Kuwait to extend migrant, travel visas for expatriates
The Kuwaiti government has stopped flights to several countries for seven days as part of its plan to prevent further cases of coronavirus
In tandem with the ongoing effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus all over the world, Kuwait has also taken various measures considering the maximum security of its citizens and the country.
The Kuwaiti government has stopped flights to several countries for seven days as part of its plan to prevent further cases of coronavirus.
As a result, citizens of those countries – migrant workers and expatriates in Kuwait who went to their home countries on vacation – have been worried if they could enter the country if their residency permits expired in the meantime.
However, the Kuwaiti government has addressed the issue.
Kuwaiti newspaper Arab Times reports that the government has decided to extend the visa and travel visa period for expatriate workers from 17 countries.
Assistant Adviser at the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry Major General Talal Marafi said the decision was made in coordination with the Ministries of Interior and Health and the General Authority for Civil Information.
For expatriates outside Kuwait, representatives of their companies and the sponsors can apply for visa extension to the Ministry of Manpower and Employment with valid copies of their passports, he added.
This applies for the following countries: Bangladesh, India, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Thailand, Italy, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.
"The concerned ministry of the Kuwaiti government has assured us that expatriates currently out of the country on vacation who are unable to return due to flight suspensions will not face any problems returning once flights are resumed, even if their Iqama [residence permit] expire," said Mohammad Anisuzzaman, the counsellor and head of chancery at the Bangladeshi Embassy in Kuwait.
