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I believe anyone living in Kuwait who has a valid Kuwaiti driving license and owns a car would, at some point, want to experience a road trip across the border to explore neighboring GCC countries. When I first planned my solo drive to Mecca, I found very few comprehensive guides explaining the process, including what documents were required, the costs involved, whether an online visa was sufficient, or if additional permissions were needed. Therefore I came up with the “How to Cross Kuwait Border” article for you to read step by step.
Based on my personal experience, I’ve outlined the step-by-step process below to help you exit Kuwait smoothly. This includes the required documentation, applicable fees, and necessary insurance so you can enjoy a great road trip to countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar.
Required Documents
- Civil ID Your valid Kuwaiti identification card.
- Passport (For Expats) Ensure your passport has at least 6 months of validity.
- Daftar (Vehicle Registration) You must bring your car’s daftar to prove ownership. Ensure it is valid and not expired.
- Saudi Visa (For Expats) As an expat, you will need a Saudi visa to enter the Kingdom — the only country (aside from Iraq) you can drive into directly from Kuwait. There are several visa types, but for road trips, the Tourist Visa is recommended. As of writing, the visa costs SAR 460. Please check the latest details on the official Saudi e-visa portal.
Land Border Exit Points from Kuwait
Kuwait has two main land border crossings that operate 24/7:
- Nuwaiseeb Border The most commonly used exit point, it leads to Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province — ideal for trips to Dammam, Riyadh, or Bahrain.
- Salmi Border This route connects to the central and western regions of Saudi Arabia and is often used for trips to Hafar Al-Batin, Buraydah, or Madinah.
Border Crossing Process
Kuwait Immigration
- Present your passport, Civil ID, and daftar.
- The officer will issue two papers:
- A passenger manifest
- Vehicle information document These must be carried to the Kuwait Customs checkpoint.
Kuwait Customs
- Present the documents received from Immigration along with your daftar.
- Once cleared, proceed to Saudi Immigration.
Saudi Immigration
- Similar to the Kuwait side, but you may need to show a printed copy of your Saudi Visa.
- In most cases, your visa is already linked electronically to your passport.
Important: If this is your first time entering Saudi Arabia, you must visit the Registration Office before immigration to complete biometric procedures, including fingerprinting and photo capture.
Saudi Customs
- Present the same vehicle-related documents for clearance.
Saudi Insurance
- By law, you must have valid insurance to drive in Saudi Arabia.
- An insurance booth is available right after customs. You can buy short-term coverage here.
- Prices vary but are usually reasonable for short visits (e.g. SAR 90–150 for 7 days depending on your car).
- They have an options of 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year insurance coverage.
- You can actually purchase the insurance ahead of time through Manafith, which is the mandatory insurance system for foreign vehicles entering or passing through Saudi Arabia via its border crossings. It has been implemented throughout the Kingdom’s border crossings since 2002.
Now you know what is the process and experience like when crossing into Saudi from Kuwait, you can plan and prepare ahead to ensure worry free travel. If you have any questions regarding our experience travelling out Kuwait by land please feel free to drop your comments below.
Happy Travel!!
