Airports deny expats boarding flight to Kuwait as ‘Resident Identity Card’ is not mentioned on Civil ID

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KUWAIT CITY, July 18: As passengers contend with the end of issuance of residence stickers in their passports, airlines have reported a few incidents on their outgoing flights from Kuwait.

An official from a national South Asian carrier shared that a few passengers who had failed to present their Kuwait Civil ID card were unable to board their flights.

All passengers travelling this summer are therefore strongly advised to carry both their valid passport and Civil ID card for a hassle-free exit and entry.

The General Immigration Department of Kuwait, meanwhile, says it has not received any complaint from anyone saying that he/she was denied entry into any country because the passport of the traveler resident in country did not carry the residence permit stamped on the passport, reports Al-Rai daily quoting informed sources.

The daily quoting the same sources said the method adopted by Kuwait of printing the personal data on the Civil ID of the holder will not change. In case if the names are more than two and there is no sufficient space to print the names of the Civil ID the person’s first and last name will suffice with the inclusion of the initials of the second and third name.

The sources pointed out the Civil ID carries the full name in Arabic and Latin and in case of loss of the ID the Kuwaiti mission must be contacted to enable the person to enter Kuwait.

The sources told the daily before the implementation of the decision to do away with the residence stickers on the passport, Kuwait had informed all the countries throughout the world through their embassies in Kuwait and the Directorates-General of Civil Aviation of the decision to cancel the residence stickers and include the information in the Civil ID of the holder.

The sources added, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and DGCA of Kuwait also had informed all concerned authorities of these procedures adopted by Kuwait. On the other hand, the Public Authority for Civil Information Wednesday denied what has been published by a local newspaper that the Civil ID card was not accepted as a reference of residence permit by some European countries.

PACI added since the issuance of Ministerial Resolution No. 135/-2019 to cancel the residence stickers, there has been coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation to inform all countries that the Civil ID to be treated as residence permit reference.

The sources stressed this is the case in more than one country, including several Gulf states. Surprisingly, as published by ‘kuwaitlocal.com, June 30, 2019’, a resident said on June 14, 2019, he was returning to Kuwait Qatar Airways, from Los Angeles to Qatar and Qatar to Kuwait. He claimed he was held up at the Qatar Airways counter at the LA airport, because of his residence permit. He claimed his residence permit was recently renewed is valid up to May 7, 2020.

“So, as per the new Kuwait regulations everything was mentioned in the Civil ID. I showed them my Civil ID and told them that the details of my residence permit were mentioned therein.

The Qatar Airways counter screen displayed the Residence Permit page and not my Civil ID. They told me either I should have a letter from Kuwait mentioning that Residency Permit and Civil ID are the same to which I replied that the residence validity is mentioned in the Civil ID and so far it seemed mine was the first case in Los Angeles.

“They sent my passport and Civil ID for verification several times. I was saved because my old residence permit was valid till 1st July and it was stamped in the passport and luckily there was no cancellation stamp. So, miraculously I saved the day, and they allowed me to travel. Otherwise I had to cancel all the flight tickets and had to visit the Kuwait Consulate in LA and get a letter from them. This is just to share my experience. Looks like the Airport Authorities are not aware of the changes regarding Civil ID.

In the UAE on the Civil ID it is mentioned the ‘Resident Identity Card’, in Qatar it is mentioned ‘Residence Permit’; in Kuwait it says ‘Civil ID’ and unfortunately nowhere it is mentioned the word ‘resident’.

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