KD 100 – if you lost your passport in Kuwait

If you’ve lost your Kuwaiti passport, you’ll now need to set aside KD 100 before you can get a replacement. The new fee took effect the moment it was published in the official gazette, Kuwait Alyoum, on Sunday – so if you’re dealing with a lost passport right now, this is the amount you should expect to pay at the counter.

There’s no grace period mentioned and no phased rollout. The decision applies from its publication date, full stop.

What exactly changed?

The previous fee structure for replacing a lost passport sat under Ministerial Resolution No. 1971/20, the rulebook that sets out charges for various transactions at the General Directorate of Nationality and Kuwaiti Travel Documents. The new decision specifically amends Clause 3 of Article 2 of that resolution, replacing whatever fee applied before with a flat KD 100 charge.

Article 2 of the new decision is short and procedural: it simply instructs the Undersecretary of the Ministry to put the change into effect, and confirms the rule starts from the day it appeared in the gazette. There’s no mention of exceptions, discounts for certain groups, or a transition period in the text released so far.

Who does this apply to?

This fee applies to Kuwaiti citizens who need to replace a passport that has been lost. It doesn’t apply to expatriate residents, since Kuwaiti passports are issued only to Kuwaiti nationals – but it’s still useful for everyone in the household to know, especially families where some members hold Kuwaiti nationality and others don’t.

It’s also worth being clear this is specifically about lost passports, not passports that are damaged, expired, or being renewed in the normal course of things. The gazette notice is narrowly about the fee for a replacement following a loss.

Steps to follow if you’ve lost your passport

The source decision only confirms the new fee, not a full step-by-step procedure. But based on how these matters are generally handled at the General Directorate of Nationality and Kuwaiti Travel Documents, here’s the practical sequence most people will need to go through:

1. Report the loss. If your passport was lost under circumstances that suggest theft or if you simply can’t locate it, it’s standard practice to file a report with the police first, since many government departments ask for proof that a loss has been reported before they’ll process a replacement.
2. Head to the General Directorate of Nationality and Kuwaiti Travel Documents with your civil ID and any supporting paperwork – the police report, if you have one, and any documents proving your identity and nationality.
3. Fill out the application for a replacement passport at the counter or service window handling travel documents.
4. Pay the KD 100 fee as set out in the new decision. Make sure to ask for a receipt, since you may need it later for reference.
5. Wait for the new passport to be processed and issued. Processing times aren’t specified in the gazette notice, so it’s sensible to ask staff directly how long it will take in your case.

Deadline to know: there isn’t a deadline to