Licence valid for 15 years for Kuwaitis, GCC citizens; 5 years for expats
Dubai: Kuwait has extended the validity of private driving licence to 15 years for Kuwaitis and GCC citizens, and five years for expatriate residents, Al Anba Arabic daily reported.
Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, issued a ministerial decision extending the validity of driving licence for both citizens, GCC nationals and expatriate residents, marking a significant change to the country’s licencing rules.
Under the new regulations, the validity of licences for expatriates has been increased to five years, up from three. Licences for Kuwaiti citizens and Gulf nationals will now be valid for 15 years instead of 10. For stateless residents, the licence term will remain tied to the validity of their identification documents.
The duration of licences for Kuwaitis had traditionally been 10 years, while for expatriates it was reduced at one point to a single year. Several months ago, Sheikh Fahad Al Sabah extended expatriate licence validity to three years, the new announcement pushes it to five years with immediate effect.
Kuwait maintains strict conditions for expatriates seeking a driving licence, including a requirement to hold a university degree. New arrivals are eligible to apply only after residing in the country legally for two years.
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