Studying in Kuwait can be an excellent opportunity if you are looking to experience rich culture and traditions. Universities here also offer affordable and a wide variety of academic programs while highlighting the country’s strength in the petroleum industry. As such, work opportunities here are plentiful, even for ex-pats. Being a student in Kuwaiti university can your entrance to its corporate world.
Before you can start your studies in Kuwait, you’ll need to secure a student visa. Usually, you can apply for an electronic visa to visit here, but this permit is only valid for three months. Since you’ll need to stay longer than that to complete your degree, make sure you know how to get a student visa in Kuwait.
What documents do you need to apply for a student visa in Kuwait?
When preparing for your student visa application in Kuwait, make sure to create a checklist of the following documents:
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Accomplished visa application form from the Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- One passport-sized photo
- HIV test result
- Health certificate from a local doctor confirming you’re in good health and have no contagious disease.
- Chest X-ray for Tuberculosis
- Lab results on Hepatitis B and C, Malaria, Syphilis, and Filariasis
- Certification of No Criminal Record
- Acceptance or Confirmation letter from your host university in Kuwait
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover living expenses during your stay in Kuwait
- Proof of accommodation
How much money do you need for a Kuwait Student Visa?
You’ll need to shell out around $175, paid through cash, company check, or money order to apply for a student visa. Besides the application fee, you also need to prepare for your living expenses as it is one of the requirements to get a student visa. You can prepare for the following costs before applying for a student visa.
- Accommodation: $170 to $500 per month
- Food: $160 to $300 per month
- Transportation: $1 to $3 per ride
- Internet: $20
In some universities in Kuwait, you might need to pay for a tuition deposit or settle the entire balance before getting your acceptance letter, which you will need to apply for Kuwait student visa. For the enrollment deposit on tuition fees, the amount ranges between $300 to $990. Additionally, the per credit hour costs range between $660 to $910.
Check Also: Available Programs for International Students
Steps on Applying for a Student Visa in Kuwait
1. Send Your Application to a Kuwaiti University
Becoming an international student in Kuwait starts with your university application. Besides this purpose, choosing a Kuwaiti university can pretty much determine the quality of your stay in this country. Some of the top choices among international students are:
The application for these universities typically involves checking your course eligibilities, creating an online account in the admission portal, and sending supporting documents. There are also some options to connect with an admission advisor to guide you through the process, including visa application.
Through the admission steps, you’ll need to highlight your academic achievements and potential. Doing this can increase your chances of scoring a spot in your chosen school. Applications here can be highly competitive, accepting only the most promising students.
2. Complete Admission Process
The admission process fully determines which international students will be accepted or otherwise. As you will be gauged based on your academic history depicted in your submitted documents, make sure to submit your complete university application.
After receiving the confirmation of university acceptance, you’ll need to complete your admission by submitting any required documents or payments. Doing this can help you obtain your acceptance letter from the university, which you will need to apply for a student visa for Kuwait. Also, some universities offer assistance in visa application, particularly the proof of residency requirement.
3. Coordinate with the University Regarding Visa Application
At this point, you’ll be working to getting a permit to enter Kuwait and start your studies. Even if you’ve already your letter of acceptance from a university, you will still need to apply for a student visa. A prerequisite to this is to confirm with the university how to proceed with the visa application.
You can reach out to an admission officer in your host university to know how best to proceed with your Kuwait student visa application. This way, you can also confirm if you need to pay for the full tuition or provide a deposit before sending your visa application.
For example, the Gulf University for Science and Technology assists international students with their Kuwaiti residency. But you’ll also need to pay for the total fees for the entire academic year, equivalent to two semesters, before you can receive your visa.
Additionally, incomplete admission documents may also result in a rejected visa application. So, make sure to complete these, and when in doubt, contact the university admission office.
4. Contact Kuwaiti Embassy in Your Country
Like in most countries, you’ll need to go through the Kuwait embassy for your student visa application in your home country. While your host university can provide you information about applying, ultimately, your visa approval still depends on your submitted documents to the embassy.
Make sure to contact the embassy of Kuwait in your country to confirm the:
- Required documents
- Application fees
- Submission by appointment
- Processing time
You can also check with the embassy if you need to submit the documents in person, or you can do so by mail. If you need to do the former, you can also check with the embassy hotline if there are some strict regulations you need to follow during your visit there.
You can check out the list of diplomatic missions of Kuwait here.
5. Submit Complete Requirements to the Embassy
After confirming with the embassy everything, you need to submit for your Kuwait student visa application, make sure to organize those in a checklist. Complete those documents the soonest time possible, so you have sufficient time to fly to Kuwait, settle in, and attend the new student orientation at your host university.
You can also prepare for your long-term stay in Kuwait by looking over essential information. The official website shows an overview of how living in Kuwait is through the following information:
- Population
- Currency
- Climate
- Customs and traditions
In case of emergencies during your stay in Kuwait, you can reach out to proper authorities through these hotlines.
We hope that this article on how to apply for a student visa in Kuwait was helpful. If you’re interested in studying abroad make sure to check out the Available Programs for International Students!
