Kuwait mandates biometric fingerprinting for 670,000 residents, mostly expats

Cairo: Due to the recently implemented mandatory biometric fingerprinting in Kuwait, around 670,000 residents, primarily expatriates, are required to comply within the newly established deadline, according to Kuwaiti security sources.

Kuwait's Interior Ministry has set a three-month deadline, starting March 1st, for mandatory biometric fingerprinting. Failing to comply will restrict access to ministry services, including the renewals of residency permits (iqama) and driver's licenses.

The ministry said its personnel continue to take biometric fingerprints of Kuwaitis, other nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and expatriates at Kuwait’s border outlets, the Kuwait International Airport and designated centres across the country.

Travellers still can leave Kuwait without the requirement of fingerprinting that they will undergo upon their return, according to the ministry.

Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai quoted security sources as saying that since the biometric fingerprinting implementation began last year, around 1.7 million people including citizens and expatriates have undergone the procedure at the country’s border land crossings as well as air and maritime outlets.

They included around 900,000 Kuwaitis and 880,000 expatriates, according to the sources. “Some 670,000, the majority of them are foreign residents, have to conduct the fingerprinting during the deadline expiring on June 1 after which all transactions linked to the Interior Ministry for citizens and foreign residents will be suspended for those who don’t undergo it,” the sources added.

Kuwaitis and expatriates can now book an appointment for fingerprinting via the Sahel app for the unified government electronic services. People under 18 are not required to undergo fingerprinting.

Foreigners constitute around 3.2 million of Kuwait’s overall population of 4.8 million.