Visas are granted on arrival to citizens of the USA, Australia, Canada and most EU countries with a passport valid for at least six months and proof of an onward ticket. Be warned though, you will be refused entry if your passport contains a visa or border stamp from Israel, Jordan or Egypt. Tourist visas are valid for one month and cost around eight Kuwaiti dinars, dependent on the exchange rate.

Health and Safety

No specific vaccinations are recommended for a visit to Kuwait, although routine shots should be kept up to date. In the case of an emergency, general hospitals can be used, but comprehensive travel/medical insurance gets you access to the cleaner private clinics. US citizens are advised to check the government’s travel warnings regularly due to the threat of soft-target terrorism in places frequented by Westerners.

Visitors planning to travel around rural desert areas and remote beaches are warned that undiscovered munitions from the First Gulf War are still causing injuries and deaths. Organized crime affecting visitors is rare, with common sense the best defense against pick pockets or muggings. Wandering down back-streets late at night should be avoided, and cultural differences, especially in dress, should be respected.

Health problems are mainly confined to travelers’ diarrhea from badly-cooked street food or local water, with bottled water the best way to go. Kuwait is one of the hottest countries in the world, with summer temperatures soaring over 120°F on occasion. Avoiding Wear sunscreen and stay hydrated to avoid heat stroke.