Everything You Need To Know About Kuwait’s Article 18 Travel Visa For Private Sector Workers

Published on August 27, 2025

Kuwait’s Private Sector Article 18 visa is an basal activity licence for overseas workers. For those readying to activity successful Kuwait, knowing nan steps to obtain, transfer, Article 18 visa is crucial. This guideline will break down nan visa process, talk nan eligibility criteria, explicate nan transportation process.

How to Obtain Kuwait’s Private Sector Article 18 Visa

The visa is typically sponsored by an employer successful nan backstage sector, and nan process is initiated by nan employer connected behalf of nan employee. The wide steps progressive successful obtaining nan Article 18 visa are arsenic follows:

1. Job Offer and Sponsorship: To begin, a overseas nationalist must unafraid a occupation connection from a registered private-sector institution successful Kuwait.
2. Work Permit Application: Once a valid occupation connection is obtained, nan employer applies for a activity licence connected behalf of nan overseas worker.
3. Medical Examination: Upon support of nan activity permit, nan overseas nationalist must acquisition a mandatory aesculapian introspection astatine an approved wellness halfway successful Kuwait.
4. Residence Permit: After clearing nan aesculapian examination, nan employee’s residence licence is processed.
5. Visa Stamping: The last measurement involves nan stamping of nan Article 18 visa into nan employee’s passport.

Eligibility Criteria for Article 18 Visa

There are respective cardinal eligibility requirements for overseas nationals wishing to use for an Article 18 visa. These requirements thief guarantee that only qualified individuals are granted support to activity successful nan backstage sector:

• Employer Sponsorship: The individual must person a confirmed occupation connection from a backstage assemblage employer successful Kuwait.
• Skills and Qualifications: The applicant must meet nan qualifications and accomplishment requirements outlined by nan employer.
• Health Screening: Foreign nationals must complete a aesculapian exam and beryllium declared free from infectious diseases.
• Criminal Background Check: A cleanable criminal grounds is different prerequisite.

The Transfer of Kuwait’s Article 18 Visa

One of nan defining characteristics of nan Article 18 visa is that it is transferable, meaning that an expatriate tin move employers without having to time off nan country. Below are nan basal steps progressive successful transferring an Article 18 visa:

1. Employer Approval: The first measurement successful transferring an Article 18 visa is obtaining nan existent employer’s approval.
2. New Employer Application: This includes archiving astir nan employee’s caller occupation and qualifications.
3. Exit from Current Sponsorship: The worker must exit their existent sponsorship. This typically involves a impermanent exit from Kuwait, allowing for nan visa transportation process to beryllium completed.
4. New Visa Stamping: Upon support of nan transportation request, nan employee’s visa specifications are updated pinch nan caller employer’s information.
5. Residency and Employment: After nan transportation is complete, nan worker is free to proceed moving pinch nan caller employer.

Kuwait’s Article 18 Visa and Global Mobility

While Kuwait’s Article 18 visa provides important employment opportunities, it’s important to understand its domiciled successful nan world mobility context. Traveling extracurricular nan state depends connected nan mobility of their location country’s passport. If nan expatriate holds a passport from a state pinch constricted visa-free access, it whitethorn effect their expertise to recreation abroad.

However, nan visa itself ensures that expatriates tin unrecorded and activity successful Kuwait, which remains a cardinal destination for skilled overseas workers seeking opportunities successful nan Gulf.

Navigating nan Article 18 Visa Process

Understanding really to get and transportation this visa is captious for workers looking to build a profession successful Kuwait’s backstage sector. For those considering a profession successful Kuwait, nan elasticity of transferring nan visa provides further occupation mobility, allowing expatriates to research amended opportunities wrong nan state without losing their ineligible status.

By pursuing nan outlined processes and knowing its domiciled successful world mobility, expatriates tin confidently navigate their travel to moving successful Kuwait and lend to nan country’s continued maturation and prosperity.