Kuwait launches new digital service for expats
- By Noman Awan -
- Jul 11, 2026
The Ministry of Interior in Kuwait has launched a new digital service allowing expatriates to obtain a residence permit proof certificate through the government’s unified Sahel app.
The new electronic service enables residents to issue the certificate instantly, providing a convenient way to prove the validity of their residency status in Kuwait whenever required.
The Ministry said the initiative is part of its ongoing efforts to expand digital government services, streamline procedures, and improve the delivery of services to citizens and residents through the unified Sahel platform.
Read Also: 11,700 new residency violators in Kuwait during 2025
Kuwait recorded 11,700 new residency violations during 2025, up by 1,000 cases from the previous year, even as the overall number of residency violators continued to decline, according to immigration statistics released by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB).
The data showed that while new violations increased from 10,700 in 2024 to 11,700 in 2025, the cumulative number of residency violators fell for another consecutive year to 80,800, down from 81,500 in 2024.
The figures indicate that authorities continued efforts to resolve the status of existing violators while simultaneously detecting new residency offences.
At the same time, Kuwait’s resident population continued to expand, driven largely by growth in private-sector work permits.
The total number of valid residency permits reached approximately 3.166 million by the end of 2025, an increase of 142,000 permits compared with 2024, representing an annual growth rate of 4.7 percent.
The statistics also showed a decline in cancelled residency permits.
A total of 47,200 permits were cancelled during 2025, compared with 49,700 in 2024, marking a decrease of 2,500 permits, or about 5 percent. The downward trend follows a larger total of 57,100 cancellations recorded in 2023.
The number of valid residency permits has increased steadily over the past four years, rising from 2.839 million in 2022 to 3.166 million in 2025, an overall increase of 327,200 permits.