Kuwait Issues Guidelines For Its Citizens Stripped Of Nationality

Arab Times

2 days ago

KUWAIT CITY, July 10: In a landmark announcement, Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has unveiled a comprehensive framework detailing the rights, responsibilities, and procedures for individuals whose Kuwaiti citizenship has been revoked under the so-called 'Grand Acts of Worship' or 'Noble Deeds' clause. The announcement, made on Thursday, outlines the conditions under which affected individuals can retain certain privileges, regularize their residency status, and access government services.
Temporary Travel Provision
According to the Ministry's statement, individuals affected by citizenship revocation decrees issued on or before July 20, 2025, will be allowed to travel using their Kuwaiti passports for a grace period of four months. For those whose revocation takes place after that date, the four-month window will be calculated from the issuance date of their respective decree. This temporary measure is intended to help individuals adjust their legal status without immediate disruption.
Legal Status Adjustment: Embassy Coordination Required
The ministry emphasized that affected individuals and their dependents must amend their legal status by contacting the embassy of their original nationality or obtaining an official travel document that allows legal residency in Kuwait. The transition must occur within one year of the decree's publication in the Official Gazette.
Failure to initiate corrective actions within the first three months of that period could result in the cancellation of all benefits. Individuals must provide proof of their efforts to obtain valid documentation and demonstrate seriousness in adjusting their residency status.
Employment Rights and Education Access Preserved
Despite the loss of nationality, the government confirmed that affected individuals may continue working in the public sector or within government-owned companies, provided they were already employed under official contracts. However, they will be barred from occupying supervisory or leadership positions.
Additionally, the right to education will remain intact. Those enrolled in primary, secondary, higher education, or state-sponsored scholarship programs before the revocation will be allowed to continue their studies.
Housing and Property Guidelines
The Ministry also clarified rules regarding private housing:
Individuals may retain ownership of one private residence in Kuwait.
Those previously owning multiple homes due to polygamy are permitted to retain more than one private residence.
Those who completed housing construction with financial assistance from the Kuwait Credit Bank must repay all loans within one year of the revocation decree.
Those who completed housing construction with financial assistance from the Kuwait Credit Bank must repay all loans within one year of the revocation decree.
Individuals who started construction must finish the project at their own expense and settle dues within two years.
If only a building permit was issued, the individual may retain the plot but must construct the residence within two years, again at their own expense.
Sponsorship and Vehicle Ownership
The regulations also permit individuals to continue sponsoring domestic workers and to own private vehicles, under prevailing rules.
However, they will no longer be treated as Kuwaiti citizens when it comes to the allocation or use of public state assets such as chalets, agricultural plots, commercial lands, barns, and industrial properties. Affected individuals are given five years to relinquish these assets to first-degree Kuwaiti relatives without incurring any fees.
For privately owned commercial or investment properties, owners are required to transfer ownership—whether through sale, gift, or legal assignment—within five years of the citizenship revocation.
Circumstances That Lead to Loss of Benefits
The Ministry outlined several scenarios that would immediately suspend benefits, including:
A final court ruling in cases involving felonies, dishonorable offenses, state security violations, or religious blasphemy.
Failure to legalize residency within one year by either regaining the original nationality or obtaining an approved official document valid for residence.
Grievance Mechanism Available
Despite these strict measures, individuals may still file grievances with the Grievance Committee for the Withdrawal, Forfeiture, and Loss of Kuwaiti Citizenship, established under Cabinet Resolution No. 207/2025 and amended by Resolution No. 493/2025.
Call for Cooperation and Transparency
The Ministry urged all affected individuals to strictly adhere to the deadlines and instructions issued, emphasizing that timely data updates and compliance with the law are crucial. It reaffirmed its commitment to fair, transparent, and humane enforcement of the law, particularly in cases arising under the "noble deeds" clause.
'The Ministry of Interior remains committed to enforcing laws justly while safeguarding human dignity and social stability,' the statement concluded.
This development marks a significant step in regulating the status of individuals affected by the controversial clause, ensuring a clearer path toward legal stability and administrative transparency.