to introduce or increase fees for 67 government services, many of which were previously free. The step follows a Cabinet directive to align service charges with economic policy.
Among the changes:
Applications to establish companies, currently free, will now cost KD20, even for non-profit organizations.
Temporary commercial licenses will see steep hikes — a license for a temporary real estate or jewelry showroom will rise from KD30 to KD500.
Fees for amendments such as capital changes, partner replacements, dissolutions, trade name updates, and management changes will increase by 25%.
Accounting licenses will go up from KD150 to KD200, while company renewals and board member certificates will also rise by 25%.
Representation at general assemblies will increase from KD100 to KD125, and ration card fees will double from KD5 to KD10.
Officials say the new pricing structure is designed to reflect actual costs and support fiscal reforms.
Visa-on-Arrival for GCC Residents
Meanwhile, Kuwait has eased entry rules for foreign residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah announced that GCC residents can now obtain a tourist visa on arrival at all Kuwaiti entry points.
The visas, valid for 90 days, require applicants to hold a residency permit in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, or Bahrain, valid for at least six months.
The decision, published in the Kuwait Al-Youm gazette, replaces a 2008 rule that restricted visa-on-arrival access to certain professions, such as doctors and engineers. The new policy potentially opens Kuwait to around 25 million foreign residents across the GCC.
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