Kuwait has reduced the validity for expat driving licenses from three years to one year, the traffic department announced on Sunday, with the decision coming into effect on April 26, 2023.
However, the department said that the driving licenses of expats working as domestic drivers will be renewed for three years.
According to a report by Kuwait Times, Major Abdullah Bu Hasan, who announced the decision, did not say why they reverted to the one-year validity for the licenses.
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The report said that the Kuwait ministry of interior is reviewing “hundreds of thousands” of driving licenses issued to expats, to ensure that it was issued as per the law. “Local media said thousands of licenses held by expats are likely to be cancelled,” the report said.
Strict Kuwait expat driving license rules
Kuwait imposes strict rules for expats who wish to obtain a driver’s license, the report said. Rules include:
- Monthly salary of at least KWD600 ($1,964 of AED7,166 approximately)
- Must have a university degree
- Must have stayed legally in Kuwait for at least two years
However, the rule exempts professionals such as judges, engineers, doctors, from these requirements.
Expat driving licenses in Kuwait used to be valid for as long as 10 years in the past. It was then changed to link the validity of a driver’s license with the validity of the expat’s residency.
The report said that traffic department then reduced the validity to just one year for several years, before extending the validity to three years again in 2020.
In April, Kuwait confiscated 300,000 expat driving licenses from expats earning less than KWD600 and those who do not have a university degree, as per the decision by the Kuwait Ministry of Interior.
The committee formed by First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Acting Minister of Defense, Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid, will implement a decision to address traffic congestion.
However, private sources cited in the report suggest that traffic problems can only be resolved by enhancing roads and constructing bridges and tunnels, rather than by implementing discriminatory measures.
In addition, Kuwait also reversed its decision to increase vehicle insurance by 80 percent for private vehicles, and privately-owned vehicles. The hike was from KD19 to a minimum of KD32 and KD53, respectively, beginning April 16, 2023.
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