The General Directorate of Residency Affairs will now issue ordinary residency permits lasting up to 10 years to individuals whose Kuwaiti citizenship was withdrawn under Article 4 of the relevant law and who have since returned to their original foreign nationality or acquired another one. According to a report published by Al-Rai on September 6, 2026, the decision references paragraph 4 of Article 13 from Amiri Decree No. 15 of 1959. The director general holds authority to specify all conditions and controls for both granting and renewing these permits while also determining work authorization parameters.
This policy exempts beneficiaries from the standard requirement that residency holders not remain outside Kuwait for more than six months. The announcement further waives all residency fees for those covered under the new rule. Family joining fees have been set at 10 dinars for immediate relatives including spouses, children and parents and at 300 dinars for other family connections, with the same rates applying to affected Gulf nationals who regained their original citizenship.
The provisions also permit extended absences exceeding six months for children of Kuwaiti mothers who did not gain citizenship through paternal naturalization along with property owners and investors. These exceptions accommodate specific resident categories under the updated framework. The circular instructs all residency departments to implement the measures consistently.
Earlier revisions to Kuwait’s nationality law in April 2026 redefined eligibility for citizenship and expanded grounds for its withdrawal while adding pathways for reinstatement after one year of legal residence and renunciation of foreign nationality. Arab Times coverage of those amendments highlighted their focus on safeguarding national identity alongside humanitarian considerations for affected families. The 2026 updates repealed several prior articles from the 1959 decree and related laws.
In 2025 the Ministry of Interior had introduced a one-year grace period for individuals who lost citizenship under different provisions allowing continued access to education, housing and limited employment during transition. That framework required regularization of status through obtaining foreign passports or residency within the allotted time or risk losing all benefits. Such sequential policies illustrate adjustments in citizenship management.
The current decision explicitly authorizes work in Kuwait for Article 4 cases subject to the director general’s regulations. No official estimate has been released regarding how many individuals may qualify for the new residency permits. The measure forms part of ongoing administrative adjustments in residency and nationality affairs.
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