Kuwait to discontinue automatic visa extensions

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait will discontinue automatic extensions granted to entry visas and leave permits and restore their legally prescribed validity periods effective September 1, 2026, the Ministry of Interior announced on Friday.

According to a report by Arab Times Online, under the new measures, automatic extensions for all categories of visit visas for individuals currently in Kuwait will end, with the standard legal validity periods, procedures and regulations coming back into effect.

For expats currently outside the country, the regular validity periods for leave permits will likewise resume. However, expats who departed Kuwait on or before August 31, 2026, will continue to benefit from the additional exceptional extension, in accordance with the applicable regulations.

The Ministry clarified that the residency permit status certificate issued through the Sahel app will be the official reference for determining the expiration date of a resident’s leave permit.

Residents abroad are therefore required to return to Kuwait within the period indicated on the certificate. The Ministry of Interior called on all concerned to comply with the applicable laws, regulations and procedures to avoid any violations.

Earlier, the Kuwaiti Cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft decree-law amending several provisions of Amiri Decree No. 15 of 1959 concerning the Kuwaiti Nationality Law, introducing stricter penalties for nationality fraud, electronic nationality certificates and political restrictions on naturalized citizens.

The approval came during the Cabinet’s weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.