Kuwait

Specific Information

5% customs duty on all non-diplomatic sea imports. Kuwait applies a flat 5% customs duty on the CIF value of all non-diplomatic sea freight shipments. Kuwait Customs will determine further charges depending on the weight, volume, and type of household goods.

No VAT. Kuwait has not implemented a Value Added Tax. Customs duty is the primary import cost.

Diplomats receive duty-free entry with proper documentation and an exemption certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

GCC-origin goods are generally exempt from customs duties under the GCC Customs Union framework.

Temporary import licence: Required for clearance. Can only be obtained after all required documents are available at destination, at least 5 days before the shipment arrives. The destination agent handles this process.

Consignee presence is mandatory during clearance of all inbound shipments.

Shipment consignment: All documents must show the shipment consigned in the name of the owner.

New electronic items should not be included in household goods shipments.

Duties & Taxes

Duty-free threshold: Duty-free entry is allowed only for shipments with a total C&F value not exceeding USD 1,000 as estimated by Customs.

Prohibited & Restricted Items

Importing a Used Personal Vehicle

Required Documents

• Certificate of title / manufacturer certificate (issued from vehicle manufacturer's office)
• Original commercial invoice
• Certificate of origin (new vehicles)
• NOC certificate issued from origin traffic department
• Vehicle GSO certificate (from vehicle manufacturer's office, for new vehicles)
• Certificate of import
• Proof of ownership
• Original bill of lading
• Mechanical certificate from origin, stamped by the Public Port Authority in Kuwait
• Temporary import permit issued by the Kuwait Ministry of Commerce (valid for 30 days)

Specific Information

Only Kuwaiti nationals and diplomats may import vehicles. Residents and expatriates are not allowed to import vehicles in their name. This is a critical restriction that must be communicated clearly to relocating employees.

Vehicle age limit: Motor vehicles older than 5 years cannot be imported into Kuwait.

Customs duty: 5% on the value of the vehicle as estimated by Kuwait Customs, plus bank charges.

Temporary import licence: If required by Customs for auto import, the consignee must obtain it directly from the Ministry of Commerce.

Pets

• ISO 15-digit microchip (ISO 11784 / Annex A to ISO 11785), implanted before all vaccinations
• Rabies vaccination certificate (administered between 30 days and 12 months before entry)
• Rabies titer test (FAVN test) -- required from certain countries (Armenia, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine) and strongly recommended for all others, as import permits are very difficult to obtain without test results
• Veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of entry, endorsed by the government veterinary authority in the origination country
• Import permit from PAAAFR (Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources), obtained by an agent in Kuwait

Microchip required. Must be a 15-digit ISO-compliant chip, implanted before vaccinations. The microchip number must appear on all documentation.

Rabies vaccination: Required for all dogs and cats. Must be administered between 30 days and 12 months before entry. Multi-year rabies vaccines are accepted as boosters only, and proof must be signed and stamped by both the administering veterinarian and a government veterinarian.

Additional vaccinations: Dogs should be vaccinated against canine distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, parainfluenza virus, and bordetella (especially if kenneling will be required). Cats should be vaccinated against feline calicivirus, herpesvirus (rhinotracheitis), panleukopenia (enteritis), and leukemia.

Rabies titer test: Mandatory from 10 specified countries (see above). Strongly recommended for all others, as the import permit is extremely difficult to secure without titer test results. Samples must be processed at an approved laboratory. The test should be administered more than 30 days after the rabies vaccination.

Import permit: Must be obtained in advance from PAAAFR by a local agent. Only one permit is issued per year to one person. Each permit covers only one dog, or two cats, or one dog and one cat.

Minimum age: Puppies and kittens must be at least 3 months old and vaccinated for rabies, then wait 30 days after vaccination before entry.

Banned breeds: Kuwait prohibits the import of the following breeds and their crosses or mixes: Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Mastiff (all breeds), English Bulldog, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, Presa Canario, Boxer, Boerboel, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Turkish Kangal, Anatolian Karabash, and Great Dane.

Quarantine: No quarantine for compliant pets. Non-compliant pets may be quarantined, returned, or euthanized at the importer's expense.

Common mistakes: Not obtaining the FAVN titer test before applying for the import permit (the permit will likely be refused without it); attempting to import a banned breed; exceeding the one-dog/two-cat limit per permit; not having multi-year rabies boosters counter-signed by a government veterinarian.

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