Kuwait Driving License Guides
Everything the General Traffic Department publishes about driving licenses, rewritten as short guides with the documents and official forms in one place.
Whether you are applying for your first license, renewing one or replacing a lost card, start with the guide that matches your situation. Each guide lists the steps and documents as published by the GDT, and links to the official form when there is one.
Not a Kuwaiti citizen? Read the requirements for non-Kuwaitis first: they decide whether you can apply and which exemptions apply to you.
Get a driving license
New driving license
A first driving license in Kuwait is issued by the General Traffic Department (GDT) after a request, a medical check, a learner's permit and two exams: a theory test and a practical test.
Read the guide Get a driving licenseMotorcycle license
Riders in Kuwait follow the same learner-permit-then-test route as car drivers, with a motorcycle request form, and a minimum age of 18.
Read the guide Get a driving licenseConstruction & industrial license
Operators of construction, industrial and agricultural vehicles apply through a dedicated GDT procedure that involves an audit visit.
Read the guideRenew or replace your license
Renew driving license
Renewing a driving license in Kuwait is a short paperwork job: a request form, photos and ID copies, with extra employer signatures for non-Kuwaitis who work for companies.
Read the guide Renew or replace your licenseRenew learner's license
If your learner's permit runs out before you have passed your tests, the GDT renewal is quick: a printed form, ID copies and photos, plus the renewal fee.
Read the guide Renew or replace your licenseLost or damaged license
You have 10 days to report a lost or damaged driving license to the General Traffic Department and ask for a replacement.
Read the guide Renew or replace your licenseGCC license replacement
Drivers who already hold a license from another GCC country can ask the GDT for a Kuwaiti license directly, without starting from the learner's permit.
Read the guideDriving instructor permits
New instructor permit
To work as a driving instructor in Kuwait you need a permit from the General Traffic Department; the paperwork is short but includes a medical exam.
Read the guide Driving instructor permitsRenew instructor permit
Instructor permits are renewed with the same documents as the first application, plus the renewal fee.
Read the guideConditions and special cases
Conditions for non-Kuwaitis
Under Ministerial Decree No. 270/2020, a non-Kuwaiti needs more than 2 years of legal residency, a university degree and a salary of at least KD 600: unless their situation is on the exemption lists.
Read the guide Conditions and special casesPermit for unknown nationals
The GDT publishes this service as an Arabic request form rather than a text page, so the form itself is the official reference.
Read the guideReady to test yourself?
Take the free Kuwait driving theory practice test. No sign-up, no payment: just practice until you pass with confidence.