Kuwait: Deadline for expats to do mandatory fingerprinting ends today

Cairo: A deadline for expatriates in Kuwait to undergo mandatory biometric fingerprinting is set to end today (Tuesday) with defaulters to have their government and banking transactions halted.

An expat, who fails to meet the deadline, will be blocked and will not be able to complete any transaction as of Wednesday, media reports said, citing security sources.

They noted that the deadline was announced last May and authorities have repeatedly kept reminding people of the necessity of compliance.

The sources explained that failure to do the fingerprinting will result in stopping transactions at the Interior Ministry and all other government agencies, including bank accounts, bank cards and electronic payment operations.

Massive number

Around 244,000 expatriates, 16,000 Kuwaitis and 90,000 Bidoons (those without official documents) have not shown up to undergo the fingerprinting procedure, according to official figures.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry dismissed as incorrect claims of imposing a fine of KD500 ($1,622) for not performing the biometric fingerprinting of domestic workers.

The ministry called for these workers to undergo the fingerprinting before the expiry of the deadline to avoid suspension of their official transactions.

Earlier this year, Kuwait extended a deadline for expatriates and citizens to undergo biometric fingerprinting. For Kuwaitis, the deadline expired on September 30.

Authorities said citizens whose government and banking transactions have been suspended can go to the identity verification departments of the General Department of Criminal Evidence across Kuwait and undergo fingerprinting. Upon completion of the procedure, the ban on transactions will be automatically lifted.

Kuwaiti officials have repeatedly underlined the importance of the biometric fingerprinting system, calling it a “state project” aimed to provide a database about everyone in the country. It is obligatory for the people aged 18 or above.

The project is envisaged to help put an end to passport forgery and double citizenship that is banned in Kuwait. Foreigners constitute 3.3 million of Kuwait’s population of 4.9 million.