Visitor's visa - Aussies or Kiwis especially

Hi all

Has anyone entered Kuwait on an Australian or NZ passport lately? I've been trying to find out whether the airport immigration are granting 1 month or 3 months visitors visas upon arrival to those nationalities. 

CThe context: The Kuwait Embassy in Canberra website states that visitors will get one month (non-renewable) but other intelligence suggests to me that upon arrival the airport staff usually grant 3 months (renewable).

This is really important to me at the moment so if anyone has enetered lately, eg, within the last couple of months, please let me know what you were granted. Even if you are not an Aussie or a Kiwi but you entered as a visitor, pelase feel free to post.

Thanks a lot.

either way, whether its 1 month or 3, all you need to do to renew it is travel out of kuwait and return on the date of expiry, usually to a close by location such as bahrain for example, cheap flight, and upon arrival, you can stamp yourself in for a return.

Thanks for that post. I'm pretty confident that it should be 3 months - but then again it's written in red font ont he Canberra Embasy's website so its not to be taken lightly.

I thought it would be possible to go out and renew but it would be quite a hassle if that were to be a monthly occurrence. And besides, the immigration official might look at you twice if you keep leaving and entering every month.

Thanks again. if any one has had a passport stamped lately please let me know what you got. All responses are most appreciated.

Hey mate :)

We have recently entered Kuwait on New Zealand passports. We received visit visa on arrival valid for 3 months!! So you should be sweet!
Are you coming here to teach English?

Hi Kopra
Thanks for your post. That's good news. No, not coming to teach English. Just having some visa issues and needed some reassurance.  Thanks again for posting. 

By the way, did they ask for proof of your return tickets at the airport? And what was the whole immigration process at the airport like?

Kiwi2Kuwait: to be honest we didnt buy return tickets. I hear that people buy return tickets because the airline in the departure city i.e. Auckland sometime check. But our travel agent told us not to waste your money as our airline never checks for a return ticket when boarding.

Are you coming here to work? It will probly be best if you get the work permit sorted now as when you come here on visit visa and then want to switch to a work permit you will have to go out of the country and come back again. Most people go to Bahrain/Dubai and come back.
I personally came here on a work permit, but then the family followed on a 90 visit visa which I am about to change it to Dependant Visa. Will let you know how the process goes.

Hope this helps. If you have any queries feel free to post here or message me.


Cheers

Here's an update for anyone following this thread: we arrived a couple of days ago and my family members were given 3 months visitors visas at the airport. I have to say that it seemed to be a decision made on the spot: we heard one officer say to her superior "should I give them one month or three" and he replied "give them two, no give them three".  Our perception: it was at the discretion of the guy on the spot. 

Anyway, the long and the short of it is that we got 3 months.  End of story. I thought I would post this just in case anyone else is wondering about this matter.

Now...finding somewhere to live.