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Customs duty calculator for Kuwait 2026: duty and tax on what you import

Hani · Founder & Tax Data Researcher · ArabTaxCalc

Enter the value of the goods and the shipping cost to see the customs duty, any excise tax and the fees you pay when a parcel or shipment arrives in Kuwait, and the full landed cost.

Short answer

There is no VAT on imports in Kuwait. Example: goods worth 154 Kuwaiti dinars (Standard GCC Common Customs Tariff duty, 5% duty) with 12 shipping: customs duty 5%: 8.3. So the full landed cost is 174 Kuwaiti dinars (5.4% on top of the price of the goods).

Your shipment

Leave 0 if you do not know it
Matters where a fixed duty per item applies

Customs rules in Kuwait

Valuation basis
Value of the goods + shipping + insurance (CIF).
VAT
None.
Small shipments
Personal postal parcels worth no more than 100 dinars, excluding shipping and insurance, are exempt, provided they are in the name of the actual recipient holding the civil ID, not a company. This appears in Customs Instructions No. 14 of 2025, whose application was announced as postponed, and the same threshold has been announced since 2020. There is no VAT.
Traveller allowance
Not confirmed: Customs Instructions No. 14 of 2025 exempted traveller luggage up to 245 dinars, 400 cigarettes and one e-shisha, then customs announced their application was postponed. The general GCC framework is 3,000 Saudi riyals or the equivalent. Cash and bearer financial instruments of 3,000 dinars or more must be declared.
Cars
Customs duty 5%. Secondary sources say cars more than 5 years old may not be imported (10 years for lorries), and right-hand-drive and rebuilt cars are banned from import (age limit not confirmed by an official source).
Gold and jewellery
Gold jewellery 5% and raw gold 0% according to WITS/UNCTAD TRAINS data for 2023 (officially reported applied tariff), a secondary source; there is no VAT.

Common customs duty rates for individuals

CategoryRateExamples and notes
Standard GCC Common Customs Tariff duty5%Televisions (8528.72), games consoles (9504.50), clothing (Chapters 61 and 62), footwear (Chapter 64), bags (4202), perfumes (3303), cosmetics (3304), furniture (Chapter 94), toys (9503), watches (9102)
Smartphones, laptops and headphones0%Smartphones (8517.13), laptops (8471.30), headphones (8518.30)
Exempt staple foods0%Rice (1006.30), sugar (1701.99)
Common processed foods5%Cheese (0406.90), milk powder (0402.21), chocolate (1806.32), baked goods (1905.90), juices (2009.89)
Gold jewellery5%Jewellery and articles of gold (7113.19)

The exact rate depends on the item's Harmonized System (HS) code. The table covers the categories individuals buy most often.

  • There is no VAT and no excise tax in Kuwait as of October 2026, so the amount due is customs duty only.
  • In 2026 Oman and Bahrain amended the provisions of the GCC Common Customs Law on personal parcels; we found no similar Kuwaiti amendment in force.

Sources Partly verified

  1. PwC: summary of other taxes in Kuwait
  2. Al-Rai: new customs instructions (245 dinars, 400 cigarettes, 100-dinar parcels)
  3. Al-Rai: customs postpones duties on luggage above 245 dinars
  4. Kuwait Times: cash declaration from 3,000 dinars
  5. World Bank WITS: 2023 tariff data

Amounts in Kuwaiti dinar (KWD).

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate customs duty in Kuwait?

Customs value = the price of the goods + shipping + insurance. Customs duty = the customs value × the rate for the category of goods.

Are small parcels exempt from customs duty in Kuwait?

Personal postal parcels worth no more than 100 dinars, excluding shipping and insurance, are exempt, provided they are in the name of the actual recipient holding the civil ID, not a company. This appears in Customs Instructions No. 14 of 2025, whose application was announced as postponed, and the same threshold has been announced since 2020. There is no VAT.

What is the duty-free allowance for travellers in Kuwait?

Not confirmed: Customs Instructions No. 14 of 2025 exempted traveller luggage up to 245 dinars, 400 cigarettes and one e-shisha, then customs announced their application was postponed. The general GCC framework is 3,000 Saudi riyals or the equivalent. Cash and bearer financial instruments of 3,000 dinars or more must be declared.

How much customs duty is charged on cars in Kuwait?

Customs duty 5%. Secondary sources say cars more than 5 years old may not be imported (10 years for lorries), and right-hand-drive and rebuilt cars are banned from import (age limit not confirmed by an official source).

Other countries and tools

Customs in Saudi ArabiaCustoms in the UAECustoms in QatarCustoms in BahrainCustoms in OmanCustoms in EgyptCustoms in JordanCustoms in IraqCustoms in MoroccoVAT calculator for KuwaitVAT calculatorTax guide to Kuwait

Results are estimates based on common band rates. The final rate depends on the item's HS code and the customs valuation, and the courier may add clearance fees.

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