The Civil ID, known in Arabic as the Bitaqa Madaniya, is the compulsory identity card issued in Kuwait to citizens and residents by the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI). It carries the holder's unique civil number and is the primary proof of identity used across government and private services in Kuwait.
For expatriates the Civil ID is tied to the residence permit, so it must be renewed in line with residency and is needed for banking, healthcare, telecom, and most official dealings. PACI issues the card and supports renewals and updates through its online services and the Sahel government app.
A lapsed Civil ID can block transactions and may attract fines, so confirm current renewal fees, validity, and the issuing channel through PACI before applying.