Renewing a driving licence in Kuwait costs five dinars, but the phrase the General Traffic Department writes beside that figure is worth noticing: “or according to the licence expiry date“. Meaning the amount can rise if the licence has been expired a while, and you only find that out at the counter.
What the department asks for
- A printed licence renewal application form.
- Two 4×6 photographs on a blue background. The colour is a written condition, not the officer’s discretion.
- A copy of the civil ID.
- A copy of the passport — for non-Kuwaitis.
Two conditions that apply to non-Kuwaitis only
Anyone employed by a company or an institution adds two steps that many people do not know about until they are in the queue:
- The sponsor’s signature on the printed renewal application.
- Attestation of that signature afterwards.
So the form you carry is not enough with the employer’s signature alone; the signature has to be attested. Anyone arriving with it merely signed goes back the way they came.
The learner permit has its own route
Renewing a learner permit is a separate transaction, also five dinars, requiring a printed application, a copy of the civil ID, a copy of the passport, and two 4×6 photographs on a blue background as well.
The blue background is the common factor between the two, and anyone who has their photographs taken once to that specification saves themselves a second trip.
Before you go
These are renewals, not first issues. The conditions for granting a licence to a non-Kuwaiti for the first time — salary, qualification and length of residency — are a separate matter.
Kuwait One, once a week.
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