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*Kuwaiti expats can no longer stay abroad for more than six months*
Kuwaiti authorities have said that the residency permits of private sector expats who stay abroad for more than six months will be cancelled, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper.
Overstayers will have their iqamas revoked by the Interior Ministry once their stay outside Kuwait is calculated from May 1 through October 31.
Expatriates who possess an Article 18-compliant iqamat are prohibited from staying outside Kuwait for more than six months, the ministry said.
As well, expatriates with dependent residency permits are likely to be restricted from staying outside Kuwait for more than six months, ending an earlier open-ended stay policy.
It is likely that the new rule will apply to self-employed foreigners with an Article 24 iqama before the end of this year, the paper reported, citing security sources.
“Based on humanitarian considerations, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic the Interior Ministry has allowed all foreign residents staying abroad to renew their iqamas online and stay outside the country [Kuwait] for an open-ended duration,” the sources said.
“But now that the health situation has improved in the country, there is no justification for keeping these exceptional measures,” they added.
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