Kuwait extends driver’s license validity for expats, citizens

Kuwait has extended the validity of driver's licenses for various groups, according to a new ministerial decision published in the official gazette on Sunday.

Under the revised rules, expatriates will now be granted driver's licenses valid for five years, up from the previous three. For Kuwaiti citizens and Gulf nationals, the license validity period has been increased to 15 years instead of 10.

For bedoons or stateless individuals, the validity of their driver’s licenses will remain tied to the validity of their identification documents.

Previously, Kuwait had shortened expatriate license validity to just one year, while maintaining a 10-year period for Kuwaitis. The recent change follows an earlier adjustment several months ago, when Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah raised the validity period for expats to three years. The new five-year validity takes effect immediately.

Despite the update, expatriates must still meet strict conditions to obtain a license, including holding a university degree and residing in the country legally for at least two years before applying.

In a separate announcement, the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) said that an upcoming KD 20 increase in retirement pensions will be disbursed starting August 1.

The pension hike applies to all Kuwaiti retirees, individuals treated as Kuwaitis and others eligible based on their pension entitlement percentage. PIFSS clarified that the increase will be processed automatically, with no need for beneficiaries to visit the office or submit a request.