COVID-19: Expats stuck outside Kuwait for 6 months can still renew residency permits

Kuwait City: Expatriates who are stuck outside the country due to the pandemic can renew their residency permits, the General Administration of Residency Affairs at the Ministry of Interior said.

The permits can be renewed provided their passport has a validity of one year or more and the company they work for has no objections.

The decision applies to everybody that works in the government sector, under article 17 visa, those working in the private sector, under article 18, domestic workers, carrying article 20 and those that are on a dependent visa, article 22.

In the past, expats who were outside of Kuwait for six months or more had their residency permits cancelled. This decision was suspended at the start of the pandemic as travel restrictions and bans barred expats from travelling.