Dubai: Kuwait has introduced key changes to its traffic law, extending driving licence validity periods and updating regulations for different vehicle categories.
The amendments were issued by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al Sabah.
Under the new rules, private driving licences for Kuwaitis and GCC citizens will now be valid for 15 years, while expatriates will have licences valid for three years.
General driving licences are categorised as follows:
Category ‘A’ covers vehicles with more than 25 passengers, public transport, trailers, and hazardous material carriers. It will be valid for 10 years for Kuwaitis and GCC nationals and three years for expatriates.
Category ‘B’ covers vehicles carrying between 7 and 25 passengers and transport vehicles up to eight tons. Similar validity periods apply.
Expatriates’ driving licences, previously renewed annually, will now be valid for three years.
Licences must be accessed via the “Kuwait Mobile ID” app, making physical licences obsolete.
In addition, technical inspections for new vehicles and motorcycles will take place three years after purchase, with subsequent inspections at three and two-year intervals, totaling eight years.