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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Kuwait

To register a trademark in Kuwait, file with the Trademarks and Patents Department of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) through a Kuwaiti registered agent; Kuwait is not a Madrid member. The GCC Trademark Law applies: one class per application, with dinar fees paid in three stages, mostly the KWD 240 registration fee.

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Enter the mark, classes and applicant; an agent quotes after you submit. Once you accept the quote you pay online and can follow progress in your account.

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Five questions first

Which route?Kuwait cannot be designated through Madrid: you can only file directly through a Kuwaiti registered agent. Priority can be claimed from a home application filed within the last 6 months.Details ↓What do I need?Applicant details and proof of business activity, the mark and its list of goods; a power of attorney notarised, legalised and translated into Arabic; and a certified Arabic translation, with pronunciation, of any foreign wording.Details ↓How are official fees charged?One class per application: KWD 45 filing, KWD 25 publication and KWD 240 registration and certificate, paid in three stages, KWD 310 in total. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order.Details ↓How long does it take?Statutory: an examination decision within 90 days of filing and a 60-day opposition period after publication. With no refusal or opposition, the certificate takes about 7 months or more (estimate).Details ↓What are the main risks?Religious symbols, state emblems and similarity to earlier marks are the most common grounds; one class per application; the publication and registration fees each have a 30-day deadline that cannot be extended, or the application is deemed abandoned.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Kuwait: key facts

OfficeTrademarks and Patents Department of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI); all trademark procedures are handled online through the trademark e-registration system. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawGCC Trademark Law, enacted in Kuwait by Law No. 13 of 2015, in force from its publication in the Official Gazette on 22 March 2015, which also repealed the trademark provisions of the Commercial Code; the implementing regulations and fee schedule are Ministerial Decision No. 500 of 2015, published in the Official Gazette on 27 December 2015 and in force from the following day
Madrid SystemNot a member: an international registration cannot designate Kuwait; direct filing only. Of the six Gulf states, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have all joined; Kuwait is the only exception
Foreign applicantsApplicants without a domicile in Kuwait must file through an agent entered in the MOCI's register of trademark agents; the original power of attorney must be notarised, legalised and translated into Arabic (Kuwait is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so legalisation goes through the consular route); proof of business activity is also required
One class per applicationThe implementing regulations limit each application to one class; several classes are possible only with the office's approval. The fee schedule is set per mark and per class, so several classes are filed as separate applications, each with its own fees
Foreign-language wordingMarks containing Latin, Chinese or any other non-Arabic script need a certified Arabic translation stating its pronunciation; sound marks are filed with musical notation or a written description, scent marks with a written description
Examination time (statutory)Decision within 90 days of filing; a request for correction or amendment must be answered within 90 days of notification, or the application is deemed abandoned
Payment deadlines (statutory)Publication fee within 30 days of the notice of acceptance; registration fee within 30 days of acceptance becoming final; missing either deadline means the application is deemed abandoned
Opposition (statutory)60 days from publication in the Trademark Bulletin issued or designated by the office; the applicant must file a written reply within 60 days of receiving a copy of the opposition, or the application is deemed abandoned
Appeal against refusal (statutory)Appeal to the Grievance Committee within 60 days of receiving the refusal or conditional acceptance; the Committee's decision can be challenged in court within 60 days
Term and renewalRegistration takes effect from the filing date and lasts 10 years; renew in the final year of the term, with a 6-month grace period after expiry at a higher fee; renewals are not re-examined and cannot be opposed
Non-useAfter 5 consecutive years without genuine use and without a legitimate reason, an interested party can ask the court to cancel the registration; once a mark is removed from the register, nobody else can register it for identical or similar goods for 3 years
Official feesPer application (one class): KWD 45 filing, KWD 25 publication and KWD 240 registration and certificate (fee schedule to Ministerial Decision No. 500 of 2015, in force since 28 December 2015; the MOCI's fee guide of May 2025 applies the same amounts)
Penalties for infringementUnder Law No. 13 of 2015, counterfeiting or imitating a registered mark, or using someone else's mark in bad faith, is punishable by 1 month to 3 years' imprisonment and/or a fine of KWD 385 to 77,000; knowingly selling infringing goods by up to 1 year's imprisonment and/or a fine of KWD 80 to 7,700, doubled for repeat offences, with possible closure of the business

Checked on 2026-10-15; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing: whether to claim priority

Kuwait is not a Madrid member, so an international registration cannot designate Kuwait; applications are filed directly with the Trademarks and Patents Department through a Kuwaiti agent registered with the MOCI. For a foreign applicant the real choice is whether to claim priority from an earlier application filed at home.

ItemDirect filing (no priority claim)Claiming priority from an earlier application
PrerequisiteNone; use this route if you have no earlier application or it was filed more than 6 months agoFile in Kuwait within 6 months of your first application abroad, for the same goods or services
Filing orderYour place in the queue is the date of filing with the Trademarks and Patents DepartmentYour earlier filing date counts: applications filed by others during the priority period cannot be cited against you
Extra stepsNoneFile with the application a copy of the earlier application and a declaration stating its date, number and country, and within 6 months of the earlier filing date a filing-date certificate issued by your home office with an Arabic translation; the original certificate can be filed up to 3 months after the Kuwaiti application
Official feesPer class: KWD 45 filing, KWD 25 publication and KWD 240 registration and certificate, paid in three stages as the application progressesThe same as a direct filing; the fee schedule lists no priority fee
RiskIf someone else files first in the gap between your home application and your Kuwaiti application, their filing blocks yoursThe declaration and supporting documents have statutory deadlines; arrange them together with the filing, or priority is lost
Best forYou have not filed at home yet, or your home application is more than 6 months oldYou filed at home less than 6 months ago, especially if you are worried about squatting in Kuwait

If you also want the other Gulf states, you can designate the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman separately through the Madrid System; for their rules see Trademark registration in the United Arab Emirates, Trademark registration in Saudi Arabia, Trademark registration in Qatar, Trademark registration in Bahrain and Trademark registration in Oman. Kuwait always needs a separate direct filing.

Not sure? Run a free search first, then submit an order online; the agent will advise you based on the search results.

What to prepare

Documents checklist

For a direct filing with the Trademarks and Patents Department through a Kuwaiti registered agent, foreign companies and individuals generally prepare the following information and documents. Signed documents such as the power of attorney are provided after the order is accepted, following the agent's instructions.

Applicant

  • Name, address and nationality; for a company, its name and address and details of the person authorised to sign
  • Proof of business activity (for a company, usually its business licence), notarised, legalised and translated into Arabic

The mark

  • Representation of the mark and an accurate written description of it
  • Wording in Latin, Chinese or any other foreign script: a certified Arabic translation stating its pronunciation
  • Sound marks: musical notation or a written description; scent marks: a written description; colour marks: a statement of the colours

Goods and services

  • One Nice class, with the specific goods or services listed
  • One class per application; several classes are filed as separate applications, each with its own fees

Power of attorney and priority

  • Power of attorney: signed by the applicant; the original notarised, legalised and translated into Arabic; a copy is filed with the application and checked against the original
  • Earlier application filed abroad: priority can be claimed within 6 months, stating its date, number and country, with a copy of the earlier application, a filing-date certificate and an Arabic translation; the original can be filed up to 3 months after the application

Kuwait is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention: the power of attorney and the proof of business activity are notarised and then legalised through the consular route, following your agent's instructions. Documents to be recorded, such as assignments, licences and pledges, must also be notarised, legalised and translated into Arabic.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct filing with no refusal and no opposition.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search for similar marks and settle the class and goods, taking the Arabic meaning and pronunciation into account as well; the Trademarks and Patents Department also offers a paid preliminary examination (KWD 45)

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    The registered agent files through the trademark e-registration system and pays the filing fee (KWD 45)

  3. Step 3

    Examination decision

    Within 90 days (statutory); a request for correction must be answered within 90 days (statutory)

  4. Step 4

    Publication fee and publication

    Pay the publication fee (KWD 25) within 30 days of the notice of acceptance; the mark is published in the Trademark Bulletin

  5. Step 5

    Opposition period

    60 days from publication (statutory)

  6. Step 6

    Registration fee and certificate

    Pay the registration and certificate fee (KWD 240) within 30 days of acceptance becoming final and receive the certificate

"About 7 months or more" is an estimate obtained by adding up the statutory periods above (90 days' examination + up to 30 days to pay the publication fee + 60 days' opposition + up to 30 days to pay the registration fee), without the wait for publication; the MOCI publishes no statistics on average registration times. Corrections, appeals or oppositions add time.

How to read the periods: "statutory" = set by law; "official statistics" = averages published by the office; "estimate" = typical cases. Actual timing varies.

How much

Official fees

Official fees are charged per mark and per class, and each application can cover only one class, so in practice they are charged per class. They are paid in three stages: the filing fee at filing, the publication fee after acceptance and the registration and certificate fee once acceptance becomes final; the last two each have a 30-day deadline. The table below shows the current amounts from the fee schedule to Ministerial Decision No. 500 of 2015, which the MOCI's fee guide of May 2025 applies unchanged.

ItemChargedAmountApprox. USD
Paid on filing
Application fee (one class per application)Per class45 KWD≈ USD 146
Paid on registration
Publication fee (payable within 30 days of acceptance, one class per application)Per class25 KWD≈ USD 81
Registration and certificate fee (payable within 30 days after acceptance becomes final, one class per application)Per class240 KWD≈ USD 779
Keeping the registration
Renewal within the last year of protection, publication not included (one mark, one class)Per class265 KWD≈ USD 860
Late renewal within 6 months after expiry, publication not included (one mark, one class)Per class310 KWD≈ USD 1,010
Publication of renewal (same for renewal within the grace period, one mark, one class)Per class45 KWD≈ USD 146
Other
Request for preliminary examination (official search, one mark, one class)Per class45 KWD≈ USD 146
Grievance against refusal or conditional acceptance (one mark, one class)Per class45 KWD≈ USD 146
Opposition (within 60 days of publication, one mark, one class)Per class95 KWD≈ USD 308
Request for a hearing in opposition or grievance proceedings (one mark, one class)Per class45 KWD≈ USD 146
Recordal of assignment (one mark, one class; publication KWD 25 extra)Per class45 KWD≈ USD 146
Publication of assignment (one mark, one class)Per class25 KWD≈ USD 81
Recordal of a licence (one mark, one class; publication KWD 45 extra)Per class95 KWD≈ USD 308
Publication of a licence (one mark, one class)Per class45 KWD≈ USD 146
Recordal of change of owner's name (one mark, one class; change of address also 45, name and address together 25; publication KWD 25 extra)Per class45 KWD≈ USD 146
Publication of change of owner's or agent's name or address (one mark, one class)Per class25 KWD≈ USD 81

Source: Kuwait Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Fee Guide (May 2025) · current fees in force since 2015-12-28 · checked on 2026-10-15 · USD figures are approximate, converted at the Bank of China spot selling rate (or, for currencies it does not quote, at the central bank's published USD rate); the official fee is the amount in the original currency

Official fees are as published by the office; the service fee is quoted by an agent after you submit, and you pay only after accepting the quote.

Example: to register a mark in 2 classes you file 2 applications. At filing you pay 2 × KWD 45 = KWD 90; after acceptance, 2 × KWD 25 = KWD 50 in publication fees; then 2 × KWD 240 = KWD 480 in registration and certificate fees: KWD 620 in total.

Other common official fees: opposition KWD 95; appeal against a refusal or conditional acceptance KWD 45; hearing KWD 45; preliminary examination (official search) KWD 45; certificate of filing KWD 25.

Service fees, including the Kuwaiti local agent's fee, are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

Watch out

Rules specific to Kuwait and common refusals

These are common grounds for refusal in Kuwaiti examination, along with Kuwait-specific rules that are easy to overlook.

Religious symbols and public order (Article 3(2) and (5))

Signs identical or similar to symbols of a purely religious nature, and words or images contrary to public morals or public order, cannot be registered. The Arabic translation and pronunciation of the mark are examined too: a foreign word that is harmless in itself but acquires an improper meaning in Arabic may also be refused.

State emblems and emblems of international organisations (Article 3(3) and (4))

The coats of arms, flags, military and honorary emblems, decorations and currency of the Gulf states and other countries, the emblems of Arab or international organisations and imitations of them, and the Red Crescent and Red Cross emblems cannot be registered or form part of a mark.

Similarity to earlier marks and well-known marks (Article 3(11) and Article 4)

A mark identical or similar to someone else's earlier application or registration, for identical or related goods, is refused; reproductions, imitations and translations of well-known marks may be protected even for dissimilar goods. Kuwait has no free public official trademark database, and the trademark e-registration system requires a login, so search through your agent or request the paid preliminary examination before filing.

No Madrid designation, and the power of attorney needs consular legalisation

Kuwait is the only one of the six Gulf states outside the Madrid System, so an international registration covering the Gulf always leaves Kuwait to be filed separately. It is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention either: the power of attorney and the proof of business activity are notarised, legalised through the consular route and translated into Arabic, which takes longer to prepare than for an apostille country.

The registration fee is most of the cost, and 30 days late means abandonment

Kuwait's official fees are concentrated in the final step: filing is KWD 45 and publication KWD 25, but the registration and certificate fee is KWD 240, more than three quarters of the total, and it must be paid within 30 days of acceptance becoming final; the law allows no extension. Each application covers one class, so an extra class means a new application; budget KWD 310 per class.

90-day and 60-day deadlines

A request for correction must be answered within 90 days, an opposition within 60 days of receiving the copy, and a refusal appealed within 60 days; miss any of them and the application is deemed abandoned, leaving only a new filing with a later filing date. Once a mark is removed from the register, others generally have to wait 3 years before registering it for identical or similar goods.

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After registration

Keeping the registration

A Kuwaiti registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed; renewals are not re-examined and cannot be opposed. After the grace period the mark is removed from the register and can no longer be renewed.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee (per application, one class)
Final year of the termFile the renewal; the renewal is published in the Trademark BulletinKWD 265, plus a KWD 45 publication fee
Within 6 months after expiryRenewal in the grace periodKWD 310, plus a KWD 45 publication fee
Any timeRecord an assignment (the assignment document and proof of business activity must be notarised, legalised and translated into Arabic)KWD 45, plus a KWD 25 publication fee
Any timeRecord a licence (the licence agreement must be in writing, notarised and legalised, with a translation if it is not in Arabic)KWD 95, plus a KWD 45 publication fee
Any timeChange of the owner's name or addressKWD 45 for a change of name, KWD 45 for a change of address, KWD 25 for both together, plus a KWD 25 publication fee

Under Article 38 of the GCC Trademark Law, the owner can ask customs in writing to suspend the release of imports suspected of infringement; customs replies within 7 days and an approval is valid for 1 year. Once goods are detained, the owner must sue within 10 working days. Kuwait's Law No. 13 of 2015 punishes counterfeiting or imitating a registered mark with imprisonment and fines of up to KWD 77,000, and the enforcement officers designated by the MOCI have the status of judicial police. E-commerce brand registries usually also require a registered or pending trademark.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Kuwait

How much does a Kuwaiti trademark cost?

Official fees are charged per application, per class: KWD 45 filing, KWD 25 publication and KWD 240 registration and certificate, KWD 310 per class in total, paid in three stages. Service fees, including the local agent's fee, are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

How long does trademark registration in Kuwait take?

Statutory deadlines: the Trademarks and Patents Department must issue its examination decision within 90 days of filing, and publication is followed by a 60-day opposition period; after acceptance, and again after acceptance becomes final, there is a payment period of up to 30 days. With no refusal or opposition, adding up these steps gives about 7 months or more to the certificate (estimate). The MOCI publishes no statistics on average times.

Can I designate Kuwait through the Madrid System?

No. Kuwait is not a member of the Madrid System, so an international registration cannot designate Kuwait; you can only file directly through a Kuwaiti registered agent. If you filed a home application less than 6 months ago, you can claim priority when filing in Kuwait, so that your earlier filing date decides who comes first.

Can one Kuwaiti application cover several classes?

Generally not. The implementing regulations limit each application to one class, and several classes are possible only with the office's approval; the fee schedule is also set per mark and per class. Several classes are filed as separate applications with separate fees, KWD 310 in official fees per class.

Does one registration cover all six Gulf states?

No. The member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council apply the same trademark law, but registration remains national: Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman each need their own registration. The other five can be designated separately through the Madrid System (Bahrain since 15 December 2005, Oman since 16 October 2007, the UAE since 28 December 2021, Qatar since 3 August 2024, Saudi Arabia since 8 October 2026); Kuwait can only be filed directly. See Trademark registration in the United Arab Emirates, Trademark registration in Saudi Arabia, Trademark registration in Qatar, Trademark registration in Bahrain and Trademark registration in Oman.

Can I register a mark that is not in Arabic?

Yes. Marks containing English, Chinese or other foreign wording need a certified Arabic translation stating its pronunciation; if the translation directly describes the goods or carries an improper meaning, the mark may be refused. If you target the local market, consider also registering an Arabic version of your brand.

Other IP rights

Patents: Kuwait enacted the GCC Patent Law as its national patent law by Law No. 71 of 2013 (implementing regulations: Ministerial Decision No. 115 of 2016); invention patents last 20 years from the filing date. Kuwait has been a PCT member since 9 September 2016, so PCT applications can enter the Kuwaiti national phase. For the Gulf regional patent system, see Patent applications in the GCC states (GCCPO).

Industrial designs: protected under Law No. 4 of 1962 (as amended by Law No. 3 of 2001) for 5 years from the filing date, renewable twice for 5 years each; Kuwait is not a party to the Hague Agreement, so designs must be filed directly in Kuwait.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Saudi Arabia　·　United Arab Emirates　·　Qatar　·　Bahrain　·　Oman　·　Iraq

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Notice: the services described on this page are carried out by locally licensed partner firms; J&C is your point of contact and coordinates and delivers the work. Fees shown are estimates; official fees are those actually charged by the office and the final quote is confirmed by an agent. Examination times are set by each office and the outcome depends on official examination; we make no promise as to results. By submitting an order you agree that the information needed for the work is shared with the relevant partner firm (which may be outside your country). This page is general information, not legal advice.

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