Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) upgraded its Smartraveller advisory for Kuwait to the highest ‘Do Not Travel’ level on 28 February 2026, citing missile strikes and rapidly deteriorating regional security after the US-Israeli Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The update triggered automatic e-mail and SMS alerts to more than 1,200 Australians registered in Kuwait, including petroleum engineers, defence contractors and fly-in-fly-out consultants. DFAT noted that Kuwaiti airspace had closed to commercial traffic and urged Australians to leave by land while border crossings remained open. Multinational energy firms operating in the Shuaiba and Al-Zour industrial zones activated evacuation protocols, chartering buses to move non-essential staff to the Saudi border. Companies with Australian assignees must now review their duty-of-care policies to remain compliant with Australia’s Work Health and Safety Act, which extends to employees posted overseas. Corporate travel managers are already feeling the knock-on effects. Major carriers have cancelled lay-overs through Gulf hubs, rerouting itineraries via Singapore or Europe. Freight forwarders warn of delays for time-critical engineering components as air-cargo capacity tightens. Risk consultants Marsh Crisis Response advise businesses to audit supply chains for single-point-of-failure nodes in Kuwait and neighbouring states that may be caught in retaliatory strikes. DFAT’s notice also reminds travellers that Australian emergency passports are not accepted for Kuwaiti visas, complicating short-notice departures.
![DFAT raises Kuwait travel advice to ‘Do Not Travel’ following Middle-East escalation]()
For organisations and travellers suddenly needing reliable, up-to-date visa guidance amid these rapidly shifting restrictions, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Through its Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/), the service tracks real-time entry requirements, assists with urgent passport renewals, and helps secure alternative visas for neighbouring countries—giving mobility teams a single dashboard to keep documentation current even as rules evolve daily.
Mobility teams should ensure all personnel have at least six months’ passport validity and register dependants with the 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre. Organisations with government contracts should monitor Defence Export Controls guidance; export permits for dual-use goods routed through Kuwaiti ports may be suspended at short notice. The advisory underscores a broader regional risk picture. Similar warnings are expected for Bahrain and Qatar if hostilities widen. Mobility managers with staff across the Gulf Cooperation Council are advised to establish alternative hubs—such as Muscat or Salalah in Oman—to maintain project continuity while safeguarding employees.
For organisations and travellers suddenly needing reliable, up-to-date visa guidance amid these rapidly shifting restrictions, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Through its Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/), the service tracks real-time entry requirements, assists with urgent passport renewals, and helps secure alternative visas for neighbouring countries—giving mobility teams a single dashboard to keep documentation current even as rules evolve daily.
Mobility teams should ensure all personnel have at least six months’ passport validity and register dependants with the 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre. Organisations with government contracts should monitor Defence Export Controls guidance; export permits for dual-use goods routed through Kuwaiti ports may be suspended at short notice. The advisory underscores a broader regional risk picture. Similar warnings are expected for Bahrain and Qatar if hostilities widen. Mobility managers with staff across the Gulf Cooperation Council are advised to establish alternative hubs—such as Muscat or Salalah in Oman—to maintain project continuity while safeguarding employees.
