Kuwait makes health insurance mandatory for foreign residents & visitors from Dec 23: Fees & exemptions

Starting December 23, all foreigners entering or living in Kuwait will need to pay health insurance fees, as new regulations from the Ministry of Health take effect. Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi issued executive rules under Law No. 1 of 1999, clearly defining fees for residency and visit visas, exemptions, and special categories, ensuring a transparent and unified system.

Health insurance for entry and visit visas

Under the new regulations, foreigners applying for residency must pay a 5 dinar health insurance fee for eight visa types. These include employment in both the government and private sectors, commercial or industrial activities, family reunification, study, foreign investment, temporary government contracts, and temporary work in the oil sector.

For visit visas, fees follow the private sector health insurance system. Nine types of visit permits are covered: government visits, business visits, family visits, private visits, medical treatment visits, multiple entry visits, tourist visits, sports-related visits, and cultural or social visits. Additionally, a 5 dinar fee applies to transit visas, entry for transport drivers, emergency visas, and a newly introduced category.

Residency permits and sector specific fees

Health insurance for residency permits is set at 100 dinars for ten categories. These include government and private sector employees, foreign partners and investors, students, self-sponsored foreigners, property owners, certain former stateless residents (Bedouns) who now hold foreign passports, religious figures such as imams and preachers of Husseiniyas, and newly established residency categories.

Certain private-sector workers specifically benefit from reduced fees. Agricultural workers, fishermen, camel and sheep herders, and employees of dairy companies pay only 10 dinars under Article 18 of the law.

Domestic workers sponsored by Kuwaiti families are exempt for the first three employees. A 10 dinar fee applies from the fourth worker onward.

Family reunification and special cases

Family reunification carries a 100 dinar health insurance fee, depending on the sponsor’s residency status. It covers families of government and private sector employees, foreign partners and investors, students, self-sponsored residents, property owners, religious figures, and children of Kuwaiti women who acquired citizenship through dependency. The regulations also include specific provisions for spouses, children of former illegal residents, families of foreign martyrs, foreign spouses and children of Gulf citizens, and domestic workers sponsored by foreign families or diplomats.

Exemptions and clarifications

The regulations provide full exemptions from health insurance fees for the following nine categories, with the possibility of additional exemptions by ministerial decision:

• Foreign women married to Kuwaiti citizens
• Widowed or divorced Kuwaiti women with children
• Foreign children of Kuwaiti citizens
• Parents of Kuwaiti citizens
• Children of Kuwaiti women from foreign husbands
• Up to three domestic workers sponsored by Kuwaiti families
• Diplomatic missions and official delegations
• Bedouns, coordinated with the Central Agency for Illegal Residents
• Foreign newborns, exempt for four months until a passport is issued or the child leaves the country

Additional clarifications include:

• Exemptions apply only if the foreigner holds the specific residency permit outlined in the regulations
• Health insurance coverage is linked to the visa’s issuance date and duration, not the passport’s validity
• If a residency permit is reissued due to administrative error and an exemption is granted, any previously paid fees will be refunded.