Urgent Kuwait Visa Rule: 8,700 Palestinians Must Update Passports Now
Kuwait's General Department of Residency Affairs has issued a mandatory notice for approximately 8,700 Palestinian residents currently holding temporary travel documents—such as Egyptian, Syrian, or Lebanese wathiqah—to transfer their residency status to official Palestinian Authority passports. This directive, which carries a three-month compliance deadline, is being communicated to affected individuals through the government’s Sahel mobile application.
- 8,700 Palestinian residents with temporary travel documents must update their residency status
- Three-month compliance deadline communicated through the Sahel mobile app
- Goal is to transfer residency to official Palestinian Authority passports
Official Confirmation and Embassy Help
Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait, Rami Tahboub, confirmed that 8,700 travel document holders are impacted by this regulation. The mandate requires residents to obtain a Palestinian Authority passport and subsequently update their residency records to reflect this new documentation. The embassy is currently coordinating with authorities in Ramallah to accelerate the issuance of passports for Kuwait-based applicants. Furthermore, the embassy is developing an initiative to print Palestinian passports directly within Kuwait, which officials estimate could reduce issuance times to approximately one week if the project commences within the next month.
Warnings and Regulatory Background
Residents are advised to monitor the Sahel app for specific notifications and visit the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Kuwait to initiate the passport application process. Officials warn that continuing to use travel documents for residency renewal, job contract updates, or bank KYC procedures may lead to future rejections. This transition follows broader regulatory changes in Kuwait, including the implementation of the KD 800 monthly salary threshold for family residency established in late 2025 and Ministerial Decision No. 1410/2026, which granted fee-exempt residency to specific groups. Experts note that maintaining alignment between Civil ID, residency, and official passport numbers is critical to avoid potential complications with travel, school admissions, and the Kuwaiti six-month absence rule. The reporting on this development draws on local sources including the Times Kuwait, Al-Rai, Arab Times, Gulf News, and Siasat, as well as notices circulated via the Sahel app as of September 2026.