All other nationals need advance visas, which require an invitation from a sponsor in Kuwait. Kuwait Airways offices and major hotels can provide invitations, but the process can take up to a week and may require a fee. The Embassy of Kuwait in Japan [http://kuwait-embassy.or.jp/english/k-j/visa.html] has some information.
Israeli citizens are banned by the Kuwait government from entering the country, and you may also be refused entry if your passport has Israeli entry stamps.
Alcohol and pork are not legal and may not be imported into the country. Your bags will be X-rayed and/or hand-searched on arrival.
If you need a visa on arrival at the airport, do ''not'' head down to Arrivals, instead look for the "Visa Issuing" desks. Fill out a form, queue up once to submit and pay (dollars, euros, pounds and GCC currencies accepted), then pick up your stamped passport at the other end. As of January 2009, the visa issue desks now have signs indicating that payment is only accepted in Kuwati dinars (3 dinars for a tourist visa). You can exchange currencies at several places in the arrival terminal; the best rates appear to be for U.S. dollars and Euros. You'll also get an A4-sized sheet entirely in Arabic, '''which you must keep''' -- this is your visa! You can now proceed straight through immigration without queuing, just show your visa form and they'll let you through. All this can take over an hour at a busy time, so it may be worth it to reserve the meet-and-greet service from '''Hala''' [https://www.halaservices.com/]; for KD 8 extra, they'll whisk you through the queues in under 10 minutes.
Taxis can be found outside arrivals, with the fare to most points in the city being KD 5. Most hotels can arrange a transfer for the same price, which is probably a more comfortable option.
KPTC had last year changed all their buses to new ones. KGL like KPTC has good buses but Citybus by far has substandard buses. Citybus used to have good busesin the past, but all the buses they've bought in the last 3 -4 years are substandard and the better buses of theirs are all old KPTC and KGLs buses arebetter and the only disadvantage with KGL is they dont have buses on all the routes and are less frequen
Speedboats also go between Ash Shuwayk and Manama in Bahrain. A ticket is KD45.
Ports and harbors:
Kuwait has a good road system. All signs are in English and Arabic.
'''Public Transport''': Kuwait's public transport is adequate with three companies (KPTC, City Bus and KGL) running dozens of routes in every major city. Waiting times for buses range from one minute for most frequent routes to fifteen minutes for less used routes. All buses are equipped with air-conditioners and usually one can find a seat without much trouble. Although, during peak hours (7-9AM, 2-4PM, 8-9PM)most routes are packed and public transport should be avoided for those seeking comfortable traveling. It must also be noted that although areas with expatriates majority are covered with many routes, Kuwaiti residence areas are scarcely connected with public transport buses and are reachable mostly by taxis only.
'''Taxi''': These are recognizable by red license plates and may be hired by the day, in which case fares should be agreed beforehand. Most taxis are metered although one has to inform the driver in advance if one wishes to pay by the meter as drivers. For those who are familiar with local rates and distances, it is more advisable to negotiate the fare in advance. Share-taxis are also available. Hailing taxis from the road is the most practical approach. However some sources have reported it was not advisable, particularly for females, and they recommend that taxis are booked in advance by telephone from a reputable taxi company.
A standard rate is applicable in most taxis, but those at hotel ranks are more expensive. Tipping is not expected, however you should negotiate fares before boarding the taxi.
'''Car hire''': Self-drive is available. If you produce an International Driving Permit, the rental company will, at the customer's expense, be able to arrange the statutory temporary insurance, which is drawn on the driver's visa. If you arrive at Kuwait International Airport, you will find the car hiring companies located at your left after you exit from the baggage claiming area. You can find international companies such as AVIS and BUDGET among others.
However, it should be noted that driving in Kuwait, especially when new to driving in the country, can be extremely chaotic and frightening. Turn signals and lane divisions are effectively optional, speeding and aggressive driving is commonplace, and there is little active enforcement of traffic laws.
A port with many old dhows, Failaka Island can be reached by regular ferry services. There are also some Bronze Age and Greek archaeological sites well worth viewing, including the island's Greek temple. Failaka Island was named Ikarus by the Greeks who, under Alexander the Great, established an outpost in the island. Traditional-style boums and sambuks (boats) are still built in Al Jahrah, although, nowadays, vessels are destined to work as pleasure boats rather than pearl fishing or trading vessels. Mina Al Ahmadi, lying 19km (12 miles) south of Kuwait City, is an oil port with immense jetties for supertanker traffic. The Oil Display Centre pays homage to the work of the Kuwait Oil Company.
Sailing and scuba diving are available. Powerboating is a Kuwaiti passion. Contact any of the hotels located on the beach and they can arrange a trip for you. The best beach front hotels are the Hilton Resort, Movenpick Resort, Marina Hotel and the Radisson SAS. The Radisson SAS also houses the largest wooden ship in the world the AL-Hashemi II which is a real beauty. Next to the ship is a museum for the history of ship-building in Kuwait.
Horse riding clubs flourish in the winter. The Hunting and Equestrian Club is located on the 6th ring road near Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Armed Forces Hospital.
The Equestrian Club is located near Kuwait's new golf club,the Sahara Club, which also houses a five star restaurant and spa.
The largest mall in Kuwait is The Avenues part of which is still under construction as of March 2008. It is one of the largest malls in whole middle-east and offers the best cinematic experience in Kuwait with VIP theatres with massaging reclining seats and a personal butler. Other popular malls include Marina Mall (Salmiya), Souq Sharq (Sharq) and Al-Kout Mall (Fahaheel) which is famous for its orchestra musical fountains.
Kuwait Towers are also an icon in Kuwait. One of the towers has a 360 degree rotating restaurant and a viewing deck from which you can view the spectacular cityscape of Kuwait City and the Gulf.
The dinar is divided into 1000 fils. Notes are available in denominations of KD 20, 10, 5, 1, ? and ?, while 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 fils coins are also available. While notes have Latin numerals on one side, the coins are entirely in Arabic.
Notes issued '''before 1994''', many of which were stolen during the Iraqi occupation, are not considered legal tender. You're unlikely to see these in Kuwait (the designs are clearly different), but unscrupulous dealers elsewhere have been known to try to pass them off. See the '''Central Bank of Kuwait''' [http://www.cbk.gov.kw/www/gallery_issues.html] for pictures.
Exchanging money can be difficult and exchanging travelers cheques even more so. Stick to ATMs, which are ubiquitous and work fine. Higher-end establishments accept credit cards.
Tipping is generally not necessary. A 12% service charge is tacked onto your bill in expensive hotels and restaurants, but if you want some of the money to actually go to the staff, leave a little extra.
Prices on common expenses (January 2009):
Petrol prices are one of the cheapest in the world and most of the time are cheaper than water, literally!
Don't forget to retain your exit fee of KWD 2 (a little more than USD 7). Retain the two "KD" in Kuwaiti currency as you don't want to go to the currency exchange just for that on your way out of the country.
There is a huge array of restaurants in Kuwait. Because the nightlife is non-existant, people go out to restaurants and malls. Almost every cuisine is available in high-end restaurants. Kuwait is known for its culinary specialties and catering services. Restaurants can be found in food courts in malls, and alternatively many international restaurants are grouped together in certain areas in Kuwait, namely: Behind the Roman Catholic Church in Kuwait City Outside the Movenpick Resort in Salmiya In the Marina Crescent Just ask any local where the "Restaurants Road" is and they will guide you to a road in Salmiya packed end-to-end with local restaurants serving a wide array of specialty sandwiches, juices and snacks. There are few restaurants that serve traditional Kuwaiti food. Al-Marsa restaurant in Le Meridien Hotel (Bneid Al Gar location) has some traditional Kuwaiti seafood but with a relatively high price tag. A better option is the quaint Shati Alwatia restaurant at the Behbehani Villa compound in the Qibla area of Kuwait City (behind the Mosques)and another Kuwaiti restaurant is Ferij Suwailih in salmiya area.
Tap water is drinkable, although most of it is desalinated and not particularly tasty, and in summertime, you may have a hard time telling apart the hot and cold taps. Bottled water is available everywhere for a few hundred fils.
Chalets and other weekend accommodation can be rented in many places along the southern part of the coast.
Kuwait adopts a live-and-let-live policy for clothing, and you'll see a wide range of styles: women wear anything ranging from daring designer fashions to head-to-toe black abayas with headscarves and veils, while men can be seen both in T-shirts and shorts or the traditional dazzling white ''dishdashah''. To avoid unnecessary attention, though, women will want to steer clear of short skirts or low necklines. Bikinis are fine at the hotel pool, but not on public beaches.
Do not eat in public during the holy month of Ramadan, you may be fined or even go to jail. The fine is 100 KD or more than $300
Do not get into coversations concerning the Royal Family. Although Kuwait is a relatively democratic country the Royal Family is a red line.
Do not take pictures of people or govermental buildings. Do not take pictures near the Iraq border fence.
Alcohol is prohibited in Kuwait and possessing alcohol will get you into a lot of trouble and ''never'' drink and drive.