Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issued Amiri Decree-Law No. 79 of 2026 which amends several provisions of the 1959 Nationality Law. The decree was approved by the Council of Ministers during its meeting the previous week and takes effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette. KUNA reported that the changes seek to protect national identity strengthen belonging and affirm the state’s sovereign authority over citizenship matters while correcting erroneous practices that had affected nationality records.
According to the decree a revised clause in Article 14 states that if a person deliberately adds to a nationality file someone who is not their child or descendant and this is confirmed by an investigation from the Supreme Committee for Kuwaiti Nationality Investigation or a final judicial ruling then nationality may be revoked from any of that person’s children or descendants. The revocation applies only if it is proven that those children or descendants knew about the addition. The amendment forms one of the core tightening measures outlined in the explanatory memorandum published with the decree in Kuwait Al-Youm.
The decree replaces Article 19 entirely requiring the Minister of Interior to grant every Kuwaiti an electronic nationality certificate once eligibility is verified under the law. The minister must issue a separate decision specifying all technical and technological requirements for the certificate’s issuance storage use verification of validity and any cancellation or suspension procedures. This shift supports the government’s ongoing digital transformation and paperless services initiative as detailed in the accompanying explanatory note.
A new paragraph added to Article 7 explicitly bars anyone who acquired Kuwaiti nationality through naturalization from the rights to vote run for election or receive appointment to any parliamentary body. The decree references Article 82 of the Constitution which stipulates that members of the National Assembly must be Kuwaiti by birth. Kuwait Times reported that the provision reinforces constitutional limits that had already restricted naturalized citizens from certain political roles although some limited voting rights had previously existed after 30 years.
The electronic nationality certificate carries identical legal validity and effects to the former paper document and fully replaces it across all relevant laws decrees and regulations. Al-Jarida noted that the memorandum accompanying the decree highlighted how the electronic format enhances security and efficiency in government transactions while maintaining full evidentiary value. The decree cancels any prior provisions that conflict with its new rules.
The explanatory memorandum published in the official gazette outlined four foundational pillars for the amendments including protection of sovereign authority over citizenship ensuring parliamentary representatives are original Kuwaitis prohibiting political participation by naturalized persons and advancing digital certificates. Khaleej Times reported that the measures build on earlier efforts to review and purify nationality records that had been underway since 2024. The decree itself contains no further transitional provisions beyond its immediate entry into force upon publication.
