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Kuwait visa transfer rules and what to expect

Do you want to experience a new working environment? Are you planning to leave your current job and look for other opportunity? Do you want to expand your growth? Reading the following article might give you a basic idea about the rules and procedure of release.

What is Visa 17?

Visa 17 is residency visa for public sector expatriate. Visa 17 is not transferable.

What is Visa 18?

Visa 18 is residency visa for private sector expatriate. With visa 18, you can live and work in Kuwait. Visa 18 is provided by employers to immigrants to get permission to live as residents legally. Visa 18 is also known as Kuwait shoon visa. Visa 18 is transferable.

What is Visa 20?

Visa 20 is residency visa issued to laborers and domestic worker. Visa 20 is not transferable.

Like any organization there are rules and regulation you must follow in order to work and live legally in another country. Some of them are as listed below:

1. 1. At the start of the job, you will sign two types of contract. One contract is as per the Kuwait Labor Law (Article 44) states that you must inform you company 3 months before leaving. Second contract states that you cannot leave before completing your contract duration.

2. If you come to Kuwait in visa sponsored by an organization/company, then you should work a minimum of three years in the same company. You are allowed to leave the company before three years depending on what is agreed on your contract.

3. If you have been hired locally in Kuwait, then you can request a release signed under Kuwait Labor Law before completing one year.

4. You can leave anytime if you are under 100 days’ probation period.

Some laws (Kuwait Shoon visa):

Before applying for transfer there are requirements that must be obtained, some of them are

1. Employee must have minimum 3 years of working experience with the current company.

2. Employee should have no objections (NOC) from the current organization.

3. Employee should have valid permission/release from the current company.

4. Employee must not have illegal involvement.

5. Employee should have valid civil ID until requesting for transferring the residency visa.

How to get release?

According to the Kuwait Labor Law (Article 18) civil sector, an employee can transfer their residence to another sponsor. They can request transfer paper also known as Kafala from the new company they are applying with documents such as passport copy, civil id copy, work permit, signature of authorized personnel, residency copy and other as per the requirement. Then they can submit the transfer paper to the old company they are leaving.

Once the employee gets the release paper they can submit the release paper to the new company including two passport size photographs and health insurance certificate.

Some laws (Government Project Visa):

1. While you are working under a government project visa you are not allowed to transfer your residence until the project is complete.

2. You can request transfer only if there is another similar government projects with different sponsor.

3. The government project visa transfer may cost around 200KD within same sponsor and 300KD with different sponsor of another government project.

How to get release from government project visa?

To get the release paper form a government project visa is somewhat similar to private company visa.

First you will request transfer paper from the company that you are applying for, transfer paper also known as Kafala. You will be required to attach documents such as passport copy, civil id copy, work permit, signature of authorized personnel, residency copy and other as per the requirement. Then submit it to the old company.

As you can transfer visa only to another project from the same sponsor or another government project visa of different sponsor you will be required to pay charges of 200KD in case of same sponsor or 300KD in case of different sponsor.

Once you receive the release paper, you can submit it to your new company along with two passport size photographs and health insurance certificate.