I got back to Kuwait late last night and wanted to share some info on what you need or don’t need to do when flying back. The information I found online was either outdated or not accurate so here is what I went through:
Check-in
When checking in to my flight in Amsterdam the Dutch staff had notes on what to ask for and they asked me the following questions:
– If I had a negative PCR test and I needed to share with them my result
– If I had a vaccination and I needed to show them my Immune app
– If I had shlonik installed
PCR Test
Before flying back into Kuwait you need to get a PCR test done. This was something I already knew but what gave me anxiety is some people said I needed a PCR result that had a QR code. The test I took in Amsterdam didn’t provide a QR code with the result so I was worried it wouldn’t be accepted. This turned out not to be true, when checking in at the airport the employee just asked if I had done a PCR test and then checked my result on my phone (a PDF file) and that was it. No QR code was required on my result and nobody in Kuwait checked my test once I landed.
One thing to note is to make sure you don’t leave your PCR test for the last minute. I thought getting one would be easier in Amsterdam than Kuwait and so left it till the last minute. That turned out not to be the case. There were limited places that did the test with the result taking up to 24 hours to come out. Also, it was much more expensive to get one done there.
Kuwait Mosafer
Nobody asked me about Kuwait Mosafer. Supposedly you are meant to sign up to kuwaitmosafer.gov.kw before arriving but nobody checked for it or asked me about it.
Shlonik App
Once you land in Kuwait you’ll find posters saying you should install the Shlonik app. The reason for this is you’re automatically placed in quarantine once you arrive and if you have the app installed you’ll get a notification about it. You’re meant to quarantine for 6 days unless you get a negative PCR test so on my way home I just dropped by the 24-hour Jarralah drive-thru PCR test location in Hawally (Map) and got my test done. I had the test at 2AM and by 5:30AM the result was out and the app automatically removed me from quarnatine.
It was overall a pretty simple process which means traveling for a quick weekend like the old days should be very doable. I also liked flying with Kuwait Airways because of the fact they were very lenient in regards to wearing masks on the flight. Even on arrival at the airport nobody cared if you wore a mask or not which was great since we’re all vaccinated anyway.
If anyone has any questions regarding flying in or out of Kuwait, let me know in the comments.
37 replies on “What you need to know if you’re flying into Kuwait”
They need QR code only for vaccination certificates done outside Kuwait. Not for pcr tests
Yeah that makes more sense
hey m ark , how about a person coming in as visitor into kuwait ? are the rules same ? person without residence wont have civil id so how to register in mosafer and shlonik? immune app i guess the passport number is enough!
one more query does children below 12 years need pcr to enter kuwait?
No idea since that wasn’t the experience I went through
Hi Mark, We came back through T2 yesterday and before immigration we had to show we had registered on shlonik app. Visitors without Civil ID were directed to the Visa office.
Interesting, my experience was T4
My daughter, 10 Years old, had to get a PCR (max 72 hour) before returning to Kuwait and 2 more PCRs in Kuwait, one on arrival and second after 6 days, both paid through kuwaitmosafer. Not sure how it goes if the child has no residency.
ohh too much pain to see kids getting poked again and again.. thanks
One thing to note and be careful about is the type of test you do.
I’ve had friends denied checking in because they took a test which turned out to be an antibody test or the “rapid PCR” and those are not accepted.
As of today the accepted test is called RT-PCR. This is the one that usually takes at least 4-6 hours for results to come out.
The rapid tests are more prevalent in Europe since they are faster and cheaper and will get you into all places, so just make sure you specify which test you want.
Thanks Mark. This will be really helpful for ppl who are planning to travel including myself.
Welcome back!!! Tried the iphone 13 yet?
Nope not yet
Kuwait Airways wasn’t very lenient or were they lenient?
oops fixed
Somebody I know flew in today morning from the UK. Nobody asked him to download the shlonik app and neither did they say anything about quarantine or PCR.
So I am guessing he is free to roam around.
Nobody asked me to download the app either, I just knew from word of mouth and the posters that were up. I wonder what would happen if you don’t install and register in the app. Technically you’d be under quarantine and not know it but they also wouldn’t be able to track you and know if you’re quarantining or not.
How was your trip? Did you get something nice?
Too many nice things!
Also wtf, it’s still summer in Kuwait?!?
I just flew in this morning from Romania. The only things Turkish airways wanted to see was my civil ID, plus negative PCR (as mentioned earlier, now it’s called RT-Pcr, not to be confused with the rapid, mine didn’t have QR code). When I landed at Kuwait, there was some one checking, just before immigration for the scholink app, plus the immigration offical also asked to see it. As soon as the offical scanned. My passport, the app activated. No one wanted to see my mysofar registration, negative PCR or vaccine cert. Like Mark, I stopped for a PCR test on the way home.
Thank you so much Mark for this helpful post
Welcome back . Hope you can advise us about westerns arriving to Kuwait. Is the visa on arrival back ?? 😊
I heard it’s back but don’t know anything about it
If vaccinated twice in Kuwait and have the green sign when coming back from turkey would i need to do a pcr in turkey?
Yes you need a PCR test
How long did it take for you shlonik to automatically update the pcr results and remove you from quarantine? Thanks
In my case my result came out at 5:30 and by the time I woke up at 8 it was already out of the app.
which all apps do we need to install , id app ,shlonik app , mosafar app etc
You need to install the Immune app, and Shlonik app. Mosafar isn’t an app and in my experience wasn’t required.
“ Even on arrival at the airport nobody cared if you wore a mask or not which was great since we’re all vaccinated anyway.”
You didn’t hear you can still pass on the virus to others? Surely on a public blog you should encourage people to follow guidelines?
Everyone there is already vaccinated AND PCR tested. If there is any place you shouldn’t wear a mask it’s at the airport.
Hello, i’m traveling to London on Saturday, do I need to do a PCR test for Kuwait Airways before travels? or should I just do the day 2 PCR when I reach London?
Hi, is there any info on tourist visa being issued online or at the airport?
I am due to fly to Kuwait on Saturday..
I suppose I can’t just show up with all the other documents (EU vaccination passport, negative PCR, shlonik and mosafer apps) and hope they’ll have a visa on arrival procedure ready?
I worked in Kuwait until a couple of years ago. Maybe a letter from them help could speed things up? Thanks for any tips or updates!
Btw, flying from Brussels with Turkish Airlines.
Did you have any luck?
Unfortunately no. But re-booked to Bahrain instead 🙂 Hope KWI will welcome tourists back soon!
Just landed a few hours ago.
They didn’t ask for immune precisely, just show Hawiaty (ID app) or immune (whichever) and ofcourse download shlonik (this is how they will trace you for quarantine).
Kuwait mosafer isn’t required.
P.S I didn’t present a PCR except for the airlines, no one asked for it in Kuwait airport.