Applies to women only: Obtain permission to work outside the marital home
Agency: Home
As per Article 89 of the Personal Status Law, 1984, if a woman fails to obtain the permission/support of her husband to work outside the marital home (for example, for entrepreneurial ventures) it is possible that she may suffer consequences under the law. For example, if the husband consider that the work of his wife is against the well-being of the family, she could be considered disloyal (Nashez) and may not be entitled to financial alimony.
Time and cost: 1 day, no charge
Register at the Kuwait Business Center (KBC)
Agency: Kuwait Business Center (KBC)
To register, the entrepreneur must submit online a completed standard application form to the Kuwait Busines Center (KBC) and submit a copy of the memorandum of association.
The completed application must include the names of the founding partners and their respective shares; the capital, scope and objective of the company; and the name of the manager. The applicant submits the paperwork online (www.kbc.gov.kw/)
The entrepreneur can select up to 5 potential company names during the online application.
Once the application is approved by the KBC, the entrepreneur receives a confirmation email notifying that the license is ready. The entrepreneur can access the document online; however, the majority of entrepreneurs still visit the KBC center to pick up the original document.
The KBC electronically sends information for further checking to the Ministry of the Interior and the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate.
Time and cost: 2 days to complete the registration + 1 day to get the confirmation email and go in person to KBC, no charge
Sign and notarize the memorandum of association before the public notary of the Ministry of Justice
Agency: Notary – Ministry of Justice
The entrepreneur submits the draft memorandum of association along with Department of Companies’ letter and the bank capital deposit certificate to the Notary Public Department at the Ministry of Justice. The officer verifies that the required documents are complete and schedules an appointment for signing before the notary public at the Company Formation Department of the Ministry of Justice, during which the memorandum of association is signed by the founding partners and notarized on the set date in 3 originals: one for the company, one for the Ministry of Justice, and one to be field with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Time and cost: 1 day, KWD 2 for the first page of the Memorandum and KWD 1 for every subsequent page
Obtain the commercial license from the Kuwait Business Center
Agency: Kuwait Business Center
Once the commercial registration certificate is issued, the entrepreneur obtains the commercial license from the Kuwait Business Center. The entrepreneur can apply online, through the KBC portal (http://www.kbc.gov.kw/).
There is a full integration between the KBC platform with the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) and the Municipality.
Thus, once the entrepreneur applies for the commercial business license, the company information is submitted directly and automatically from the KBC to the Municipality. The Municipality will approve internally the premises and that approval will be reflected in the commercial license.
The commercial license must also have a civil number, which will be internally provided by the PACI to the KBC.
Time and cost: 1 – 2 days, KWD 80
Register at the Public Authority for Manpower
Agency: Public Authority for Manpower
The Public Authority for Manpower may inspect the premises to determine whether the size of the company premises and its business scope are commensurate with the number of employees declared at the Ministry.
Time and cost: 15 days (simultaneous with procedures 6 and 8), KWD 25
Register with the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Agency: Chamber of Commerce
The company must apply for membership at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry by submitting copies of its commercial license and memorandum of association, and filling out a specimen signature form signed by the company’s authorized signatories. The membership is a pre-requisite to dealing with other government authorities, banks and participation in public tenders.
Time and cost: 1 day (simultaneous with procedures 6 and 7), KWD 82 for registration and KWD 55 for annual renewal
