Kuwait Now Accepts the United States Emergency Passport
Kuwait accepts U.S. emergency passports for entry and exit to Kuwait as of May 1, 2018. The following conditions apply to U.S. citizens intending to enter or exit with a U.S. emergency passport:
- The bearer of a U.S. emergency passport will be admitted only as a visitor.
- The U.S. emergency passport must have at least 6-months’ validity.
- The bearer of a U.S. emergency passport is eligible to receive a temporary residency (Article 14) or exit permit (Article 1) only.
- The bearer of a U.S. emergency passport shall not receive residency or transfer of residency upon arrival in the country.
For U.S. citizens who are full-time residents of Kuwait and enter on the U.S. emergency passport, you will be admitted to Kuwait as a visitor, whether you obtain a visa on arrival or an e-visa prior to arrival. You will have 30 days from your date of entry to obtain a new regular U.S. passport. Please note that the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait requires two weeks to process your new passport application from the date of your application appointment.
After you obtain a new regular U.S. passport, please report your prior residence permit as lost or stolen and obtain a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Interior’s (MOI) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) – Residency Affairs (RA). You can then apply for a new residence permit in your new, full-validity regular U.S. passport at the MOI RA office covering your residence in Kuwait.
Though the emergency passport may now be accepted for entry to Kuwait under these conditions, the Department of State strongly recommends all U.S. citizen travelers to be in possession of a regular full-validity passport before they travel, and U.S. citizens must still comply fully with Kuwait’s laws, including regulations on entry and exit to and from Kuwait. U.S. citizens may still be denied entry or exit by Kuwait immigration authorities under these regulations and outside of U.S. Embassy control.
For further information:
- Visit the State Department’s travel website for Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Kuwait’s Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait at 00-(965) 2259-1001 or 00-(965) 2538-6562 or by fax: 00-(965) 2538-0282.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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