Expat Driving Licenses And Kuwait Residency Permits Now Automated

Following the successful introduction of online driving permit renewals, Kuwait is planning to extend the facility.

According to a source, since the programme’s launch in November last year, a total of well over 17,000 residents including expats have applied online, been accepted and have collected their licenses from machines set at two malls and the Ministry of the Interior’s service centres. Fines for violation can also be cleared at the locations, and a similar service is set to offer new licenses, licenses for learner drivers and the replacement of damaged licenses.

Again according to sources, as a result of the scheme’s success the Ministry of the Interior’s IT department is working on a similar online system to be used for expatriates’ residency permits. Already, some 9,000 workers have used the new facility, thus saving time and money, and its introduction across the board is being eagerly awaited. Another improvement aimed at Kuwait’s expat population is in the planning stage and will provide instant civil ID cards to expatriates in the same manner as it’s offered to citizens.

Meanwhile, expats in Kuwait who’ve fallen on hard times financially are now buying medicines from local grocery stores rather than from pharmacies in order to save money. Whilst it’s illegal for general stores to sell non-prescription medicine, it’s the only way to get the exact needs for any health issue rather than buying an entire packet unable to be stored after the expiry date has passed.