Expat insurance and health insurance in Kuwait

The Kuwaiti system rests on a long-standing public sector, run by the Ministry of Health — a network of about 8,000 beds spread across the Al-Amiri, Mubarak Al-Kabir, Al-Sabah, Farwaniya, Adan and Jahra general hospitals, as well as the modern Jaber Al-Ahmad hospital — and a dense private sector, concentrated in Kuwait City and Hawalli, widely used by expats able to afford it. In general public facilities, several expat sources report separate consultation hours in the morning for nationals and in the afternoon for other residents, with no precise official text identified for this practice.

Alongside this general system, a network specific to expats has been built since 2014, operated by Dhaman Health Assurance Hospitals Company: a public-private partnership (the first of its kind in the Middle East, with the Spanish operator Ribera Salud), operating on an HMO-type model, with its own primary care centres and two dedicated hospitals — Dhaman Hospital Al-Ahmadi (330 beds, completed late 2022, JCI and HIMSS accredited) and Dhaman Hospital Al-Jahra (330 beds, brought into service from 2025) — with a third facility planned in the Farwaniya governorate. This network primarily targets private-sector employees under an "article 18" work visa and their registered dependants; care there remains subject to a residual per-procedure co-payment, whose precise schedule was not found in any public official source.

Legal basis: law no. 1 of 1999 on health insurance for foreigners, whose implementing regulation was tightened by the Ministry of Health on 23 December 2025 (order of Minister Dr Ahmed Al-Awadi), doubling the general contribution and explicitly extending it to new categories of short-stay visas.

• Foreign residents (general Ministry of Health scheme): annual contribution of 100 KWD since 23 December 2025 (up from 50 KWD previously), applicable to public-sector employees, foreign investors and partners, self-sponsored self-employed workers, foreign students, dependants joining their family and domestic staff beyond the first three positions per Kuwaiti household (10 KWD/year for agricultural workers, fishermen and herders). Payment is a condition for issuing and renewing the residence permit.
• Private-sector employees under an "article 18" visa and their registered dependants: covered by Dhaman's specific scheme, which replaces the general Ministry of Health contribution for this category. Premium paid by the employer, starting at 130 KWD/year and set to rise in steps of 20 KWD every two years up to a cap of 190 KWD.
• Short-stay visitors (family, business, tourist and medical visits, multiple entries): since 23 December 2025, a visa-linked health insurance contribution is also provided for by the reform (in the order of 5 to 10 KWD depending on category, with in addition a requirement for certain categories to take out private insurance with an approved insurer). The France Diplomatie page on entry and stay in Kuwait still only quotes the cost of the tourist visa/e-visa itself (3 KWD, about €9), however, without detailing this insurance component for the case of a short French tourist stay.
• Exemptions identified: Kuwaiti wives and their family, diplomatic missions, the first three domestic staff per Kuwaiti household, foreign newborns under four months old.

France Diplomatie also describes, independently of these local schemes, travel insurance covering medical costs, surgery, hospitalisation and medical repatriation as "essential" before any departure for Kuwait.

There is no bilateral social security agreement between France and Kuwait: the country does not appear on the list of agreements in force published by CLEISS, like the other Gulf monarchies.

• No coordination or totalisation of affiliation periods for pensions.
• No reimbursement of care by French health insurance, except through voluntary affiliation with the CFE.
• Kuwaiti schemes (general Ministry of Health or Dhaman) depend on residency status and employer, not French nationality.

• Before departure: take out insurance covering medical care, surgery, hospitalisation and repatriation, described as "essential" by France Diplomatie.
• Check your passport: valid for more than six months at the date of entry; emergency passports are not recognised by the Kuwaiti authorities.
• For a short stay: e-visa via the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior website or visa on arrival at Kuwait City airport (30, 60 or 90 days, about 3 KWD/€9); check the visa-linked health insurance contribution introduced on 23 December 2025 depending on the visa category requested.
• For a private-sector employee: check with the employer that registration with the Dhaman scheme ("article 18" visa) is done from hiring, and that dependants are effectively covered.
• For a resident without an employer-sponsor (retiree, self-employed): pay the annual Ministry of Health contribution yourself (100 KWD) before applying for or renewing the residence permit.
• Within 6 months: register with the roll of French nationals living abroad (free, recommended).