Kuwait: Residency permits issued for the first time, by type/purpose of permit (2011-2022)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Section (14) Temporary residence 140,008 112,907 81,811 119,868 127,938 21,714 26,109 29,771 29,910 12,078 19,158 33,315
Section (17) Employment government sector 1,170 560 458 534 970 1,016 819 1,136 1,488 1,110 2,561 1,270
Section (18) Employment private sector 67,774 69,289 58,114 57,769 54,840 16,184 16,332 20,650 20,072 3,391 1,323 22,258
Section (19) Freelancing 33 29 14 29 21 9 15 37 22 7 16 12
Section (20) Employment domestic sector 26,775 25,474 24,393 24,439 24,873 16,625 15,942 26,341 25,665 5,994 8,156 42,820
Section (22) Family reunion 8,758 9,215 15,122 9,668 11,563 14,092 16,946 18,718 17,705 7,815 12,414 23,416
Section (23) Studying 32 30 9 9 16 81 28 23 33 24 9 49
Section (24) Self-sponsorship 136 143 133 108 95 246 310 253 236 169 232 219
Total 244,686 217,647 180,054 212,424 220,316 69,967 76,501 96,929 95,131 30,588 43,869 123,359

Source: Central Statistical Bureau, Migration Statistics Bulletin, given years.

 

ANNEXED NOTE

 

  1. Definitions

 

Processing by CSB of Ministry of Interior’s (Directorate of Migration’s) annual records of residency permits granted to foreign residents by type/ purpose of permit, sex and regional origin of holder.

The present figures include permits delivered for all purposes of stay in Kuwait:

1- Labour in all sectors: governmental (n°17); private sector (n°18); business (n°19) and domestic  (n°20) sectors

2- Residence: temporary residence (n°14); as family dependent (permit n°22); for the purpose of studying (n°23) and for self-sponsorship (n°24).

 

Residency procedures do not apply to GCC nationals and to Bidouns (stateless residents of Kuwait).

The table thus excludes the Bidouns, the non-Kuwaiti GCC citizens and those in irregular situation.

 

  1. Institution which provides data

 

Migration Department, Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Central Statistical Bureau (CSB), Ministry of Planning.

 

  1. Period of data coverage

 

December 31st, given years.

 

  1. Data availability

 

The present data is taken from the “Migration Statistics” reports, published annually by the CSB.

 

The report (in Arabic and English, PDF format with Excel tables) is available on CSB’s website (Population Statistics, then Migration Statistics)

https://www.csb.gov.kw/Pages/Statistics_en?ID=56&ParentCatID=1

https://www.csb.gov.kw/Pages/Statistics?ID=56&ParentCatID=1

 

Date of access: May 2023

 

GLMM and GRC cannot guarantee that the link to access the source will not change; that the information will not be removed from the website it was obtained from; that no geo-blockages will be imposed; or that the information will not be available for any another reason.

 

Keywords: Kuwait, Foreign Population, Employment, Legal Document, Residence Conditions