The ministerial decision amended provisions in Ministerial Resolution No. 2249 of 2025 concerning the executive regulations of the law on residence of aliens, Al-Rai reported. It inserted a new article 7 bis that authorises ordinary residency permits not exceeding 10 years for those subject to a decree withdrawing Kuwaiti nationality under the specified clause, including dependents who acquired citizenship through them, once they have reverted to their original foreign nationality or obtained any other. The director general of the General Directorate for Residency Affairs holds responsibility for setting the precise conditions and controls for both granting and renewing these permits as well as authorising work in the country.
Beneficiaries gain an exception from the standard rule limiting absence abroad to no more than six months and receive full exemption from residency fees, according to the decision detailed by Al-Rai. A separate fee of 10 dinars applies for family sponsorship covering husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers and fathers. The measure applies exclusively to those who have already regained or acquired alternative nationality following the citizenship withdrawal.
This development follows extensive revisions to Kuwait’s nationality regulations. The official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm published decrees in April 2026 stripping citizenship from 2,182 individuals along with a decree-law that amended core sections of the 1959 Amiri Decree on citizenship, redefining eligibility criteria and revocation processes. Those changes included pathways for possible reinstatement after one year of legal residence and renunciation of foreign nationality in select cases.
The referenced clause falls within Article 13 of the foundational 1959 decree that has governed Kuwaiti citizenship for more than six decades with periodic updates addressing naturalisation by dependency and other categories. Authorities have conducted broad reviews of past grants in recent years, resulting in thousands of revocations across multiple categories as part of efforts to correct irregularities and safeguard national interests, Kuwait Al-Youm records indicate. The latest residency option addresses the status of affected individuals without restoring their former citizenship.
The director general will determine specific work authorisation rules under the new framework, the ministerial decision states. Eligible persons must still satisfy all conditions established by the residency authority for initial approval and subsequent renewals. The provision supplies a structured legal pathway for continued presence and employment in Kuwait following the loss of nationality.
Al-Rai noted that the decision forms part of ongoing adjustments to residency regulations amid the citizenship reforms. Implementation will require coordination with the General Directorate for Residency Affairs to process applications under the updated article. No immediate figures were released on the potential number of beneficiaries from the measure.
