Kuwait · Spouse visas
Kuwait Dependant of a worker
Family joining visa and residence for dependants of a resident worker (Article 22)
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Dependant of a worker is a spouse visas route for Kuwait. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
Time and long term
RenewalRenewal rules
Under the 2024 residency law, a regular residence permit is issued for no more than five years.
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The sponsor is a resident employed in the government sector or the private sector.
- If the sponsor holds Article 24 residence, the Director General or Assistant Director General decides the application at his discretion.
- The government portal’s service page states a minimum sponsor salary of KWD 450 (≈ $1,450) under Ministerial Resolutions 1212/2004 and 3384/2016, with 15 professions exempt.
- Ministerial Decree 957 of 2019 sets a monthly salary of at least KWD 500 (≈ $1,610) for a resident who brings family from abroad (Article 29) and exempts 14 listed professions from the salary condition (Article 30).
What you must show1
- Two official sources state the sponsor’s minimum salary differently: KWD 450 (≈ $1,450) on the government portal page and KWD 500 (≈ $1,610) a month in Ministerial Decree 957 of 2019.
Documents5
- Entry visa application form and a copy of the dependant’s passport valid for at least two years.
- Copy of the sponsor’s Civil ID and proof of kinship: a passport copy is enough for Arab nationals; others need a certificate from their embassy.
- Work permit for private-sector sponsors or salary certificate for government-sector sponsors.
- A sponsor who holds Article 19 residence adds a copy of the licence or the company contract.
- Marriage contract for a spouse, health insurance, medical fitness certificate and criminal record certificate for adults.
Steps2
- The sponsor applies at the General Department of Immigration; the fixed fee for the family entry visa is KWD 10 (≈ $32).
- The sponsor signs the residence application after arrival and keeps the dependant’s health insurance valid.
When you become tax resident
How Kuwait decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
The charge turns on carrying on business through activity in Kuwait, not on days of presence.
- Income tax
Kuwait’s income tax decree, as amended in 2008, taxes bodies corporate carrying on business in Kuwait at 15% of net taxable income and contains no income tax on individuals’ salaries.
All tax rules for Kuwait Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Marriage contract for a spouse, health insurance, medical fitness certificate and criminal record certificate for adults
- Police certificate and civil documents
Marriage contract for a spouse, health insurance, medical fitness certificate and criminal record certificate for adults
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Entry visa and dependent residence for the family of a resident worker whose salary meets the ministerial minimum, sponsored by the worker. 1 2 3 4
Requirements
- The sponsor is a resident employed in the government sector or the private sector. 1
- If the sponsor holds Article 24 residence, the Director General or Assistant Director General decides the application at his discretion. 1
- The government portal’s service page states a minimum sponsor salary of KWD 450 (≈ $1,450) under Ministerial Resolutions 1212/2004 and 3384/2016, with 15 professions exempt. 1
- Ministerial Decree 957 of 2019 sets a monthly salary of at least KWD 500 (≈ $1,610) for a resident who brings family from abroad (Article 29) and exempts 14 listed professions from the salary condition (Article 30). 4
- Two official sources state the sponsor’s minimum salary differently: KWD 450 (≈ $1,450) on the government portal page and KWD 500 (≈ $1,610) a month in Ministerial Decree 957 of 2019. 1 4
- Entry visa application form and a copy of the dependant’s passport valid for at least two years. 1
- Copy of the sponsor’s Civil ID and proof of kinship: a passport copy is enough for Arab nationals; others need a certificate from their embassy. 1
- Work permit for private-sector sponsors or salary certificate for government-sector sponsors. 1
- A sponsor who holds Article 19 residence adds a copy of the licence or the company contract. 1
- Marriage contract for a spouse, health insurance, medical fitness certificate and criminal record certificate for adults. 2
- The sponsor applies at the General Department of Immigration; the fixed fee for the family entry visa is KWD 10 (≈ $32). 1
- The sponsor signs the residence application after arrival and keeps the dependant’s health insurance valid. 2
Stay
- Residence follows the sponsor’s status and is renewed on application.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Fine print
Two official sources give different minimum salaries for the sponsor. The government portal’s service page states KWD 450 (≈ $1,450) under Ministerial Resolutions 1212/2004 and 3384/2016; Ministerial Decree 957 of 2019, issued later under the old residency law, states KWD 500 (≈ $1,610) a month. Ask the General Department of Residency which figure is applied now.
Official sources
- Entrance Visa to Join a Provider for Employees in the Government and Civil Sectors · Ministry of Interior of Kuwait, through Kuwait Government Online · checked 2026-10-12
- Family Joining Residence Article 22 · Ministry of Interior of Kuwait, through Kuwait Government Online · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration and Travel: visa and residence permit services · Ministry of Interior of Kuwait, through Kuwait Government Online · checked 2026-10-11
- Ministerial Decree No. 957 of 2019: Executive Regulations of the Foreigners Residence Law (Kuwait Al-Youm, supplement to issue 1467, 21 October 2019) · Ministry of Interior, General Department of Residency · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2019-10-21
- Amiri decree issued new law concerning foreigners’ residency (Decree-Law 114/2024) · Amiri Diwan of the State of Kuwait · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2024-11-28
Dependant of a worker and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dependant of a worker | – | – | – |
| Spouse of a citizen | – | – | – |
| Spouse of a permanent resident Thailand | – | 3 mo, renewable | – |
| Spouse of a citizen Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Spouse of a stay permit holder Indonesia | – | – | No |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Dependant of a worker?
Residence follows the sponsor’s status and is renewed on application.
How are Dependant of a worker holders taxed in Kuwait?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Dependant of a worker. The standard rules apply: Kuwait’s income tax decree, as amended in 2008, taxes bodies corporate carrying on business in Kuwait at 15% of net taxable income and contains no income tax on individuals’ salaries.
More in Kuwait
Spouse and partner visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 5 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Entrance Visa to Join a Provider for Employees in the Government and Civil Sectors · Ministry of Interior of Kuwait, through Kuwait Government Online · checked 2026-10-12
- Family Joining Residence Article 22 · Ministry of Interior of Kuwait, through Kuwait Government Online · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration and Travel: visa and residence permit services · Ministry of Interior of Kuwait, through Kuwait Government Online · checked 2026-10-11
- Ministerial Decree No. 957 of 2019: Executive Regulations of the Foreigners Residence Law (Kuwait Al-Youm, supplement to issue 1467, 21 October 2019) · Ministry of Interior, General Department of Residency · checked 2026-10-12
- Amiri decree issued new law concerning foreigners’ residency (Decree-Law 114/2024) · Amiri Diwan of the State of Kuwait · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.