Kuwait Towers stand beside the Kuwait City skyline along the Arabian Gulf.
Kuwait City: Kuwait has started procedures to transfer the residency permits of about 8,700 Palestinians who hold travel documents to Palestinian passports.
According to Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai, the General Department of Residency Affairs has given those affected three months to complete the process. Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub said the embassy was coordinating with the relevant Kuwaiti authorities over the arrangements.
Those concerned are being notified through the government’s Sahl application and asked to visit the Embassy of the State of Palestine to obtain a Palestinian passport. The document will then be used for their residency transfer and renewal.
Tahboub said the embassy had contacted the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in Ramallah to speed up passport issuance for Palestinians living in Kuwait. He said having a passport is important for completing residency and travel procedures.
The embassy is preparing to handle the expected increase in applications and assist residents during the process. Palestinians who have already obtained Palestinian passports will also be included in the residency transfer.
Meanwhile, the embassy is working on a project to print Palestinian passports in Kuwait. Tahboub said the plan could reduce the issuance period to no more than one week.
The measure affects Palestinians who continue to hold travel documents issued by Egypt, Syria or Lebanon instead of Palestinian passports. Kuwait requires an original passport for certain residency applications and renewals, prompting the transfer process.
This post was last modified on September 12, 2026 2:12 pm