The Ministry of Communication provides telephone services here in Kuwait. Typically, most households in the State already have landline services installed, just like water and electricity. However, in the off-chance that your residence does not, it would be wise to know the process of setting up your telephone account through the concerned Ministry.
You may think that getting a landline service might be unnecessary in this day and age; however, it certainly is not, because communication is something we can’t live without. Think: emergency calls, asking for assistance or help through a hotline, and getting pizza delivered (?) Obviously, getting a landline service is optional, but the convenience that comes along with it is something that cannot be questioned. So, if you’re all decided, here are the general requirements and steps to get this residential service:
Applying for Telephone Service in Kuwait
While applying for this service may seem simple at first glance, it would prove to be helpful to ask for your sponsor or a friend who can speak Arabic to accompany you for your application just in case further instructions are given by the receiving officer.
Requirements
- Your valid Civil ID
- Proof of residence
- Payment for the installation (KD 65) and subscription fees (paid annually at around KD 30, plus fees for added features)
Procedures
- Visit the local office of the Ministry of Communications in your area.
- Submit all the required documents to the receiving officer and settle your payment accordingly.
- Once your application has been accepted, you will be given the option to subscribe to an international plan with a subscription fee of KD 500 and other features such as call waiting, caller ID, three-way conference calling, as well as wake-up calls for an additional KD 15 installation fee and an annual fee of KD 10.
Note: International calls from Kuwait, or at least in most parts of the world, are not cheap; however, if you are going to make a lot of calls abroad (for family and/or business), then this could be a viable option for you.
Otherwise, if you do not wish to avail the government’s international service bundle, you still have the option to purchase call cards from local supermarkets for a smaller cost between KD 3 and KD 10.
Once your account has been set up, just wait for your phone service to be installed and activated within three to seven days, depending on the amount of requests being handled by the Ministry of Communications.