logo
Kuwait launches visit visa portal

Kuwait launches visit visa portal

Kuwait Timesa day ago
Foreigners, residents, companies can apply online for four types of entry permits
KUWAIT: The interior ministry on Wednesday launched the Kuwait Visa platform allowing foreigners to apply online for four types of visas to visit Kuwait. The portal was also launched on the government's communication center website. The portal enables foreign individuals to apply online for a tourist e-visa to visit the country for tourism and entertainment, which is valid for 90 days from the date of entry.
This type of visa is issued only to nationals who are allowed to enter Kuwait by obtaining visas on arrival, like a majority of European countries, the US, some Asian countries, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is also issued to foreign nationals who are residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
The second type is the family visit visa, which is issued to families to join their relatives in Kuwait. It can be issued only through a relative with an official residency in Kuwait and is available to all nationals. It is valid for 30 days.
Business visas are issued to individuals who wish to visit Kuwait for business purposes, the platform states. It is issued through local companies to host business partners, organize business meetings and sign contracts. It can be issued through hotels and major corporations and is valid for 30 days. The last type is the government visit visa issued to officials of foreign countries and hosted by the government of Kuwait. It is issued through government bodies in accordance with specific diplomatic protocols and is valid for 30 days.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Asian shares mostly higher after Trump says he discussed firing Fed Chair Powell
Asian shares mostly higher after Trump says he discussed firing Fed Chair Powell

Arab Times

time19 hours ago

  • Arab Times

Asian shares mostly higher after Trump says he discussed firing Fed Chair Powell

BANGKOK, July 17, (AP): World shares were mostly higher Thursday while US futures were mixed after President Donald Trump rocked Wall Street by saying he had "talked about the concept of firing' the head of the Federal Reserve, but was unlikely to do so. Removing Fed Chair Jerome Powell might help Wall Street get the lower interest rates investors love but would also risk a weakened Fed unable to make the unpopular moves needed to keep inflation under control. In early European trading, Germany's DAX gained 0.8% to 24,209.08, while the CAC 40 in Paris also rose 0.8%, to 7,785.91. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.4% to 8,960.99. The future for the S&P 500 edged 0.1% higher, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1%. Asian markets also were mostly higher. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.6% to 39,901.19 after the government reported a trade deficit for the first half of the year as Japan's exports to the United States took a hit from Trump's tariffs. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed early gains to close down 0.1% at 24,498.95, while the Shanghai Composite index gained 0.4% to 3,516.83. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.9% to 8,639.00. In South Korea, the Kospi climbed 0.2% to 3,192.29. India's Sensex lost 0.3% while the SET in Bangkok jumped 3.3% on strong gains for market heavyweights like Airports of Thailand and Delta Electronics. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Dow industrials added 0.5%. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.3% to a fresh record of 20,730.49. Stocks were rising modestly in the morning before news reports saying that Trump was likely to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell quickly sent the S&P 500 down by 0.7%. When later asked directly if he was planning to fire Powell, Trump said, "I don't rule out anything, but I think it's highly unlikely.' That helped calm the market, and stocks erased their losses, though Trump added that he could still fire Powell if "he has to leave for fraud.' Trump has been criticizing a $2.5 billion renovation project of the Fed's headquarters. Trump is unhappy that the Fed has not cut interest rates this year, a move that would have made it easier for U.S. households and businesses to get loans to buy houses, build factories and otherwise boost the economy.

Kuwait launches visit visa portal
Kuwait launches visit visa portal

Kuwait Times

timea day ago

  • Kuwait Times

Kuwait launches visit visa portal

Foreigners, residents, companies can apply online for four types of entry permits KUWAIT: The interior ministry on Wednesday launched the Kuwait Visa platform allowing foreigners to apply online for four types of visas to visit Kuwait. The portal was also launched on the government's communication center website. The portal enables foreign individuals to apply online for a tourist e-visa to visit the country for tourism and entertainment, which is valid for 90 days from the date of entry. This type of visa is issued only to nationals who are allowed to enter Kuwait by obtaining visas on arrival, like a majority of European countries, the US, some Asian countries, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is also issued to foreign nationals who are residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The second type is the family visit visa, which is issued to families to join their relatives in Kuwait. It can be issued only through a relative with an official residency in Kuwait and is available to all nationals. It is valid for 30 days. Business visas are issued to individuals who wish to visit Kuwait for business purposes, the platform states. It is issued through local companies to host business partners, organize business meetings and sign contracts. It can be issued through hotels and major corporations and is valid for 30 days. The last type is the government visit visa issued to officials of foreign countries and hosted by the government of Kuwait. It is issued through government bodies in accordance with specific diplomatic protocols and is valid for 30 days.

EU sets stage for big battle over long-term budget
EU sets stage for big battle over long-term budget

Kuwait Times

timea day ago

  • Kuwait Times

EU sets stage for big battle over long-term budget

BRUSSELS: The European Commission will kickstart two years of tense negotiations when it unveils its proposal Wednesday for the EU's long-term budget including funding reforms that risk renewed confrontation with farmers. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has to balance a growing list of priorities including bolstering the bloc's security, ramping up Europe's competitiveness to keep up with US and Chinese rivals, countering climate change and paying debts due from 2028. And all of this against a backdrop of soaring trade tensions with the European Union's biggest commercial partner, the United States. The 2028-2034 budget could be worth 1.7 trillion euros, with the commission creating an umbrella 'competitiveness fund' worth over 500 billion euros, EU officials said—but with discussions ongoing, this could change. Von der Leyen could also announce a fund for Ukraine, worth up to 100 billion euros. One of the biggest challenges ahead will be over the size of the budget, as the EU's biggest—and richest—countries want to avoid paying more. But unlike in the previous budget, the EU has debts due from the COVID pandemic, when states teamed up to borrow 800 billion euros to support the bloc's economy. These are estimated to cost 25-30 billion euros a year from 2028. The European Parliament has made it clear that an increase will be necessary. 'We believe that the union cannot do more with the same amount or less. So we believe that in the end, an increase of the budget will be unavoidable,' said Siegfried Muresan, the EU lawmaker who will lead negotiations on behalf of parliament. The previous 2021-2027 budget was worth around 1.2 trillion euros ($1.4 trillion) and made up from national contributions—around one percent of the member states' gross national income—and money collected by the EU such as customs duties. Von der Leyen plans to propose new ways of raising money including taxes on large companies in Europe with annual net turnover of more than 50 million euros, according to a draft document seen by AFP. An area of fierce debate will be the large farming subsidies that make up the biggest share of the budget, known as the common agricultural policy (CAP). Brussels plans to integrate it into a new major 'national and regional partnership' fund, according to another document—which farmers fear will mean less support. The CAP accounts for almost a third of the current seven-year budget—around 387 billion euros, of which 270 billion euros are directly paid to farmers. Centralizing 'funding into a single fund may offer some budgetary flexibility, but it risks dissolving' the CAP with 'fewer guarantees', pan-European farmers' group Copa-Cogeca has said. Farmers will put pressure on the commission from the outset, with hundreds expected to protest outside the building in Brussels on Wednesday. That will raise fears in Brussels after protests broke out last year across Europe by farmers angry over cheap imports, low margins and the burden of environmental rules. Muresan, who belongs to the biggest parliamentary group, the centre-right EPP, urged the same level of funding for the CAP, 'adjusted for inflation'. The commission has stressed the CAP will continue with its own rules and financial resources, especially direct aid to farmers. Brussels could however propose reviewing how CAP payments are calculated to better target beneficiaries. For example, the commission wants to cap aid per hectare at 100,000 euros—a thorny issue unlikely to garner much support. Facing new costs and competing challenges, the EU wants to tap new sources of funding—fast. In one document, the commission suggests the bloc take a share from higher tobacco excise duties and a new tax on non-recycled electronic waste. Such a move, however, is 'neither stable nor sufficient', according to centrist EU lawmaker Fabienne Keller, critical of giving new tasks to Brussels 'without the necessary means to accomplish them'. Wednesday's proposal will launch difficult talks over the budget and is expected to 'as usual, end with five days of negotiations' between EU capitals, an official said. — AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store