New Decisions Issued In Kuwait Under The Ministry of Health

Kuwait’s Ministry of Health releases various new decisions aimed at enhancing regulations on the public health system, pharmaceutical and health related controls and restrictions, and consolidates new legislation to the wider framework regulating narcotic and psychotropic substances.

Recent key changes:

Issuance of the Regulations for the Law on Health Insurance for foreigners.

• Kuwait Ministerial Decision No. 306/2025 was published in the Official Gazette on 21 December 2025, issuing the Implementing Regulation of Kuwait Law No. 1/1999 on Health Insurance for Foreigners (as amended). The new Regulation is effective starting from 23 December 2025.
• Payment of prescribed health insurance fees is mandatory as part of residency visa issuance and renewal as well as for the issuance of visit visas.
• The Regulation affects public and private sector employees, domestic workers and those on dependency visas and grants exceptions and special categories.
• Health insurance validity is linked to the length of the visitor or resident visa, not the passport validity.

Health Insurance Fees

• The annual health insurance fee for most long-term residents has increased to KD 100, up from KD 50, covering both public and private sector employees, investors, students, and dependents.

A reduced fee of KD 10 applies to certain private-sector workers, including:

• Farmers
• Fishermen
• Herders
• Dairy-sector employees

KD 5 fee applies to residency applications under eight visa types, including:

• Government employment
• Private sector employment
• Commercial activities
• Family reunification
• Study
• Foreign investment
• Temporary government contracts
• Oil-sector employment

Exempted categories from health insurance fees, including:

• Foreign women married to Kuwaitis;
• Children of Kuwaiti women from foreign husbands;
• Up to three domestic workers sponsored by Kuwaiti families (with a KD10 fee applying from the fourth worker onward);
• Diplomatic missions; and
• Foreign newborns for a limited period (4 months).

New Requirements for Travelers to Present Certified Prescriptions for Certain Medicines When Entering into the Country.

Kuwait Ministerial Decision No. 302/2025 on the Regulation of the Entities Authorised to Approve Medical Reports or Prescriptions Related to Narcotic Substances, Preparations and Psychotropic Substances, for those Coming from Abroad.

• This recent Decision is another measure by the government to implement the new Decree-Law No. 159/2025 on Combating Narcotics (Anti-Drug Law).
• It was published in the Gazette this December and took effect from 15 December 2025.

New obligations:

• Patients arriving in Kuwait may bring in narcotic substances that are listed in the approved Schedule mentioned in the Decision, in quantities that are sufficient for their treatment for a period not exceeding 15 days.
• Patients may also bring in psychotropic substances that are listed in the approved Schedules mentioned in the Decision in quantities that are sufficient for their treatment for a period not exceeding one month.

The conditions:

• Patients must present certified medical reports or prescriptions for the substances to General Administration of Customs upon arrival. These documents must be approved in advance, in writing or electronically, by the relevant Kuwaiti authorities abroad before entry into Kuwait (by a Kuwaiti embassy or consulate in the country of origin before the traveller’s arrival).
• If those reports or medical prescriptions are not certified, the General Administration of Customs will not release such narcotics, and psychotropic substances until they are certified by the airport clinic doctor within 24 hours of their inspection by customs employees and their conformity to the actual quantities specified in this Decision, and then they will be released.

Rules and Regulations on Health Facilities for import, export or transport of substances.

Kuwait Ministerial Decision 303/2025 on the Regulation of the Use and Trade of Narcotic Substances, Preparations and Psychotropic Substances in Licensed Governmental and Private Health Facilities.

• This Decision comes as another measure aimed to strengthen administrative implementation of the new Anti-Drug Law.
• Health facilities must be licensed from the Ministry of Health for the import, export, or transport of narcotic or psychotropic substances and chemical precursors. This license shall be valid for (90) days from the date of issuance, in accordance with the controls and conditions stated in the Decision.

Licensing Application:

The Application must be made to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Licensing Department at the Ministry of Health. Applications for licenses to import or export narcotic substances shall include information including the following:

• Name, total quantity, concentration, and pharmaceutical form of the product.
• Quantity of the active ingredient of the product or substance.
• Details of the supplying or exporting company, including name and address.
• Shipping destination and method of shipment.
• Reasons for import or export.
• A copy of the applicant company’s commercial license.
• A copy of the pharmacist’s professional license and a copy of their civil ID.

• The Minister has the right to reject a license application or reduce the quantity requested for import, export, or transport, by a reasoned decision. The applicant may appeal this decision to a committee established by a Cabinet decision within (15) days of being notified. The decision issued on the appeal shall be final.

Administrative controls for record keeping and compliance:

• All entities licensed to trade in the stipulated substances must prepare a register for recording and documenting all movement of incoming and outgoing shipments within the stipulated time frames and required data in the Decision. The amount of materials dispensed must be recorded in the register within 24 hours. Purchase and sale invoices and prescriptions shall be retained, and medical records are not destroyed until the record retention period of 3 years has expired.
• A special register will be established at the Ministry of Health to record those licensed to import, export and transport narcotic substances, psychotropic substances, chemical precursors and their preparations.