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Civil Aviation Requirements for Flying In and Out of Kuwait

The Civil Aviation have posted a list of requirements for passengers that are flying in and out of Kuwait. Check them out below:

Departing Passengers
• Must register in the application (Kuwait Mosafer) and submit the relevant barcode throughout the phases of travel.
• Must obtain health certificate issued by laboratories approved by the Ministry of Health, confirming negative infection with COVID-19 disease, if required, depending on the requirements of each country, together with adhering to the required period of its validity.
• Citizens must obtain health insurance for the period of travel, covering treatment of infection with COVID-19 virus.
• Must abide by the health requirements respective to wearing masks and gloves, using the sanitizers and adhering to physical-distancing.

Arriving Passengers
• Must register in the application (Shlonik) prior to boarding the aircraft.
• Must obtain approved health certificate (PCR), proving negative infection with COVID-19 disease, with 96-hours validity from the testing date.
• All arriving passengers will be subjected to home-quarantine for 14 days.
• Body temperature of all passengers will be checked prior to boarding the aircraft and upon arrival.
• A random (PCR) test will be conducted on 10% of the passengers of each flight upon arrival.
• Must abide by the health requirements respective to wearing masks and gloves, using the sanitizers and adhering to physical-distancing.

If you leave or arrive to Kuwait August 1st onwards, let us know in the comments about your experience.

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72 replies on “Civil Aviation Requirements for Flying In and Out of Kuwait”

Hi Mark,

Can u pls be more specific about what exactly is this PCR test for arriving passengers..? As there’s confusion in other countries about what kind of test Kuwait wants exactly.

Is it the same as just random swab test??

Cuz I called the health center where I’m stuck, which is approved by Kuwait, regarding the PCR test & they informed us that its not so easy. The government here needs to approve for the budget required for these equipments. They’re sayin it costs around 2million for getting the equipment installed in the health centers.

Well I did ask them why they need those equipments & if its not gonna be a simple swab test with some necessary blood tests.. But they said PCR is not some random test, there’s some certian kinda machine the government will have to install in all the hospitals.

I don’t know, its all so confusing. Why won’t Kuwait just do the tests upon arrival? I mean, they know that people who’re desperate to return will pay them any amount for the tests right? So basically, financial benefits for Kuwait. Same as UAE, no certificate required for residents as tests will be done upon arrival. Only for residents.

All travelers arriving in or transiting through the United Arab Emirates must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from August 1, authorities announced on Wednesday.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/07/23/Coronavirus-COVID-19-PCR-test-needed-to-travel-to-UAE-here-s-all-you-need-to-know

Some passengers from certain countries will be DOUBLE tested, so PCR test before traveling and another on arrival.
https://gulfnews.com/uae/dubai-covid-19-pcr-test-passengers-from-select-countries-to-be-tested-twice-starting-august-1-1.72794720

It would be careless and unsafe to travel without a PCR test done first. You don’t want to have the virus and spread it amongst other travelers who all could be flying out to different destinations.

Oh ok.. That’s updated news for flights wef 1st August. Last I read no certs required for residents of UAE, was only for a limited time. For flights between 12th to 26 July i guess.

Anyways, so yes its true tests need to be done before travelling for the safety of co-passengers. But more people are worried as they have stayed at home for so many months isolating themselves, just so whenever flights resume, they may finally unite with their families.

Now the thing is, Kuwait needs PCR certs only from Kuwait approved centers. But there r some countries that r… huge? Made up of more states than a single state. These limited approved centers r not available in all the states. Plus, domestic air travel is banned due to lockdown. What people fear is suddenly gettin exposed to unnecessary long connecting journeys by buses & subways only to reach wherever the nearest approved center may be.

I hope things work out soon & everyone stays safe.
Thanks

Downloaded Shlonik. I am a tourist. No civil ID. Can’t register. First question after phone number is Civil ID number.

What am I supposed to do? What if my SIM fies not work in Kuwait? Ehatbif I will not have wifi?

Quaranteen is stayin in the apartment? Food, pharmacy anything allowed?

Thanks

Based on what I have read, you better, make sure you check on being a tourist – no visit visas are being given upon arrival for the near future – you have to pre-apply in your home country.

If I am wrong, I apologize, but this is my understanding.

PCR test is basically the swab test.
Ask for a nasopharyngeal swab test and that’s what PCR validates to worldwide

PCR TEST INFORMATION at “The New Kuwait German Laboratories” there 4 locations are BS the Jabriya is the only location that does the test! there number on their web page is invalid.
I went to their unmarked building in Salmiya. where they gave me the list of new number to call for an appointment. you can not schedule an appointment at any of the 4 clinics like the paper said. test takes 24 to 48 hours to get results test valid 4 days from date of sample taken.
numbers are
67694750
69305180
69305267
60989529

hours are 9 to 8
Good luck!

Hey… once u get tested, kindly update us here about what exactly is done through the PCR test. If its just a swab test or the hospital uses special equipment to perform the PCR test.

Waiting for your reply.
Thanks

I did it today. Just some tips: if u go to German lab in jabriya, u will save much time if you book your appointment with them through Kuwaitmosafer.com one day before, if you dont have appointment they will refuse your entrance. The administration desk there was mess but the test is really simple, they just do swab test thats all

PCR is a swab test. They will take a swab from your nose and then use PCR to determine the result. PCR refers to the technology used to analyse specimens (in this case a swab from your nose).
PCR requires a special (and expensive) machine, that’s why it may not be available in all laboratories.

The laboratory in Salmiya is not doing PCR test?? What happen if I am not able to make an appointment because my flight (Emirates) is not listed on the Kuwait Musafer app?

Just went to the Kuwait Mosafer web page tried to add my flight Emirates air not listed on menu. another FU by the powers that be in its creation.

Is there an app to download on phone on play store for android? HELP.

There’s no app but you can easily create a shortcut for it on your phone and use it as an App. That’s what I did!

I have the same problem. I have a flight with Emirates on August 1st but it is not in the menu, so I can not make an appointment for the PCR test. I called them yesterday (after trying multiple times) and a girl told me that I just need to pass by 8am (when they open) in Salmiya laboratory, without no appointment needed.

I am still confused and I don’t know if I will be able to get it tomorrow.

Any information about people who are driving to saudi or bahrain? are they going to be the same requirements?

I’m coming on Saturday from Dubai and going today for PCR test in a private clinic as most government clinics are off the next 2 days. I chose a big clinic here as Kuwait didn’t issue the list of approved places where passengers can do the test in UAE.

Hi Rola! Pleasant day to you! May i know the airlnes you are taking? My family is also in dubai and looking for flights to kuwait for August 1 because They received an email that their august 1 flight got cancelled.

Hi Claire and Rola,

Would really appreciate if you could specify which clinic you got the PCR TEST at in Dubai as me and a couple of friends are planning to travel on the 6th of Aug.

Also, I’m concerned if I would be allowed to home quarantine with my parents in the house as they are above 55 and have been living in Kuwait and I’m a resident in both the countries but primarily in Dubai. I will have a ensuite bedroom to myself… Don’t know if that works ?

Hoping to get some clarity !

The shlonik app requires otp to register.
My SIM card has been deactivated since I have been out of Kuwait since March.
How are we suppose to register on the app?

I am wondering how are you able to get a PCR test in two days in the US! That’s impossible! I am bringing my wife and kids who got stuck back home since February and the best I can do now is book them on Turkish airlines since they have COVID-19 test clinic at the airport which gives you the results in two hours!

Cheap? I haven’t been able to pay any of my mobile bills whilst out of Kuwait as they require Knet and Knet doesn’t work if you’re out of Kuwait.

Couldn’t pay the speeding fines I had in order to renew my residency either for the same reason.

I mean the KNET payment system.

I’m in Hungary and needed to pay speeding fines to get my civil ID renewed, needed to pay Oreedo, Zain and STC.

All of these attempted payments failed when I clicked on the pay now link. It tried to take me to the knet payment page and it timed out. On every gateway, every time over weeks.

Eventually I asked my HR to pay my speeding fines if I sent them the money. They agreed and sent a quick pay link NBK. I clicked on that and same problem.

Eventually, I called my boss as we’ve sent each other money on NBK app before by transfer and he’s in Kuwait. I had to use the NBK app (which does work) to send him money which he gave to HR and they paid it.

None of the mobile companies could I pay. Eventually during a call with Oredoo when they were threatening to take me to court, they admitted knet doesn’t work if out of Kuwait.

I can use my knet card in Hungary or online no problem at all using their payment systems but if I try to pay a bill in Kuwait using the knet payment gateway, I can’t.

So I have been unable to pay my mobile or home internet and all have been cut off.

Seems more like an internet connection than Knet not working. If Knet didn’t work from abroad then nobody would be able to pay their phone bills for example while traveling which we do. At least I know Zain and Viva for sure works and I’m guessing Ooredoo should as well.

I have had the exact same experience and the response from Ooredoo was the same. I could pay using my VISA card but not KNET. Continual spooling waiting for the KNET link to activate which it never did. The specific problem is paying a bill in Kuwait using KNET while being outside the Middle East (or possibly Kuwait).

Dear Andrew,

Your Knet will work regardless of which country u’re in, as long as its not expired. Even of its expired, u may visit ur bank site & renew it (chat with customer service is available on all bank sites). U can use internet to visit whichever site u need to make the payment & ur Knet will work.

It has nothin to do with location as its easy to hack & jam locations to fake.

Pls make sure to pay ur motor fines, or upon arrival u won’t be allowed to leave q8 airport without paying.

Stay blessed!

To my knowledge, and it might have changed, KNET only works in Middle East. I have definitely noticed this before.

Not only are you a douchebag, you are a stupid douchebag. Which is the worst kind of douchebag. That is all.

Agreed. Anyone who would without any info blatantly peg someone with a name is an absolute douchebag. Judgemental entitled douchebag

You just need to let your bank know you’re outside of Kuwait….it’s a security feature many of them employ, once notified, you’ll knet will work just fine

UPDATE.
I returned back to Kuwait.
You can register with the local number of the country you’re in.
You just need Kuwait number when you’re back in Kuwait as you get MOH SMS messages on the phone to check in on the Shlonik app

I don’t think anything was announced regarding tourists being able to come in. I don’t think they even announced anything regarding residents stuck abroad from coming back in either.

https://kw.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

While Kuwait International Airport plans to reopen on August 1, visas will not be issued upon arrival at the airport. Visas are also not available electronically in advance, as they have been in the past. It is the Embassy’s understanding that U.S. citizens with valid residencies and visas may enter Kuwait beginning August 1.

Bump this. Have a flight on the 11th from the US and I’m not sure if I should do the test 4 days before then or have the results by then.
Either way, sounds impossible given how much time it takes for results to come out in the USA.
Help?

Why would 10% get random PCR tested if they already got a test that was validated 96 hours ago? Are PCR tests that unreliable or is the virus more infectious than thought of before?

You answered the question yourself, you get tested 96 hours before, virus doesn’t go on hold during those 96 hours u could still get infected. The 10% tests are probably for data collecting to get an understanding of how effecting the process is

I have signed up to Kuwait Mosafer but my flight from London on 1st August is not appearing in the drop down menu. Without being able to select the flight I cannot proceed. I can see from the comments that other people have experienced similar problems, but nobody has posted a solution.

If anyone traveled from Kuwait on August 1st, can you, please, post your experience at the Kuwait airport?

My son returned (after 5 months in the UK) on Saturday. He was one of the 10% chosen to be reswabbed, but the departure process seemed okay – just having to fill out a form with address and phone number etc. A lot of this was checked during check-in as well. Quite a few people have had problems with the Shlonik app not working properly though – not counting down the quarantine period and not asking for them to take selfies at certain time points. Calling the number they give seems to sort it out though.

My wife returned but her Shlonik app has no countdown timer on it but she is registered with it. Where is this countdown timer on the app?

It seems to be if you can’t see the timer and the app isn’t asking you to take selfies, it’s not working properly, even though everything seems to be set up correctly in the app settings. I would suggest you call the number and get them to check.

We got the number 22092424. You have to be patient for it to be answered and you need your Civil ID number. Other colleagues have said the app did eventually start working for them without them doing anything. Hope this helps.

I retuned to kuwait from Toronto. Was suppose to land on August 1st at 22:45 but my TK flight got delayed in Istanbul 8 hours. Landed at 7 am on August 2nd. Immigration at airport was an organized chaos. I’ve got my PCR test done easily in Toronto for free and got the result in less than 24 hours.
At kuwait airport, no one asked me to sign anything or to quareentin ( I dont plan to leave house anyways). However, they were sending other group of people to a seperate line up to sign papers for quarenteening themselves.

Ps. I entered with an iranian passport

Hi,
Did you have a valid civil id? Cause I have a the e civil id. So i’m not sure if I need some additional documents to enter.

I am on an old residancy ( sticker) . However, the issue of civil ID delayed me in the airport but it was just a misunderstanding by the immigration officer. Eventually they said sorry and stamped my passport for entry. I am not too sure but if you have the digital civil ID app on your phone, you should be fine.

If you arrive back to Kuwait and get swabbed at the airport, you may get an SMS a few days later asking you to go to Jaber Quarantine Center for another swab (the +72hours swab). This is a drive-through COVID testing center at the Jaber Al-Ahmed International Stadium in Ardiya (not the big group of tents next to the stadium, but the entrance facing 6th Ring). It opens at 6pm but there may be a long queue of cars! Take your civil ID. You get another swab and texted the result and a COVID-free certificate after a day or so (assuming your test is negative).

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