Can foreigners study at Kuwait University?

Only within designated categories and available seats after Kuwaiti students are placed. In January 2026 KU announced the admission of 214 non-Kuwaiti students (5 Jan) and 132 self-sponsored international students (27 Jan) for spring 2025/26; applicants need a secondary percentage not below the lowest percentage accepted for Kuwaiti students in the same major.

How much does Kuwait University charge foreign students?

KWD 100 per credit unit in all colleges; self-financed foreign students with GPA 3.67+ and 30+ credits passed get 50% off (KWD 50) the following year.

How do I get a student visa for Kuwait?

The university requests an entry visa for study and ordinary residence for study from the Ministry of Interior on the basis of its admission certificate (Ministerial Decree 957/2019, arts. 4 and 23). Confirm the current procedure and fees with the university's international office and the MOI.

Is the study residence renewed every year?

Renewal requires the institution to attach a certificate that the student's study is continuing (art. 23). The 2019 decree lists KWD 10 per year for ordinary residence; check for amendments.

What does a private university such as AUM cost?

AUM lists KWD 240 per credit hour (business, health) and KWD 260 (most engineering) plus a KWD 300 seat deposit and a KWD 110 per-semester fee; 121-136 credits are required depending on the programme.

Which English score do I need at AUK?

Placement ranges from IELTS 4.0 (Intensive English) to IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL iBT 79+ for ENGL 101; admission is selective and capacity-limited.

Are foreign students eligible for Kuwaiti government scholarships?

The PUC government scholarships described by AUK are for Kuwaiti nationals only.

Is it safe to travel to Kuwait now?

The UK FCDO (updated 20 Aug 2026) reports Iranian strikes in the region since 8 July including in Kuwait and possible airspace closures, while no longer advising against all but essential travel. Check your own government's current advice before travelling.

Countries

Study in Kuwait: costs, visa, scholarships and universities

Costs, visa process, work rights, scholarships and university options for studying in Kuwait.

Free consultation for Kuwait

Overview

Kuwait has one public university for degree study, Kuwait University (KU), founded in 1966, plus a group of private universities licensed by the Private Universities Council (PUC) under the Ministry of Higher Education. Public places are reserved first for Kuwaiti nationals. KU announced in January 2026 that it admitted 214 non-Kuwaiti secondary-school graduates within designated categories and, separately, 132 self-sponsored international students for the spring 2025/26 semester, on condition that their secondary-school percentage is not below the minimum accepted for Kuwaiti students in the same major.

For self-financed foreign students KU publishes a fee of KWD 100 per credit unit in all colleges, with a 50% reduction in the following academic year for students who reach a cumulative GPA of 3.67 and pass at least 30 credits. Private universities charge per credit hour: AUM lists KWD 240 (business, health, IT) to 260 (engineering) per credit hour; AUK lists KWD 210 and 230 for its engineering college on its 2025-26 fee page without stating the unit; KCST's page still shows 2019/20 rates (KWD 175 per credit). Most private universities teach in English and require an English placement test or IELTS/TOEFL.

Foreign nationals enter on an entry visa for study issued on a certificate of admission from a government educational body or a private university in Kuwait, and hold ordinary residence for study that the university requests from the Ministry of Interior (Ministerial Decree 957/2019, articles 4 and 23). Renewal requires a certificate that the student's study is continuing. First-time arrivals from countries with Kuwaiti missions must also provide criminal-record certificates and a health certificate (article 25). The decree sets no general student work right; none was found in an official source.

Security context matters for planning: as of 26 October 2026 the UK FCDO states that Iran has carried out strikes and retaliatory attacks across the region since 8 July, including in Kuwait, that further attacks are possible, and that airspace closures and flight cancellations may occur at short notice (Kuwait International Airport operating through Terminals 4 and 5 only). FCDO has lifted its earlier advice against all but essential travel. Applicants and families should follow the advisory of their own government. Verify all figures with the institutions; this dataset records what the official pages stated on the access date.

Public university tuition: Kuwait University: self-financed foreign students pay KWD 100 per credit unit in all colleges and majors; a 50% discount (KWD 50 per credit unit) applies in the following academic year for foreign students who pay for themselves and reach cumulative GPA 3.67 or equivalent and pass at least 30 credit units in the previous year. Fees are paid at registration; refund 100% if withdrawn before week 2, 75% in week 3, 50% in weeks 4-5, nothing from week 6 (KU registration guide for foreign students). Admission of non-Kuwaitis is limited to designated categories and available seats after Kuwaiti students are placed (KU announcement 5 Jan 2026).Source
Monthly living cost: Not yet verified
Visa processing time: No official processing time found; the Kuwait Visa portal and MOI e-service pages were not readable.Source
Work rights: No official source on part-time work for international students in Kuwait was found. Decree 957/2019 art. 23 grants residence for study; art. 24 distinguishes residence 'without work'. KU states it may expel students who breach full-time status unless approved to combine study and work (search-summary of KU announcement, not directly verified). Do not present any work right to applicants.Source
Intakes and deadlines: Fall and spring, with summer at private universities. KU admits twice a year (fall and spring); some colleges admit in fall only.Source
Language requirement: Kuwait University accepts IELTS via a published equivalence table to its English aptitude test; private universities teach in English and use placement tests or IELTS/TOEFL.Source

Tuition and living costs

Public university tuition: Kuwait University: self-financed foreign students pay KWD 100 per credit unit in all colleges and majors; a 50% discount (KWD 50 per credit unit) applies in the following academic year for foreign students who pay for themselves and reach cumulative GPA 3.67 or equivalent and pass at least 30 credit units in the previous year. Fees are paid at registration; refund 100% if withdrawn before week 2, 75% in week 3, 50% in weeks 4-5, nothing from week 6 (KU registration guide for foreign students). Admission of non-Kuwaitis is limited to designated categories and available seats after Kuwaiti students are placed (KU announcement 5 Jan 2026).Source
Private university tuition: AUM (per credit hour, 2026 page): KWD 240 business administration, nursing, medical lab science, IT-type programmes; KWD 260 engineering (except telecommunication networking and information-system technology at 240). Fees: application and admission test KWD 30; seat deposit KWD 300 (creditable); digital library/activity fee KWD 110 per semester; English preparatory levels KWD 2,250 per semester each; foundation maths KWD 720-780 per semester. AUK (2025-26): KWD 210 regular undergraduate, KWD 230 College of Engineering & Applied Sciences (unit not stated on the page); Intensive English KWD 2,250 per semester; application fee KWD 20, deposit KWD 100, activity fee KWD 50 per semester. KCST page (dated 2019/20, likely outdated): KWD 175 per credit; foundation courses KWD 600 per course per semester.Source
Monthly living cost: Not yet verified

Accommodation

No official student-housing information for Kuwaiti universities was retrieved.

When planning the total budget, separate one-off and monthly items. Budget planning guide

Visa and residence permit

Ministerial Decree 957/2019 (executive regulations of the Aliens Residence Law, Amiri Decree-Law 17/1959) provides an entry visa for study, issued on a certificate from a government educational body or a private university in Kuwait, approved by the competent authorities, proving the student's admission (art. 4, item 6). Ordinary residence for study is granted at the request of the government educational bodies or private universities, attaching their certificate of admission attested by the competent authorities; when residence is renewed, the institution must attach a certificate that the student's study is continuing (art. 23). The Ministry of Interior (General Directorate of Residence Affairs) administers these. The student does not apply alone; the university initiates the process.

Visa processing time: No official processing time found; the Kuwait Visa portal and MOI e-service pages were not readable.Source
Proof of funds: The decree does not state a financial-proof amount for study residence; 'ordinary residence without work' (art. 24) requires evidence of sources of expenditure, with conditions set by the Director General of Residence Affairs, but no student-specific figure was found.Source
Health insurance: The decree preamble cites Law 1/1999 on health insurance for foreigners and fees for health services, and art. 25 requires a health certificate; the amount of the health-insurance fee for student residents was not retrieved.Source

Application steps

Obtain admission to Kuwait University or a PUC-licensed private university and receive the institution's certificate of admission.
The institution requests the entry visa for study / ordinary residence for study from the Ministry of Interior, attaching the admission certificate attested by the competent authorities (decree arts. 4 and 23).
Applicants arriving for the first time from a country with a Kuwaiti embassy or consulate must present criminal-record certificates and a health certificate showing absence of communicable diseases (decree art. 25); Kuwaiti missions attest the home-country certificate where one exists.
On arrival: complete the Ministry of Interior residence procedures, including the medical check (a 'medical check result readiness' e-service exists on the MOI residence page).
Renew the residence each year with an institution certificate that studies continue (art. 23).

Documents required

Passport (valid; the decree requires a valid passport recognised by Kuwait)
Institution's certificate of admission (attested)
Criminal-record certificates for first-time arrivals from countries with Kuwaiti missions (art. 25)
Health certificate (communicable-disease clearance) (art. 25)
Secondary-school certificate recognised/evaluated by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education or Higher Education (university admission requirement)

Travel advisories, sanctions and payments

Fees: Decree 957/2019 art. 28 (2019 text): entry visa KWD 3; ordinary residence KWD 10 per year. These amounts may have been amended since 2019; check the Ministry of Interior fee page (moi.gov.kw/main/eservices/residence/visa-fees).Source

Nationality-specific notes: turkiye: No nationality-specific student rule found; the entry visa for study (art. 4(6)) is not nationality-based in the decree. Tourist e-visa eligibility was only seen on secondary sites (not an official source) and is not relevant to a study visa.; russia: No nationality-specific student rule found in official sources; Kuwait Visa portal (kuwaitvisa.moi.gov.kw) not readable.; kazakhstan: No nationality-specific student rule found in official sources; Kuwait Visa portal not readable.; ukraine: No nationality-specific student rule found in official sources; Kuwait Visa portal not readable.; azerbaijan: No nationality-specific student rule found in official sources; Kuwait Visa portal not readable.

Our visa consulting

Work rights and after graduation

No official source on part-time work for international students in Kuwait was found. Decree 957/2019 art. 23 grants residence for study; art. 24 distinguishes residence 'without work'. KU states it may expel students who breach full-time status unless approved to combine study and work (search-summary of KU announcement, not directly verified). Do not present any work right to applicants.

After graduation: No official post-study stay or job-seeker residence found. Decree 957/2019 ties study residence to continued study (art. 23).

Source

Language requirements and intakes

Language requirement: Kuwait University accepts IELTS via a published equivalence table to its English aptitude test; private universities teach in English and use placement tests or IELTS/TOEFL.Source
Intakes and deadlines: Fall and spring, with summer at private universities. KU admits twice a year (fall and spring); some colleges admit in fall only.Source

Language and exam preparation

Scholarships

undergraduateDirect application

KU 50% tuition reduction for self-financed foreign students

Kuwait University

Coverage: Fee reduced from KWD 100 to KWD 50 per credit unit in the following academic year
Eligibility: Foreign students studying at own expense, cumulative GPA at least 3.67 or equivalent and at least 30 credit units passed in the previous academic year.

Source

undergraduateBy nomination

KU cultural grant students admission

Kuwait University (Deanship of Admission and Registration)

Eligibility: KU publishes an 'Admission Application for Cultural Grant Students' form (spring 2025/26 edition). Eligibility, nominating bodies and what is covered are not stated on the form text retrieved.

Source

undergraduateVia the university

AUK academic scholarship

American University of Kuwait

Coverage: Merit-based; amount not stated on the page
Deadline: Announced each year before the fall semester
Eligibility: First-time students: high-school GPA at least 3.75; keep cumulative GPA 3.50 and 12+ credits per semester. Nationality restriction not stated for this scholarship.

Source

undergraduateVia the university

PUC government scholarships (private universities)

Private Universities Council, Ministry of Higher Education

Coverage: Tuition and book allowance (AUK page)
Eligibility: Kuwaiti nationals only; limited seats. Not available to international students.

Source

Cities

Kuwait City area (Shadadiya)

Salmiya

Egaila

Universities

Kuwait University

Kuwait City (Shadadiya) · Public

KWD 100 per credit unit for self-financed foreign students; 50% reduction in following year with GPA 3.67+ and 30+ credits.

American University of Kuwait (AUK)

Salmiya · Private

KWD 210 regular undergraduate; KWD 230 College of Engineering & Applied Sciences (2025-26; unit not stated on page); Intensive English KWD 2,250 per semester; application fee KWD 20; deposit KWD 100.

American University of the Middle East (AUM)

Egaila · Private

KWD 240 per credit hour (business, nursing, medical lab, IT) and KWD 260 (most engineering); KWD 300 seat deposit; KWD 110 per semester fees; application/test KWD 30.

Kuwait College of Science and Technology (KCST)

Doha Area, 7th Ring Road · Private

KWD 175 per credit (page dated academic year 2019/20; likely outdated); application KWD 20, entrance exam KWD 15.

Arab Open University - Kuwait

Kuwait · Private

Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET)

Public

Abdullah Al-Salem University (AASU)

Public

Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST)

Private

Box Hill College Kuwait (BHCK)

Private

Australian University (AU), formerly Australian College of Kuwait (ACK)

Private

Kuwait Maastricht Business School (KMBS)

Private

International University of Kuwait (IUK)

Private

American International University - Kuwait (AIU)

Private

Kuwait Academy of Arts (Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts, Higher Institute of Musical Arts)

Public

All universities

Official resources

Frequently asked questions

Information on this page is compiled from official sources and was verified on the date shown. Fees, dates and visa rules change often; check official sources before applying. Empty fields have not been verified yet; ask our advisor for the current information.

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