Kuwait’s interior ministry has imposed a travel restriction on expatriates who have not completed mandatory biometric registration, according to a Kuwait Times report, citing First Lieutenant Talal Al-Khaledi of the Criminal Evidence Department. Speaking on Kuwait Radio, Al-Khaledi confirmed that a “block” has been placed on the records of non-compliant expats, preventing them from leaving the country.
In addition, the ministry has frozen bank accounts and transactions of approximately 280,000 Kuwaitis, expatriates, and bedoons (stateless individuals) who have not submitted their biometric data. To date, 3.526 million individuals have registered, including 2.685 million expats, 956,000 Kuwaitis, and 66,000 bedoons. However, significant gaps remain, with 182,000 expats, 16,000 Kuwaitis, and 82,000 bedoons yet to comply.
The Criminal Evidence Department continues to facilitate the registration process with eight centers operating 12 hours daily, serving up to 10,000 individuals each day.
In a related development, Kuwait’s criminal court acquitted former MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri of charges related to spreading misinformation about biometric registration. Al-Muwaizri initially refused to comply with the biometric process upon arrival at Kuwait airport in October, citing personal concerns. After a three-day standoff, he left the country without completing the process. Following a court hearing, he later returned and submitted his biometric data at the airport.
Separately, the interior ministry has clarified that Kuwaiti citizens cannot use civil IDs as travel documents to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries if their passports are expired or under replacement. The restriction is part of a ministerial resolution issued on December 2 and applies during the passport renewal or replacement process, capped at two weeks.
