I always appreciate the work of the Arab Times Legal Clinic. I have the following queries about the driving license.

1. What are the conditions for getting a driving license and which jobs are exempted from the salary condition.

2. Whether I can get a student’s driving license and what are its conditions.

I hope you can enlighten me and help me with this matter as I am looking forward to driving.

Name withheld

Answer: Before we discuss all the aspects of your question, we would like to first stress on the three following requirements to apply for a driving license:

1. Must have been on legal residence for at least two years at the time of application

2. Must be a university degree holder

3. Must be getting a salary of at least KD 600 a month. This amount must be mentioned on the work permit.

Even if you are earning more and a lesser salary is mentioned on the work permit your application will not be entertained.

In addition, the applicant must pass age and health fitness tests plus face the driving tests conducted by the Kuwait Traffic Department. It doesn’t matter if you were already a holder of a Kuwait driving license.

Please also remember that from Jan 1, 2016 the validity of the driving license is linked to the validity of the applicant’s license.

While on the subject of driving licenses, we would like to mention — for the information of our readers — that the following are exempted from the conditions mentioned against each group.

Non-Kuwaiti wives, widows and divorcees of Kuwaiti men who have Kuwaiti children, husbands of Kuwaiti women, illegal residents (bedoun) holding valid security ID cards and students registered in a university or a PAAET institute in Kuwait are exempted from all of the above conditions and can apply for the licenses straight away.

On the other hand the following are exempted from the residency and salary conditions

1. Housewives who have children and whose husbands already hold driving licenses

2. Members of diplomatic corps

3. Professional sport clubs’ players, drivers

4. Company representatives (mandoubs)

5. Passport and Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor representatives who already hold valid driving licenses from their respective countries

6. Judges

7. Members of the public prosecution

8. Chancellors, experts, university and PAAET teaching staff members

9. Journalists and members of the media

10. Doctors

11. Pharmacists

12. Engineers

13. Teachers, social workers, researchers, translators, librarians, imams working for the government

14. Sports trainers employed by sports federations and government institutions

15. Private drivers who have been working for a minimum five years for the same sponsor (provided they change their profession to ‘driver’)

16. Specialized technicians in the oil sector

17. Nurses, physiotherapists and other medical technicians

18. Pilots, captains and their assistants

19. Washers of dead bodies

Meanwhile, general managers, their assistants, managers and accountants are exempted from the residency visa condition.

Now on the issue of driving licenses for students, you must be registered as a student at any of the universities in Kuwait or any institute of PAAET (Public Authority for Applied Education and Training).

After getting a letter from one of these universities or institutes, you must approach the General Traffic Department to get a waiver or NOC (No Objection Certificate) after which you will be granted a learner’s driving license.

On passing the driving test, you will be granted the driving license.