Kuwait has introduced strict new residency rules, capping the maximum time expats can stay outside the country to six months. This applies to most foreign residents holding valid residence permits, or they risk losing their residency status. Key exceptions include foreign investors, property owners, and children of Kuwaiti women, who can stay abroad longer without penalty. Domestic workers face even tighter rules: they can remain abroad for only four months. To avoid cancellation, sponsors must apply for official leave through the Sahel app or Residency Affairs Department. Domestic workers must also be aged between 21 and 60 under the new law. Kuwait offers longer-term residency options as part of the reforms: a 15-year visa for foreign investors meeting investment criteria, and a 10-year visa for property owners and children of Kuwaiti women. These long-term visa holders are exempt from the six-month abroad limit. The government has set new fees: visit visas now cost KD 10 per month, and residents must pay KD 20 annually for iqama renewal. Health insurance is mandatory and must be maintained, or residency permits become invalid. Fines for overstaying residency or visit visas start at KD 2 per day for the first month, rising to KD 4 per day afterward. Parents must register newborns within four months or pay KD 2 daily fines. Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior is pushing a digital transformation. Brigadier Mazid Al-Mutairi announced online services for first-time, renewal, and transfer of private sector residency permits to cut bureaucracy. The government has criminalized visa trading. Selling sponsorships or charging for residency renewals can lead to up to one year in prison and heavy fines. These moves aim to protect workers’ rights and ensure a transparent, legal labor market.