Nationality... Without Papers
- No legal effect for paper nationality certificates in transactions
- Nationality Administration ready to immediately implement the electronic certificate
- Adoption of new forms and comprehensive electronic linkage between relevant entities
- Immediate update of data and the certificate holder’s photo in the Nationality Department records
- Closure of the paper nationality certificate channel for those whose nationality has been revoked
- Electronic nationality certificate will be available via “Sahl” and “Huwiyati”
- Supreme Committee continues dismantling forgery files, some dating back 40 to 60 years
Through considerable and arduous efforts, and extensive investigations to unravel the complexities of forgery files—particularly given the existence of old cases spanning 40 to 60 years, as well as fabricated names, identities, and nationalities—the Supreme Committee for Achieving Kuwaiti Nationality, chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousif, continues its successive meetings. These efforts are part of initiatives to cleanse Kuwaiti nationality files of irregularities, expose forgers, and take necessary measures regarding files presented to the committee, following thorough research, examination, and verification to eliminate any doubt.
It is expected that the official newspaper, *Al-Kuwait Al-Yawm*, will publish next Sunday the draft law amending certain provisions of Amir’s Decree No. 15 of 1959 concerning Kuwaiti Nationality, which the Council of Ministers has approved. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed to *Al-Rai* that implementation of the amendments will begin immediately upon the decree’s publication in the official gazette.
The sources indicated that the decree addresses the “electronic nationality,” in accordance with the amendment to Article 19, which stipulates that “the Minister of Interior shall issue every Kuwaiti with a certificate of Kuwaiti nationality after verifying its authenticity in accordance with the provisions of this law, and this certificate shall be issued in electronic form.”
The sources emphasized that “upon publication of the decree, the Nationality Administration will be ready to immediately begin implementing the electronic nationality, whereby the paper nationality certificate will be canceled and will carry no legal validity or effect.” They clarified that “the electronic nationality certificate will be available through government electronic applications, including Sahl and Huwiyati, and the paper certificate will not be recognized in any official or legal transactions.”
The sources noted that Article 3 of the draft law stipulates that “the electronic certificate specified in this draft law shall carry the same legal validity and effects as the nationality certificate, and shall replace the paper certificate in the application of laws, decrees, and regulations in force.”
It was clarified that the Nationality Administration has completed its preparations for immediate implementation by adopting electronic nationality certificate templates and establishing comprehensive electronic linkages among relevant entities. This ensures that data in the electronic nationality certificate is updated automatically and instantly—for example, a change in the passport photo will automatically appear in the nationality certificate as well.
