Kuwaitis Granted Schengen Visa Rules For 5 Years By The European Commission

On 8 September, the European Commission adopted specific rules for issuing multiple entry visas to Kuwaiti nationals, which are more favourable than the generic rules that previously applied. 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 passport validity allows.

Kuwaiti nationals may now apply for long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas that are valid for five years following the implementation of the visa 'cascade' regime for Kuwait. 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.

The EU's decision demonstrates its 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.

The 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, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

 

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