No more service centre queues: Kuwait launches e-visa service for domestic drivers

Hiring a domestic driver in Kuwait just got considerably simpler. The Ministry of Interior has launched an electronic service that allows citizens to issue entry visas for new domestic drivers entirely through the government's unified Sahel application, no service centre visit required, according to the Gulf News.

The service was introduced by the Human Resources and Information Technology Sector in cooperation with the Residency Affairs Sector, and sits within Kuwait's broader push to expand digital government services and move public transactions online.

Authorities said the initiative would help enhance efficiency, reduce paperwork and save users time and effort by enabling applications to be completed electronically, a straightforward pitch for a service that previously required considerably more legwork.

Part of a wider digital shift

The ministry added that the move supports Kuwait's wider strategy to build an integrated digital system for public transactions and expand access to online government services, with the Sahel application increasingly becoming the central platform through which citizens access official procedures without stepping into a government office.

The domestic driver visa service is the latest in a series of administrative changes Kuwait has rolled out in recent months. The country has introduced multiple-trip exit permits for expatriate workers, simplified residency transfer procedures and revised visa fee regulations, all part of a wider effort to modernise how the government interacts with residents and citizens alike.

For those already using Sahel for other government services, the addition of domestic driver visa applications continues a pattern of consolidating public transactions into a single, accessible platform, one that Kuwait appears committed to expanding further.