Kuwait has brought a new ministerial decision into effect concerning the fee charged for a specific passport-related service, following its publication in the country’s Official Gazette, Kuwait Al-Youm, on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The measure concerns transactions handled by the General Department of Nationality and Kuwaiti Travel Documents and has attracted attention because of its implications for citizens who may need replacement travel documents.

Under Ministerial Decision No. 1769 of 2026, the fee for issuing a replacement for a lost Kuwaiti passport has been set at 100 Kuwaiti dinars. The wording is important because the charge applies specifically when a Kuwaiti passport has been lost and a replacement is required. It should not be interpreted as a blanket fee covering every new passport application or ordinary passport renewal.

The decision amends item three of Article Two of Ministerial Decision No. 20 of 1971, which governs certain fees collected for services provided by Kuwait’s nationality and travel documents authorities. The published amendment identifies the replacement of a lost Kuwaiti passport as the transaction subject to the KD100 charge. It does not announce a comprehensive revision of all passport-related service fees.

The decision was issued on October 5, 2026, by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah. It was subsequently published in Issue No. 1812 of the Official Gazette on October 11. The second article instructs the Ministry of Interior’s undersecretary to implement the decision and expressly states that it takes effect from the date of official publication.

A distinction must also be made between Kuwaiti passports and travel documents issued by foreign governments. The decision does not establish a KD100 charge for expatriates’ passports issued by their countries of nationality. Nor does the published amendment state that all Kuwaiti citizens must pay this amount when obtaining a passport for the first time or renewing an existing document. Its scope is limited to replacing a lost Kuwaiti passport.

The published text does not specify the previous replacement fee, nor does it set out the complete administrative process for reporting a missing passport or applying for a new document. Those procedural matters should not be assumed from the fee amendment alone. Anyone requiring a replacement should verify the current application requirements and supporting documents directly with the relevant Kuwaiti authorities.

The development serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding official travel documents and checking the precise wording of government decisions before relying on widely shared headlines. For Kuwaiti citizens dealing with a lost passport, the key confirmed change is the KD100 replacement fee effective October 11, 2026. Other passport services and their applicable charges should be assessed separately using the relevant official guidance.