What you need to enter Kuwait with a New Zealand passport
New Zealand citizens need a visa for Kuwait, but they can get it on arrival at the border.
- Visa-on-arrival fee
- 3 KWD
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 23 September 2026
Verified practical details
You can get your visa on arrival in Kuwait, but it's worth preparing the paperwork ahead of time:
Authorisation system
Visa on arrival or Ministry of Interior electronic visa
Nationalities eligible for a visa on arrival can get it at Kuwait International Airport or online on the Ministry of Interior website, for tourist stays of up to 90 days. When entering overland from Iraq or Saudi Arabia, get it beforehand. Tourist and visit visas do not allow work.
Apply on the official site →Visa, e-Visa, or electronic authorisation? What's the difference →
Fee
3 KWD
Price of the visa at the airport or online from the Ministry of Interior website, according to Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 3 Kuwaiti dinars, about 9.5 euros.
Required documents
- Passport valid for at least six months.
- Return or onward ticket and proof of accommodation, such as a hotel booking.
- Entry has been refused to holders of passports with Israeli stamps.
- Anyone leaving on a different document from the one used to enter (after renewal, loss or theft) first needs an exit permit from the Kuwaiti police.
Transit rules
If the layover means changing terminals you have to leave the international zone and enter Kuwait, however briefly. Since September 2023 foreigners with unpaid traffic fines or water, electricity or phone bills are not allowed to leave.
More Kuwait rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Kuwait page:
Official portal: https://www.moi.gov.kw/. Destination data verified on 23 September 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (travel advice of Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation for Kuwait, updated 10 June 2026: advice to postpone travel, passport validity, green booklet, Israeli stamps, visa on arrival or online for 3 dinars, fines for an expired visa, transit with a change of terminal, exit with unpaid debts, alcohol and pork ban, declaration from 3,000 dinars); gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/kuwait (UK Government: ticket and accommodation at the border, certified declaration, deportation for failing to declare); moi.gov.kw (Ministry of Interior); who.int (WHO) and sanidad.gob.es (Spain's Ministry of Health, "Listado de países"): no yellow fever requirement. All checked on 23 September 2026.
This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Kuwait need an electronic travel authorisation to enter New Zealand. See the Kuwait → New Zealand page.
With a passport from New Zealand, in the rest of Western Asia you can enter Armenia, Cyprus, Georgia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Turkey and United Arab Emirates visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria; you need a visa for Yemen.
A passport from New Zealand ranks 32 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 157 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do New Zealand citizens need a visa for Kuwait?
Yes, but you can obtain it directly upon arrival at Kuwait's entry point.
What minimum passport validity is required?
Passport valid for at least six months.
What currency is used in Kuwait?
Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD).
What do New Zealand passport holders need for the countries near Kuwait?
With a passport from New Zealand, in the rest of Western Asia you can enter Armenia, Cyprus, Georgia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Turkey and United Arab Emirates visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria; you need a visa for Yemen.
Related pages
See Kuwait requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.