Tighter housing rules expose widespread fake address schemes, says PACI
Investigations revealed, ‘address mafias’ target laborers, mostly Asians, and some end up paying between 100 and 150 dinars to falsely attach their names to existing residences. Victims often find their names removed after a few months and are charged again to secure a new address.
As part of its campaign against fake residential addresses, the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) announced in the Official Gazette – Kuwait Alyawm the cancellation of addresses for 531 individuals.
PACI has urged those whose addresses were deleted either by the property owner’s declaration or due to building demolition — to update their information within 30 days by submitting required documents. Failure to comply will result in a fine of up to 100 dinars per individual, in accordance with Article 33 of Law No. 32 of 1982, according to Al-Jarida daily.
Following the Mangaf fire incident, and under directives from Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, PACI has intensified measures to ensure that civil ID addresses match actual places of residence.
A comprehensive survey targeting high-density expatriate areas like Hawalli, Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, and Mahboula revealed widespread cases of false registrations, leading to the cancellation of thousands of addresses. Individuals are notified via the Sahel app and given a 30-day grace period to register a new address.
At the same time, a black market has emerged exploiting workers — particularly Asians — who are desperate to register valid addresses. Investigations revealed that some pay between 100 and 150 dinars to “address mafias” to falsely attach their names to existing residences. Victims often find their names removed after a few months and are charged again to secure a new address.
Observers linked this crisis to tighter regulations limiting the number of workers allowed per apartment, which uncovered cases of communal living arrangements incompatible with registration rules.
Due to the surge in address cancellations, PACI’s service centers face severe congestion, prompting the Authority to expand operations to external centers.
To register a new address, individuals must submit the following either at PACI’s South Surra headquarters or via the Sahel app:
- The original and a copy of the lease contract
- A copy of the property ownership document or a letter of allocation from the Public Authority for Housing Welfare
- A copy of the property owner’s civil ID
- A completed residency declaration form
Those with canceled addresses are also removed from the “My Identity” (Hawiyati) app until they update their records. PACI stressed that these measures aim to maintain public safety, improve service quality, and strengthen security efforts, especially in tracking wanted individuals.
