Citizenship

Is it possible to become a national of Kuwait?

Citizenship

As a foreigner, you won’t be granted rights of citizenship in Kuwait.

Kuwait’s government is keen to protect the status quo and doesn’t want to compromise its cultural values or standard of living by allowing foreigners to become a permanent part of society. Your only route to becoming a naturalised citizen is by marriage to a national; even this, however, doesn’t guarantee citizenship, particularly for non-Muslims.

In exceptional circumstances only, a Kuwait’s ruler might grant citizenship to a foreigner who has provided outstanding service to the state over a number of years. A generous employer might reward a loyal worker who has made a major contribution to the company over many years by providing him with a work and residence permit of indefinite duration. After your retirement, however, the employer would have to be a figure of considerable influence to maintain this gift and satisfy the labour authorities. In this case, you wouldn’t be a citizen, but merely be allowed to remain in the country indefinitely.

Children of foreigners born in Kuwait don’t have rights of local citizenship and automatically assume the nationality of the parents. If one of the parents is a national of Kuwait, the child will usually be granted local nationality and may later become a national of Kuwait and obtain a local passport.

It’s recommended that you fully acquaint yourself with the implications of giving birth in Kuwait.

In many cases, the child isn’t affected, but any children that he has might not enjoy the same rights of nationality, citizenship, abode, etc. as his parents and grandparents.

Further reading

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Other comments

  • Dr Salam, 09 September 2009 Reply

    in correct statement

    Your statement that Kuwait would grant Kuwaiti citizenship to children if one of the parents is a national of Kuwait is incorrect. Kuwait would only grant citizenship to children with a Kuwaiti father only. Children of a Kuwaiti mother can not get Kuwaiti citizenship.

    • shahzad 21 Dec 2009, 09:55

      can my child get kuwati nationalty

      can my child get kuwait nationalty if my child born in kuwait.
      and mother of my child if kuwaiti national. . because here in kuwait i am living in kuwait. an kuwaiti women porpose me for marriage. but i am not national of kuwait i from pakistan. but i am not deciding because i do not know after marriage kuwait will give kuwait nationalty to my child or not. please guid me. and tell me good information. because i hear from people that only kuwait man born child is able for kuwaiti national. please tell me i should get marriage or not.
      thank allah bless you.

  • WASAMI, 30 August 2010 Reply

    it is also for non muslims

    "Your only route to becoming a naturalised citizen is by marriage to a national; even this, however, doesn’t guarantee citizenship, particularly for non-Muslims".


    here in Kuwait we don't actually differenciate betweem people regarding their religon. every body here is equall whether they were muslim , christian , jew ...etc

    any way thanks alot for the valluable information about kuwait.

    WASAMI