Kuwait has introduced residency permits of up to 10 years for some people who lost Kuwaiti citizenship, giving them a legal way to remain in the country as foreign residents.
The changes were introduced under Ministerial Decision No. 1410 of 2026, issued by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah and published in the official gazette, Kuwait Al Youm.
Under the new Article 7 bis, people stripped of Kuwaiti citizenship under Clause 4 of Article 13 of the 1959 Nationality Law may qualify, including naturalised Kuwaitis affected for reasons such as conduct deemed harmful to the country’s economic or social order.
The provision also covers dependants who acquired citizenship through them and were included in the withdrawal decree. To qualify, applicants must have returned to their original nationality or obtained another one.
Importantly, the measure does not restore Kuwaiti citizenship or reverse the withdrawal decision, but instead gives affected people a separate legal status to remain in the country.
