U.S. Police Clearances
The Government of Kuwait requires that all non-Kuwaiti citizens applying for Kuwaiti residency provide a police clearance certificate from their home country. Individuals should obtain the needed documents prior to their arrival in Kuwait. The Embassy in Kuwait cannot provide individuals with a U.S. police clearance and cannot provide authentication services for the police clearance. In order to use a U.S. issued document in Kuwait, authentications must be completed in the United States.
Where to obtain fingerprints in Kuwait:
Fingerprint services are not available at the Embassy. The Embassy understands that the following office may provide ink fingerprinting services: The Ministry of Interior, General Department of Criminal Evidence, located in Farwaniya (Dhajeej area), Airport Road 55, opposite the Kuwait Airways main office building.
However, the majority of fingerprinting is now done using an electronic scanning machine, so we cannot guarantee that this office still provides this service regularly.
Be sure to bring the following when you visit the office:
- Passport and one photocopy of the passport’s bio page.
- Form FD-258: FBI fingerprint card (the card must be printed double-sided and the information on top must be completed in advance).
- If possible, bring someone who can provide Arabic language interpretation to facilitate communication.
The General Department of Criminal Evidence may choose not to provide this service; therefore, the Embassy cannot guarantee that this service will be available.
Kuwait Police Clearances
At times, U.S. citizens may need to obtain a police clearance from Kuwait. Please note that the U.S. Embassy does not intervene in this process and does not issue letters of request for private U.S. citizens. Once the Kuwait police clearance has been obtained, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait can authenticate the signature/seal from the Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs if the document will be used in the United States. Please see the notary services guidance for information. For use in other countries, please contact the appropriate embassy.
Where to obtain a police clearance in Kuwait:
Available only to those residing in Kuwait; age 18 and above must get the police clearance certificate if they resided in country for 6 months or more.
A police certificate, or “Good Conduct Certificate,” can be obtained from the Ministry of Interior, General Department for Criminal Evidence, Department of Identification and Automated Search located in the Farwaniya-Dhajeej area, Airport Road 55, opposite the Kuwait Airways main building (phone: 2434-6101, fax: 2434-5790).
Each applicant must provide the following:
- A letter from the local sponsor or requesting entity*
- One recent front-view color photograph
- Passport and one photocopy
- Kuwaiti Civil Identification Card and one photocopy
* U.S. citizens and other individuals seeking Kuwait police clearances should obtain a letter of request from his/her local sponsor, or if seeking employment in another country, contact the corresponding embassy. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait does not issue letters of request for private U.S. citizens.