I want to know about the new rule about residence for the new born babies. My husband doesn’t have a KD 250 salary. Will there be any problems in this case to getting residence for my baby. My salary is more than KD 250. If it possible to sponsor my baby? Please give me favorable reply?

Name withheld 
Answer: Please remember that there is no minimum salary requirements for children whose both parents are already in the Kuwait and both of them are working.

In such a case the father of the child in Kuwait can sponsor his infant’s residence, irrespective of his salary level, even if both the parents are earning less than KD 250 each.

To obtain residence for the new born, the baby’s name will have to be included in father’s passport or a separate passport will have to be obtained for the infant from your embassy.

After obtaining the passport, the procedure for obtaining the residence is the same as that for any dependent but the procedure after the birth of the child is cumbersome so we will detail the whole procedure.

Before we go on, we would like to stress two things:

1. The whole procedure — including the stamping of the residence and applying for the Civil ID card — must be completed within 60 days of the birth of the child, otherwise you could face legal action, even if you miss the deadline by even a single day.

2. It is very important to remember that parents who are in the country on domestic servant visas cannot keep their child in Kuwait and will have to take child out of the country within 60 days.

They also have to complete the whole procedure – except getting the residence – before they obtain an exit visa for the infant from the Interior Ministry to take the child out of the country.

Documents required:
1. Passports of both parents. You will need the original and copies
2. Civil IDs of both parents. Here again you will need the original plus the copies
3. Marriage certificate: You need to have the original (which has to be attested by both your Embassy and the Kuwait Foreign Ministry plus you must get the same translated in Arabic which has to be attested by the Kuwait Foreign Ministry.

Procedure
Now starts the procedure which must be done quickly.

1. First return (about two or three days after the mother and child are discharged) to the maternity hospital where the child was born to obtain a pink slip from the hospital. The office timings are normally 0700 to 1200 hours only. This slip contains the name of the parents plus the location, date and time of the birth of the child. You will be asked to produce original plus copies of the attested marriage certificate, Civil IDs and sometimes even the passport. They will return the originals and keep the photocopies. They will then ask you to go to the Births and Deaths Registration Office (in Maidan Hawalli) after a certain number of days (normally it is three).

2. When after three days you go to the Births and Deaths Registration Office in Maidan Hawalli you will be required to write the name you wish to give the baby on a piece of paper in Arabic. Here again you could be asked to produce the original documents. You will then be asked to return after a week to collect the baby’s birth certificate.

3. You will now be required to have the birth certificate attested by the Kuwait Foreign Ministry (located opposite the Kuwait Club in Shuwaikh). You will have to get a KD 5 revenue stamp from a slot machine at the ministry and affix it on the birth certificate before you deposit it at one of the windows. You may be sometimes asked for the original documents. After a few minutes you will get the attested certificate.

4. Armed with the birth certificate, you have now to apply for the baby’s name to be either added to your passport or a new passport issued in the child’s name. For this you have to approach your embassy. Please check with your embassy first what other documents they require as each embassy has different requirements.

5. After receiving the passport from the embassy, you have to obtain medical insurance for the baby. You can go to one of the offices in your area. In Khaitan, there is one located opposite the Carmel School, near the clinic, while in Hawalli there is one near the Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital. Keep all the originals/copies (including the baby’s passport and birth certificate) as you may be asked for the same. You will have to pay KD 35 as health insurance.

6. Once you have got the health insurance, you have to approach the Immigration Department in your area for the baby’s residence. Start by having the residence application typed. At every Immigration Department there are typist who will complete the application for a same fee. Don’t forget to carry all the original documents / copies (including the health card, especially the payment receipt for the health insurance, baby’s passport and birth certificate). You will be charged KD 100 for the first year of residence plus KD 10 for each year after the first one. Your baby’s residence will be pasted in the child’s passport in a few minutes after your turn comes.

7. Now comes the last part which involves getting the baby’s Civil ID. You have to go to the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI), located in South Surra for the purpose. You may again need to produce all the original documents and provide copies. You will then be asked to check about the status of the card after 48 hours by calling 1889988. You will be told from which card dispensing machine to collect the card. This can be done both in the mornings and evenings. You will be charged KD 3, which you will have to insert in the machine, after which the card will drop into the slot.

Mabrook, by now you have completed all the formalities but please ensure all this is done within 60 days or you could face legal action. This is more than enough time …unless you take things very easy.

Source - Arab Times

Note - All the answers were provided by Arab Times Legal Clinic.

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