Department of Public Relations and Security Media in Ministry of Interior has launched a new initiative to clarify the rules for expatriates, and non-Kuwaiti and Bedoun husbands of Kuwaiti women to obtain driving licenses.
Citing Al-Anba daily, local newspaper Arab Times reported that this awareness initiative is in order to limit the repeated questions on this matter and avoid responding to them over and over again.
As per ministerial decree No. 5598/2014, non-Kuwaiti applicants can obtain a private or public driving license provided that they have legally stayed in the country for at least two years, obtain a monthly salary not less than KD 600, and have a university degree.
Resolution No. 3 specified the categories excluded from some of the conditions based on their social and functional circumstances.
According to the decision, the first category excluded from the conditions of residence, salary, and university certificate covers 13 segments. They are :- nonKuwaiti women married to Kuwaiti men including widows and divorcees provided they have children, non-Kuwaiti men married to Kuwaiti women and have children, Bedoun residents with valid security cards, students provided they are registered at any of the universities or applied institutions in Kuwait, members of the diplomatic corps, professionals in sports federations, clubs and government sectors, drivers and representatives who hold valid legal driving licenses issued by their countries or any other country, domestic workers who have been working for a period of not less than five consecutive years in a similar capacity provided they change their profession to driver, technicians working in the oil fields, pilots and sea captains and their assistants, washers of the dead, nursing staff, physiotherapists and medical technicians, housewives, as well as sons and spouses of judges, counselors, prosecutors and experts, faculty members of universities and institutions, doctors, pharmacists, and general managers and their assistants.
The decision states that the second category exempted from residency and salary conditions but should be holders of university degrees include judges, prosecutors, consultants and experts, faculty members of universities and applied institutes, journalists and media professionals, doctors and pharmacists, researchers, judiciary men, translators, librarians, teachers, social workers and engineers, trainers working in sports federations and clubs in government agencies.
The last category is excluded from the residency condition but must have monthly salary of not less than KD 600 and should be holders of university degrees. This category includes general managers and assistants, directors, accountants, and finally representatives.
The licenses of drivers and representatives will be cancelled upon the cancellation of their residence permits, or if they change their profession based on which the driving license was issued. The person will then not be eligible to apply for driving license for at least two years and the new procedures will apply.