Biometric fingerprinting not to affect travel rights, says ministry

• More than 250,000 citizens and residents might miss the fingerprinting deadline due to legal violations or being wanted individuals.

• Since May 2023, 805,000 citizens and 864,000 expatriates have completed biometric fingerprinting, with 171,000 and 970,000 still pending, respectively.

• 22 days remain until the September 30, 2024, deadline for biometric fingerprinting, after which government transactions will be suspended for those who haven’t completed it.

The Ministry of Interior will enforce the suspension of transactions for citizens and residents who fail to complete biometric fingerprinting by the deadline—December 30 for citizens and December 31 for expatriates. However, fingerprinting does not affect travel rights, as the Constitution guarantees the right to travel. Travel bans are only imposed by order of the Public Prosecution, the General Directorate of Investigations, or a ministerial decision for public interest, a security source revealed to Al-Anba newspaper.

The source suggested that more than 250,000 citizens and residents might miss the fingerprinting deadline due to legal violations or being wanted individuals. Since the biometric fingerprinting process began in May 2023, about 805,000 citizens have completed the procedure, while 171,000 have yet to do so. Meanwhile, 864,000 expatriates have been fingerprinted, with approximately 970,000 still pending.

In response to a query about requiring illegal residents to undergo biometric fingerprinting, the source confirmed that this will be enforced in coordination with the General Directorate of Information Systems and the Central Organization to address illegal residents’ situations, particularly during travel, security card renewals, or other transactions.

The source emphasized that the biometric fingerprinting project is a state initiative aimed at developing a comprehensive database of all individuals living in Kuwait, including citizens, residents aged 18 and above, and visitors. This project will enhance data accuracy, help eliminate passport forgery and duplication, assist in identifying wanted individuals, and verify the identity of any person in Kuwait.

The source explained that preparation for the biometric fingerprint project began in 2016, involving the review of practices in GCC and foreign countries and sending delegations to learn from their experiences to avoid potential issues. The project was initially introduced in May 2023 on a voluntary basis for travelers.

Subsequently, coordination with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry began to mandate biometric fingerprinting for those applying for commercial licenses. Centers were then established across the six governorates, accompanied by an awareness campaign and fingerprint appointments through the ‘Sahel’ website.

The source confirmed that after the deadline for citizens and residents expires, all transactions at ministries, government agencies, banks, and listed companies on the stock exchange will be suspended for those who have not completed the fingerprinting process. Investigations will then be conducted to determine the reasons for non-compliance.

To facilitate security measures and reduce hardship for people with special needs and bedridden individuals, the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the General Directorate of Information Systems, has introduced mobile biometric fingerprint devices for on-site fingerprinting. This service has already benefitted 1,300 citizens and residents.

Bedridden, disabled individuals to send health documents via WhatsApp

The General Directorate of Security Relations and Information at the Ministry of Interior has stated that bedridden individuals and those with medium to severe motor and mental disabilities must upload documents indicating their health condition to designated contact numbers via WhatsApp. Calls are not accepted. After submission, they will be contacted to schedule an appointment for biometric fingerprinting.

22 days left for biometric fingerprinting deadline

The Ministry of Interior has announced that there are 22 days remaining until the deadline for biometric fingerprinting, which expires on September 30, 2024. After this date, all government transactions will be suspended for those who have not completed the biometric fingerprinting.

The ministry also noted that the working hours for fingerprinting centers in personal investigation departments and commercial complexes have been extended from 8 am to 10 pm, seven days a week. Appointments must be booked in advance through the ‘Sahel’ application before visiting the designated centers.