Kuwait has imposed a travel ban on expatriates with unpaid criminal fines, a move designed to stop the state from losing revenue to the statute of limitations. Public Prosecutor Counselor Saad Al-Safran announced the measure through Administrative Resolution 167/2024, directing authorities to block the departure of foreign nationals who owe outstanding fines to the state treasury.
The decision follows recommendations from a special committee set up to improve the collection of criminal penalties owed to the government. Authorities were finding that many expatriates were leaving the country — or simply failing to pay — before fines could be recovered, triggering the statute of limitations and erasing the debt.
Who Is Affected by the Kuwait Travel Ban
The resolution targets expatriates in three broad categories involving unpaid court-issued fines.
Judgments issued in absentia: Foreigners who were fined in their absence — whether or not they received formal notification — fall under the ban. This includes those who filed an appeal within the legally permitted 27-day window and are still awaiting a decision, as well as those who failed to appeal within those 27 days and now have a final judgment against them.
Opposition rulings: Expatriates who were fined via an opposition ruling and either have a pending appeal within the 20-day legal deadline, or who missed the 20-day window to contest the ruling, are also subject to the travel restriction.
In-person judgments: Expats fined while present in court are covered as well — both those with appeals still pending within the 20-day timeframe and those who did not appeal within the prescribed period after the ruling was handed down.
How to Have the Travel Ban Lifted
Article Two of the resolution states that the travel ban is automatically lifted once the expatriate pays the fine in full. The committee overseeing the improvement of criminal fine collection procedures has been notified to ensure strict enforcement.
Kuwait's Broader Push to Recover Criminal Fines
This resolution fits into a wider Kuwaiti government effort to tighten the enforcement of financial penalties and protect state revenue. In the first half of 2024 alone, Kuwait imposed travel bans on more than 43,000 individuals — Kuwaitis and expatriates combined — for financial disputes, immigration violations, unpaid bills, bounced checks, and overdue rent.
The directive makes clear that Kuwait treats the payment of court-ordered criminal fines as a non-negotiable financial obligation, and that departure from the country will not be permitted until that obligation is settled.
