Expat driving licenses to be only online, valid for one year

Effective today, expatriates’ driving licenses are going to be exclusively electronic, valid for one year, with the exception of domestic and cross-country truck drivers who are exempted from the order.

For international travel, Kuwaiti residents must utilize driving licenses issued by their respective countries, reports Al-Rai daily.

The Ministerial Resolution No. 410 of 2023, specifies the one-year validity of driving licenses for residents, subject to renewal, has prompted First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled, to instruct the General Traffic Department to rely solely on electronic driving licenses for in-country residents, starting today, Sunday, 12/10/2023, eliminating the need for physical documents.

The Ministry of Interior emphasized that the electronic renewal of driving licenses can be carried out through the Ministry’s website and the “Sahel” unified government application.

Applications meeting decision criteria will be electronically accepted, and the license can be activated through the Ministry’s documents within the “Sahel” application, labeled as “My Identity.”

Residents can verify license validity via the “My ID” application, noting a green mark for valid licenses and a red mark for expired ones.

Expired licenses require renewal through the “Sahl” application or appropriate action according to traffic laws, necessitating a visit to the General Traffic Department within Kuwait.

For international travel, residents must use driving licenses issued by their respective countries.

The Ministry highlighted that these measures align with the Ministry of Interior’s ongoing digital transformation efforts, streamlining processes, reducing paperwork, and optimizing resource allocation.