Kuwait Amends Residency Rules: 10-Year Permits and New Absence Exemptions

Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, has issued Ministerial Decision No. 1410 of 2026 amending the executive regulations of the Foreigners' Residency Law contained in Ministerial Decision No. 2249 of 2025. The decision was issued on 2 September 2026, published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm on 6 September 2026, and took effect on publication. The centrepiece is a new Article 7 bis, which creates a regular residency of up to ten years for people whose Kuwaiti citizenship was withdrawn under Clause 4 of Article 13 of the Nationality Law (Amiri Decree No. 15 of 1959), together with family members who acquired citizenship by dependency and were included in the withdrawal decree, provided they have reverted to their original nationality or obtained another one. Holders are exempt from annual residency fees and may work in Kuwait under conditions set by the General Directorate of Residency Affairs. Of broader interest to the business community is the revised Article 37 on absence from the country. Foreign residents generally lose their residency if they remain outside Kuwait for more than six months, but the amended article now exempts four groups: foreign children of Kuwaiti women, owners of property in Kuwait, investors holding residency under the Foreign Direct Investment Law No. 116 of 2013 who meet the prescribed conditions, and Article 7 bis residency holders. Other residents with valid permits may still apply for permission to stay abroad for longer, subject to the conditions of the competent department. The decision also sets residency fees for the families of Article 7 bis holders at KD 10 per person per year for spouses, children and parents, and KD 300 per year for other relatives. Domestic workers sponsored by this group are charged at the rates applied to Kuwaiti families, and domestic workers in general may not remain outside Kuwait for more than four months without prior approval, or their residency is forfeited. For foreign investors and property owners, the absence exemption removes a long-standing practical constraint on managing Kuwaiti interests from abroad. Future Gate's Kuwait team handles residency transfers, investor licensing under Law No. 116 of 2013 and family sponsorship applications, and can advise on how the new rules apply to your situation.