3-month deadline to transfer ‘iqama’ to passports

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 10: The process of regulating the residency status of Palestinian travel document holders in Kuwait has entered a new phase, with procedures underway to transfer residency permits from travel documents to Palestinian passports. The General Department of Residency Affairs is notifying the individuals concerned through the Sahel application to visit the Embassy of the State of Palestine to obtain a Palestinian Authority passport, in preparation for transferring and renewing their Kuwaiti residency permits.

The Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait, Rami Tahboub, confirmed that the embassy is coordinating with the relevant Kuwaiti authorities to finalize the procedures. He explained that the deadline for transferring residency permits is three months, with approximately 8,700 individuals holding travel documents expected to benefit, in addition to Palestinians who have already obtained Palestinian passports since their introduction. The Palestinian Embassy has begun taking the necessary measures to handle the expected influx of applicants in the coming period and facilitate the passport issuance and residency transfer process. The embassy has contacted the Palestinian Ministry of Interior to expedite the issuance of passports for Palestinians residing in Kuwait, given their direct connection to residency and travel procedures. The ambassador said work is also underway on a project that would allow Palestinian passports to be printed inside the embassy in Kuwait, reducing the issuance period to a maximum of one week