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Country Customs Information
- Imports
- Exports
- Transiting Goods
- Prohibited / Restricted Goods
- Aramex Clearance Service
- References
View HS Codes on Kuwait's customs official site
Imports
General Import Guidelines
- The importer must have a valid importer code from Customs Authorities
- Imported goods must conform to licensed activities of the importer
- Imported goods must be accompanied with an International Waybill, an Original Commercial Invoice, and a Packing List. For goods valued USD 2,500 and above or weigh 100 kgs and above a Certificate of Origin is required. Failure to submit required documents might lead to penalties to be applied by Kuwaiti Customs
- All imported goods into Kuwait must have the country of origin printed or embossed physically each item; for example "made in China", "made in Japan", etc. The country of origin must also be stated in the Commercial Invoice, failure to comply with this regulation may prohibit entry of the goods
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HS Codes must be stated clearly in Commercial Invoice. Where the HS Codes cannot be determined within the transaction,
penalties might be applied by Kuwaiti Customs
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Import Duties and Fees
- The customs valuation is based on CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) which means that the amount used to assess customs duty is the sum of cost of goods, insurance and shipping cost to Kuwait
- Customs duties at 5% is levied on CIF value
The following are trade agreements with Kuwait that can benefit from customs reduction rate. To benefit from customs reduction, Certificate of Origin accompanied with Commercial Invoice are required
- Arab League
- Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)
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Duties Exemption
A number of goods are exempted from customs duties. Below are some of the applied exemptions:
- Raw materials for manufacturing in Kuwait destined for companies holding industrial license
- Imports for non-dutiable authorities and organizations
- Diplomatic goods
- Used personal effects
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Imports Required Documents
General Imports
Import Declaration is processed in the event of goods being imported into Kuwait from other countries. The below documents are needed:
- Original Waybill
- One original and two copies of Commercial Invoice
- Original of the Certificate of Origin approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Packing List (detailed)
Re-Export
Import Declaration is processed in the event of importing goods into Kuwait for purpose of re-exporting. The below documents are needed:
- Original Waybill
- One original and two copies of Commercial Invoice
- Original of the Certificate of Origin approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Packing List (detailed)
- Letter addressed to the customs to approve the re-export
- Serial number to be mentioned on each
item which same to be stated on the Commercial Invoice and the Packing List
Temporary Import - Exhibition / Repair and Return
Upon entry of goods into Kuwait on temporary basis for the purpose of taking part in an exhibition or repairs / maintenance, a deposit amount equivalent to customs duties has to be made for the benefit of Kuwait Customs Authorities. The deposit is refunded upon exporting the goods. If the goods are not being exported the deposit is forfeited. The below documents are needed:
- Original Waybill
- One original and two copies of Commercial Invoice
- Original of the Certificate of Origin approved by Chamber of Commerce at country of origin
- Packing List (detailed)
- Serial number to be mentioned on each item which same to be stated on the Commercial Invoice and the Packing List
(KUCAS) Certificate
Kuwait Conformity Assessment Scheme (KUCAS) is a conformity certificate which is required to ensure all imported goods will meet KUCAS’s standards for some of the following goods:
- Mobile phones
- Computers, Electronics and Electrical Products
- Toys
You can find more information on KUCAS under Reference (3) KUCAS
When completing your Commercial Invoice, we recommend that you abide by Aramex guidelines to ensure timely and efficient clearance Read More
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Exports
When exporting goods from Kuwait some documents and regulations will be applied before the exit of goods to the destination. Failure to submit required documents may delay goods when exporting
Exporters need to include the
following documents with their goods:
- Original Commercial Invoice
- For companies: copy of Commercial license, copy of civil ID, and copy of the company’s authorized signatory in Kuwait customs. For individuals: copy of the ID or passport
- For certain goods, a strategic export license is required. Example where these licenses are needed include: military, dual-use, chemicals, technological, electronic goods, radioactive material, and agricultural goods. For more information click here to check if your goods require an export license
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Certain goods which are
listed above as prohibited may be accepted by Aramex on a contractual basis, if
exporters / importers are able to comply with all applicable regulations
Aramex offers clearance service covering
the following Customs Ports:
Aramex offers a wide range of customs
clearance services (starting with Delivery Order collection up to delivery of
goods). In addition, Aramex offers storage in Aramex warehouses when needed.
In key locations, Aramex
employees are certified and supported by a customer service team to keep
customers updated, and address all inquiries
Important Notes
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Transiting Goods
Transiting Goods through Kuwait can only remain for 30 days from the
date of arrival into the country
To process Transiting Goods, the following documents are needed:
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Prohibited /
Restricted Goods
Aramex will not transport goods
that are prohibited by the laws or regulations of Kuwait
In accordance to Aramex Shipping Policy, the following items are not acceptable
for transport by Aramex:
Some goods require approval from the designated authority prior to importing
into Kuwait. Some examples are shown below:
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Aramex Clearance
Service
Request a Customs Clearance Offer here
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References