Kuwait: Fully vaccinated expats can return from Aug 1, need to undergo home quarantine

Kuwait has confirmed that fully-vaccinated expats holding valid residency documents (iqamas) will be allowed to return to country from August 1.

However, they need to have received one of the four approved vaccines in Kuwait including Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.

Also, travellers will only be allowed to board the plane if at least 14 days have lapsed since they have taken the second dose.

The DGCA also said all those planning to travel to Kuwait must also have a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of travel time.

Expats and Kuwaitis who have been vaccinated in Kuwait should complete registration on the Shlonik application and Kuwait Mosafer platform.

Kuwaiti residents who have been inoculated outside Kuwait are required to authorise their vaccination certificate by uploading it to the health ministry website. The vaccination must be verified electronically before boarding the plane – no paper documents will be accepted, officials said.

They will also be required to register on the Shlonik app and Kuwait Mosafer platform.

اجراءات السفر الجديدة للقادمين الى مطار الكويت الدولي اعتبارا من 2021/8/1 pic.twitter.com/CrBaxI5RKY

— الطيران المدني (@Kuwait_DGCA) July 27, 2021

Meanwhile, all those landing in Kuwait – including residents and citizens – will have to quarantine at home for seven days from the day of arrival.

In case they want to end the quarantine early, they can undergo a PCR test on the third day. If the result is negative, they can end the quarantine.

Unvaccinated Kuwaitis (and those who have received vaccines not approved in the country) and those who have the red or yellow color mark on their Immune/Kuwait Mobile ID apps must first complete registration with the Shlonik app and Kuwait Mosafer platform. They will have to pay the cost for two PCR tests and take the first upon arrival in Kuwait and the second on the sixth day of institutional quarantine. They must also pay the cost of the seven-day quarantine at a local authorised hotel.

If the result of the second PCR test is negative, they will complete the seventh day of quarantine at the hotel followed by seven days at home.

Members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Kuwait, their first-degree relatives (spouses and children) and their domestic helpers are exempt from institutional quarantine, provided they produce their official IDs.

Medical staff, their spouses and children and their domestic helpers are also exempt from institutional quarantine provided their produce documents proving their profession.

Authorities also confirmed that only Kuwaiti citizens who have been fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel out of the country from August 1.