Starting January 1, 2025, expatriates in Kuwait who have not completed the biometric fingerprinting process will face a travel ban and restrictions on government and banking transactions, according to the Ministry of Interior. These restrictions will remain in effect until compliance with the biometric requirement is achieved.
Key Points
- Affected Groups:
- Expats: Of the 2,685,000 expatriates targeted, 2,504,000 have complied, leaving 181,718 yet to complete the process.
- Citizens: Out of 972,253 Kuwaitis, 16,000 remain pending.
- Stateless Individuals (Bedouns): Of 148,000 Bedouns, 82,000 still need to comply.
- Impacted Areas:
- Travel (entry and exit).
- Government transactions.
- Banking services.
- Compliance Process:
- The General Department of Criminal Evidence has established eight biometric centers, operating daily to accommodate up to 10,000 appointments per day.
- Appointments must be booked via the designated application.
- The fingerprinting process takes less than three minutes.
Preparedness and Outreach
First Lieutenant Talal Al-Khalidi emphasized during a radio interview the importance of meeting the January deadline to avoid inconvenience.
This initiative ensures enhanced security and efficient documentation, reflecting Kuwait’s ongoing efforts to streamline its residency and compliance systems.
