KUWAIT CIITY, Jan 8: The Ministry of Interior has issued a warning regarding the use of civil ID cards for traveling to and from Kuwait, stressing that it is prohibited to use the civil ID as a travel document between Kuwait and Gulf countries if the passport is invalid, lost, or withdrawn. This restriction remains in place until the holder of a withdrawn passport obtains a certificate of withdrawal, which takes a maximum of two weeks to be issued.

Security sources say the new decision has been implemented at all border crossing points. As a result, no male or female citizen will be allowed to leave the country using a civil ID card, especially if their passport is valid and has not been withdrawn or lost. According to Article 1 of the ministerial resolution No. 2646/2024, the Kuwaiti civil ID card is considered a transit document that can replace the passport when traveling between Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.