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For travel to the EU, citizens from the Gulf and permanent residents in the Gulf require a Visa. Depending on the destination, it will either be a Schengen Visa or a national Visa.

Which Countries Issue Schengen Visas?

Today, 25 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania), and Norway, Iceland,Lichtenstein and Switzerland issue Schengen visas. With a Schengen visa, you can enter one country and travel throughout the Schengen zone freely.

Where can one apply for the Schengen Visa?

If you intend to visit one Schengen Member State only, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that specific Member State. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination, you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry.

New Entry/Exit System (EES) to be operational as of 10 November 2024

A new modern Entry/Exit System (EES) will greatly facilitate entry to the Schengen Area for all international travellers as it will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time consuming.

On their first trip to the Schengen Area after 10 November, all non-EU citizens, including Kuwaiti visitors, traveling to European countries will have their biometric data collected on arrival. Passport control officers will scan fingerprints and take a photo of their face. The passport will not be stamped. The information collected will be added to the EES database which will facilitate the entry to the Schengen area on subsequent trips. Persons holding a biometric passport, will be able to enter more quickly using the self-service system (if available at that border crossing point). The system will electronically register entries, exits and entry refusals. It will also identify overstayers. The Entry/Exit System does not replace the requirement to hold a valid Schengen visa, as it only facilitates the border crossing but does not change the entry requirements.

European countries using the EES system are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In Cyprus and Ireland, despite being countries of the European Union, passports will still be stamped manually. For further information and exceptions where the EES does not apply please check the following website: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en 

European Commission adopts more favourable Schengen visa rules for Kuwaitis

The European Commission adopted on 8 September 2023 specific rules on the issuing of multiple entry visas to Kuwaiti nationals, which are more favourable than the generic rules that applied to date. This new visa ‘cascade’ regime for Kuwaiti nationals applying for Schengen visas in Kuwait will see all eligible applicants, including first-time travellers, being issued with visas valid for 5 years, if the passport validity allows. 

According to the newly adopted visa “cascade” regime for Kuwait, Kuwaiti nationals can now be issued with long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for five years. Where the validity of the visa would exceed that of the passport, a multiple-entry visa shall be issued with a period of validity ending three months before the expiry date of the passport. During the validity period of these visas, holders enjoy travel rights equivalent to visa-free nationals.

This decision is testament to the EU’s strong belief that Kuwait is an important partner for the EU. It also comes in the context of the EU’s Joint Communication on a “Strategic Partnership with the Gulf”, which also covers EU relations with Kuwait. One of the pillars of this EU Strategy is facilitating people-to-people contacts, and this new visa ‘cascade’ adaptation for Kuwait contributes to enhancing relations between Kuwaitis and Europeans.

Schengen area consists of 27 European countries (of which 23 are EU states): Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.