The Ministry of Health issued Ministerial Decision No. 306 of 2025 outlining executive regulations for Law No. 1 of 1999 as amended on health insurance for foreigners, according to a statement from the ministry. Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi set the annual fee at 100 dinars for most residency categories covering government and private sector employees, family reunification cases, investors, students and property owners. The regulations also stipulate a five-dinar monthly charge for certain entry visas while requiring visitors to obtain coverage from approved private providers.
Ministry officials noted that the previous fee structure had remained unchanged for nearly 25 years with primary sponsors paying 50 dinars, spouses 40 dinars and children under 18 paying 30 dinars. The new unified rate is expected to more than double prior annual collections which one analysis placed at roughly 112 million dinars in 2025 before the overhaul. Dr. Hisham Kallender, assistant undersecretary for external health services, described the update as a strategic milestone in health system reform that establishes a comprehensive and sustainable guarantee framework.
According to the ministry the policy change aligns with new residency regulations that took effect on December 23, 2025, creating legislative and operational integration between health and interior authorities. Full digital transformation governs all insurance procedures with electronic linkages designed to streamline verification and enforcement. Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Hunaidi, director of the health insurance and guarantee department, explained that the revision followed extensive technical and legal reviews to modernize a system unchanged for a quarter century.
The Insurance Regulatory Unit under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry reported that health insurance represented 48 percent of Kuwait’s non-life insurance turnover in fiscal year 2023 with 305 million dinars in premiums out of a 563-million-dinar total for the segment. This made health the dominant class ahead of motor at 120 million dinars and other lines. The new expatriate fees are anticipated to expand the overall market by directing more activity toward private providers while generating direct state revenue.
Exemptions apply to several groups including Kuwaiti citizens’ spouses, children, parents, Kuwaiti women’s foreign children, diplomatic personnel and up to three domestic workers per Kuwaiti household, the ministry statement detailed. Residency and visa validity periods determine the exact start and end dates for coverage rather than passport expiration. The ministry emphasized that the policy will ease pressure on public health infrastructure by shifting some demand to the private sector.
Public Authority for Civil Information statistics place Kuwait’s expatriate population at approximately 3.3 million or more than two-thirds of total residents, amplifying the fiscal effect of the adjusted fees. An independent 2026 assessment calculated maximum potential revenue at 268 million dinars assuming full compliance and no behavioral shifts among families although actual figures may vary with exemptions and departures. The ministry has established a dedicated oversight unit to monitor private facilities and insurers participating in the expanded system.
