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Using Timatic (via the Emirates site) I see:

British passport visiting Kuwait

Visa required.

Visa Issuance: Passengers with a British passport can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 3 months. They can apply to extend their stay.

Irish passport visiting Kuwait

Visa required.

Visa Issuance: E-visas can be obtained before departure at https://evisa.moi.gov.kw/evisa/visaPubApp10.do?lng=eng . Passengers must have a printed e-visa confirmation. Nationals of Ireland (Rep.) can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 3 months. They can apply to extend their stay.

So, either passport allows a visa on arrival but for Ireland there appears to be the alternative of an e-visa in advance. This is curious. Why would I bother with an e-visa if I can just go without one? Would it permit me to use a different and faster line at immigration? Why is it offered to Ireland but not the UK?

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  • This is the link that I used, I found it in a recent question on Kuwait: emirates.com/hk/english/before-you-fly/… – badjohn Oct 21 '18 at 12:02
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    The word "easier" in the title has led to a couple of close votes for being "primarily opinion based," even through the question is not primarily a request for opinion. I edited the title in the hope of discouraging more close votes. – phoog Oct 21 '18 at 14:19
  • @phoog Thanks. I had thought that "easier" was reasonably objective. E.g. the answer might have been: "Yes, you can go to a different queue which is usually much quicker", "Yes, you will avoid filling out complex forms", or "No, you will have to join the same queue and fill out the same forms". – badjohn Oct 21 '18 at 15:31
  • Perhaps the difference is certainty. If one applies in advance and gets a visa, one has it already. If, OTOH, one flies in and tries for a visa on arrival, there's always some chance it won't be issued. If there's anything odd or awry in the OP's travel or visa history, applying in advance may be a tactic that minimizes the chances that entry will be refused upon arrival. – DavidSupportsMonica Oct 21 '18 at 16:41
  • @David That was one of my guesses but it still leaves the oddity that it is offered to the Irish but not the British. – badjohn Oct 21 '18 at 16:50
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The e-visa does not allow extensions, vs. the normal visit visa. They are both valid for 3 months (initial stay).

There is an additional fee for the e-visa (it may not apply to everyone). The fee is 3 Kuwaiti Dinars (around 10 USD).

There is a practical difference when you land. To get a visa on arrival, you have to go to the visa issuance desk - get your visa, and then go through the immigration queue.

If you have the visa confirmation on hand (online e-visa), you can just go directly through immigration.

E-visas are still relatively new for Kuwait; thus the mismatch in Timatic. They are available even for UK passport holders; the list of eligible passport holders is mentioned at the e-visa main page:

ANDORRA AUSTRALIA   AUSTRIA BELGIUM
BHUTAN  BRUNEI  BULGARIA    CAMBODIA
CANADA  CROATIA CYPRUS  CZECH
DENMARK ESTONIA FINLAND FRANCE
GEORGIA GERMANY GREECE  HUNGARY
ICELAND IRELAND ITALY   JAPAN
LAOS    LATVIA  LIECHTENSTEIN   LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG  MALAYSIA    MALTA   MONACO
NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND NORWAY  POLAND
PORTUGAL    ROMANIA SAN MARINO  SERBIA
SINGAPORE   SLOVAKIA    SLOVENIA    SOUTH KOREA
SPAIN   SWEDEN  SWITZERLAND The People's Republic of China - HONGKONG
TURKEY  UKRAINE UNITED KINGDOM  UNITED STATES
VATICAN VIETNAM
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  • Thank you. So, there is a clear value to an e-visa, provided that 3 months is sufficient: in return for $10, I get to skip some bureaucracy on arrival. That might be worth it. – badjohn Oct 22 '18 at 9:00

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