Residency Renewal in Kuwait: What to Know in 2025

It is a relatively hassle-free process the days of renewing your Kuwait residency (iqama), now done online via the Ministry of Interior e-services after paying health insurance and any fines. The majority of residents will be able to renew 30-90 days before expiry, and will have to be physically present in Kuwait with a passport that should have a validity of one year or more. Once the renewal has been approved by the MOI, you are also required to renew your Civil ID with PACI in order to ensure that your records are updated. The similarity between passport documents (in particular, Latin name) in the MOI system avoids any delays during the residency as well as the Civil ID phases. For more interesting stories, visit our Top Stories page.

How the online renewal works

The first thing to do is to log-in to the MOI e-services portal (individual or company account, based on your visa article). Verify your Civil ID and authenticate by Kuwait Mobile ID, where necessary. Choose Residency Renewal and select the file to renew (self, sponsored family member or employee) and ensure that all the personal information is correct with the passport particulars including the MRZ name format.

Pay health insurance an equivalent amount of time than you intend to renew, pay any residency or traffic fines displayed in your account, and thereafter, enter renewal fee online and save the receipt. A great deal of files can be approved instantly; exceptions such as lapsed passports, name mismatch, or pending violations can initiate manual inspection. After approval, complete a PACI update of your Civil ID, follow up on delivery or pick-up.

The standard requirements involve valid passport and Civil ID copies, working permit (in the case of workers of the private sector), valid residency of the sponsor (in the case of dependents), and completed biometrics / fingerprints on file. You can do late renewals with fines, but it is better to check your MOI account every week or so as your expiry date gets closer. In case of domestic workers and company files, the flow should be followed in the corresponding portals, and insurance and documents validity should be aligned with the renewed term.