Kuwait Scraps Automatic Extensions for Visit Visas and Leave Permits

• Kuwait's Ministry of Interior announced that special immigration arrangements introduced during the US, Israel and Iran conflict will end on September 1, 2026
• Residents currently outside Kuwait face changes to leave permit durations, with the Sahl app confirmed as the official reference for expiry dates
• Visit visa holders still inside Kuwait must prepare to comply with standard legal durations and entry visa regulations from the same date

Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has announced that the exceptional immigration arrangements introduced during the period of conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran will expire on September 1, 2026, with standard rules returning across three categories of immigration status.

The ministry confirmed that the temporary measures, which had been put in place to accommodate residents and visitors affected by the conflict, will no longer apply from that date.

Visit visa holders must comply with standard rules

Foreigners currently inside Kuwait on a visit visa will lose access to any automatic extensions that applied under the exceptional framework.

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From September 1, all legal durations, procedures and regulations that governed entry visas before the conflict period will come back into effect. Visitors will be required to comply with those original terms without exception.

New requirements for residents abroad

For Kuwaiti residents currently outside the country, standard leave permit durations will also be reinstated.

However, the ministry clarified that residents who departed Kuwait on or before August 31, 2026, will retain the benefit of the additional grace period that applied under the exceptional arrangements, in accordance with the relevant regulations.

The ministry designated the residency permit certificate available through the "Sahl" application as the official and approved reference for determining when a leave permit expires.

Residents are required to return to Kuwait within the timeframe displayed on that certificate. Failing to do so could expose them to overstay violations once the new rules take effect.

The announcement marks a full return to Kuwait's standard immigration framework following the temporary measures prompted by the regional conflict. Residents and visitors affected by the changes are advised to review their permit status through the "Sahl" application ahead of the September 1 deadline.

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According to the French government, applications for a short-stay visa cannot be submitted more than six months before the planned visit.

Source: YEN.com.gh