Decree-Law No. 79 of 2026 Amends the Kuwaiti Nationality Law

Decree-Law No. 79 of 2026, published in the Supplement to Kuwait Al-Youm Issue 1805 dated 24 August 2026, amends the Kuwaiti Nationality Law issued by Amiri Decree No. 15 of 1959 in three areas. The amendments took effect on publication.

First, the decree-law replaces item 4 of Article 14. Nationality may now be withdrawn from a person who deliberately added to his nationality file, or to another person's file, someone who is not his child or descendant, where this is established by an inquiry of the Supreme Committee for the Verification of Kuwaiti Nationality or by a final court judgment. Withdrawal may also extend to a child or descendant who was proven to have known of the false entry.

Second, a new Article 19 provides that the certificate of Kuwaiti nationality will be issued in electronic form. The Minister of Interior will issue a decision setting the technical controls for issuing, storing, using, verifying and cancelling the electronic certificate, which carries the same legal force as the paper certificate and replaces it wherever laws and regulations require one.

Third, a new paragraph added to Article 7 provides that a person who acquired Kuwaiti nationality by naturalisation has no right to vote, stand as a candidate, or be appointed in any parliamentary body. The explanatory memorandum links the amendments to Decree-Law No. 52 of 2026 and to the state's programme of correcting nationality files and completing its digital transformation.

WEFAQ advises that individuals and families whose nationality files are under review should understand the new evidence and procedure rules before taking any step, and government bodies and private institutions should prepare their processes to accept the electronic certificate in place of the paper document.

Source: Decree-Law No. 79 of 2026; Kuwait Al-Youm Supplement to Issue 1805, 24 August 2026.

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, please contact WEFAQ Law Firm.