Indian Embassy In Kuwait Receives Surge of Inquiries As Nation Announces Amnesty Scheme For Expats

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait said it has received a large number of applications and queries with connection to the recently announced amnesty scheme by the Kuwaiti government. The embassy on Monday said that it is prioritising the issuance of emergency certificates and passports while maintaining other consular services as well.

“The Embassy is prioritising the issuance of emergency certificates and passports, as applicable, with due regard to maintenance of other consular services as well. Advisories will be issued in case of change in the process of issuance of travel documents,” the embassy said via a post on social media site X. It also shared these two numbers and told Indians seeking assistance to reach out via these numbers: +965 65501767 and +965 65501769.

The Kuwaiti interior ministry declared a three-month amnesty for residency violators in Kuwait. Under this amnesty scheme expatriates residing unlawfully in the country are now allowed to rectify their status by either paying fines and obtaining new residency or leaving the country without fines.

This scheme will be effective from March 17 to June 17. The scheme coincides with Ramadan.

The expats illegally residing in Kuwait can regularise their status by settling fines of 2 KD (Kuwaiti Dinar) per day up to a maximum of 600 KD.

Anyone unable to pay a fine can depart from the exit point without penalties but will have to follow new procedures if they wish to return. The Kuwaiti government said failure to comply with these orders during the amnesty will result in deportation as well as legal penalties.

Residents facing administrative obstacles or legal challenges have the option to appeal to the residency affairs department for assessment.

While precise statistics remain undisclosed, it’s estimated that tens of thousands of expatriates currently reside unlawfully in Kuwait. The last amnesty period was granted in early 2021.

This program is designed to tackle residency infractions by providing individuals with a chance to rectify their status or leave the country without incurring financial penalties within the specified timeframe.