Can I own property in Kuwait?

A citizen of Kuwait living abroad: Yes. A Kuwaiti living abroad buys like any citizen. A foreign national: No. A non-GCC foreigner cannot own land or a home in Kuwait. Decree-Law 7 of 2025 opened ownership only to companies, funds and portfolios listed or licensed in Kuwait, not to individuals. A foreigner's route to Kuwaiti rent is a long lease or a share in a listed vehicle, both outside this guide.

Does the rent agreement need registering?

No registration threshold. Notarisation is a choice the parties make at signing.

Who withholds tax on the rent, and how much?

No withholding at source. No. Kuwait has no personal income tax, no property tax and no tax on rent for any individual, resident or not.

How does the rent reach me in Australia?

Kuwaiti banks open accounts for residents with a civil ID; a non-resident owner usually receives rent through a representative or a GCC bank. No exchange controls and no limit on transfers. Cash at an exchange house is capped per day; above that, transfers go through a bank account and need the Kuwait Mobile ID for online remittance. No limit and no declaration for the transfer itself. The income was taxable when it arose.

Renting out property in Kuwait while living in Australia

Kuwait's rules for a landlord living in Australia: ownership, the rent agreement, who withholds tax, and how the rent reaches you.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and your situation may differ. Check the sources on this page and confirm with a lawyer or accountant in the country before you act.

Desk research Last reviewed 1 October 2026 Report an inaccuracy

The short answers

Can I own property in Kuwait?: A citizen of Kuwait living abroad: Yes. A Kuwaiti living abroad buys like any citizen.; A foreign national: No. A non-GCC foreigner cannot own land or a home in Kuwait. Decree-Law 7 of 2025 opened ownership only to companies, funds and portfolios listed or licensed in Kuwait, not to individuals. A foreigner's route to Kuwaiti rent is a long lease or a share in a listed vehicle, both outside this guide.
Does the rent agreement need registering?: No registration threshold. Notarisation is a choice the parties make at signing.
Who withholds tax on the rent, and how much?: No withholding at source. No. Kuwait has no personal income tax, no property tax and no tax on rent for any individual, resident or not.
How does the rent reach me in Australia?: Kuwaiti banks open accounts for residents with a civil ID; a non-resident owner usually receives rent through a representative or a GCC bank.; No exchange controls and no limit on transfers. Cash at an exchange house is capped per day; above that, transfers go through a bank account and need the Kuwait Mobile ID for online remittance.; No limit and no declaration for the transfer itself. The income was taxable when it arose.

Renting out property in Kuwait

What applies because the property is in Kuwait, whoever owns it.

Who may own residential property

Who may own residential property, by audience
Citizens living in the country	Allowed Anywhere.
Residents of any nationality	Not allowed Residency gives no right to buy. The one exception under Decree-Law 74 of 1979 is a national of another Arab country, resident for ten years with a clean record, who may be granted one home of up to 1,000 square metres for the family's own use by a specific decree; it is rarely used.
Citizens living abroad	Allowed A Kuwaiti living abroad buys like any citizen.
Foreign nationals living abroad	Not allowed A non-GCC foreigner cannot own land or a home in Kuwait. Decree-Law 7 of 2025 opened ownership only to companies, funds and portfolios listed or licensed in Kuwait, not to individuals. A foreigner's route to Kuwaiti rent is a long lease or a share in a listed vehicle, both outside this guide.

Letting it out from abroad

May a non-resident owner let it: Yes, for the Kuwaitis and GCC nationals who can own; residency is not required to let.
Licences, permits, landlord registration: None for a long-term let.
Local agent or representative: In practice yes. Notarisation, rent certificates on the Sahel app and the rental court all assume a civil ID holder on the ground.

The rent agreement

Written agreement required: Yes. Decree-Law 35 of 1978, as amended by Decree-Law 95 of 2024, requires a written lease signed by both parties stating the rent and its due date.
Mandatory standard form: None mandatory. Ministry of Justice notarisation adds an executive formula that lets a landlord enforce unpaid rent without a full trial.
Language: Arabic governs; bilingual leases are common.
Registry: None for an ordinary tenancy. Notarisation at the Ministry of Justice is optional and worth having.
When registration is required: No registration threshold. Notarisation is a choice the parties make at signing.
Who registers: Either party can request notarisation; both sign before the notary, in person or through an attorney with a notarised Power of Attorney.
Registration cost: A small Ministry of Justice fee for notarisation.
If it is not registered: None for an unnotarised lease; it is still valid, but unpaid rent then needs a judgment from the rental judge rather than direct enforcement.
Stamp duty: None.
Notarisation and witnesses: Optional notarisation at the Ministry of Justice, which since 2024 makes the lease directly enforceable for arrears once the tenant has been notified and a non-payment certificate is issued.
E-signature: Recognised under the Electronic Transactions Law No. 20 of 2014; the Kuwait Mobile ID app signs for citizens and residents. Notarisation itself is still done at the Ministry.
The usual term: One year, renewed. Rent certificates and key-deposit certificates are issued through the Sahel app.

Rules the agreement must respect

Deposit: No statutory cap. One month's rent is usual; the Sahel app issues a deposit certificate that both sides can rely on.
Rent increases: Not for five years from the contract date or the last increase, and then only by agreement or by the rental judge where the rent is well below the market.
Notice periods: Set by the law according to the term and the rent period, from fifteen days to two months; a landlord may end a lease only on the statutory grounds.
Disputes: A single rental judge at the Court of First Instance, under the 2024 amendment, with the notarised lease enforceable directly for arrears.
Mandatory disclosures: Not applicable

Tax when the landlord lives abroad

Is the rent taxed here: No. Kuwait has no personal income tax, no property tax and no tax on rent for any individual, resident or not.
Withholding at source: No
Withholding rate: Not applicable
Who withholds: Not applicable
What the tenant must register: Not applicable
How to reduce it: Not applicable
Filing and tax ID: None for an individual.
VAT or GST on rent: None. Kuwait has not introduced VAT.
Municipal and housing fees: No annual property tax. Transfers carry a registration fee at the Real Estate Registration Department.

Money inside the country

How tenants pay: Bank transfer, KNET or cheque in dinars.
Currency of rent: KWD
Bank account for a non-resident owner: Kuwaiti banks open accounts for residents with a civil ID; a non-resident owner usually receives rent through a representative or a GCC bank.
Paying rent to an overseas account: Allowed. Nothing requires a local account, though cheques and the Sahel certificates assume one.
Taking rent out of the country: No exchange controls and no limit on transfers. Cash at an exchange house is capped per day; above that, transfers go through a bank account and need the Kuwait Mobile ID for online remittance.

Living in Australia

What Australia asks of its residents who own and let property abroad.

Owning property abroad from here

Buying abroad: No restriction. An Australian resident may buy property anywhere the other country allows and move money out freely.
Reporting foreign assets and accounts: No register of foreign assets. Foreign rent is declared in the annual return as foreign income; the ATO receives account data from other countries under the common reporting standard.
Tax at home on foreign rent: Taxed. An Australian resident declares worldwide income, including rent from property abroad, and claims a foreign income tax offset for tax paid there, capped at the Australian tax on that income.
Bringing rent home: No limit and no declaration for the transfer itself. The income was taxable when it arose.
Digital identity for e-signing: There is no national signing identity. Any e-signature platform the foreign side accepts does the job, or a notarised paper signature where the other country insists.

Sources

Ministry of Justice of Kuwait (lease notarisation and the rental court) — www.moj.gov.kw
Central Bank of Kuwait: the CBK law and foreign exchange supervision — www.cbk.gov.kw
US Department of State: Kuwait investment climate statement (real estate ownership and remittance rules) — www.state.gov
Prime Minister of India: the protocol amending the India–Kuwait tax treaty — www.pmindia.gov.in
ATO: foreign investment in Australia, residential property — www.ato.gov.au
ATO: banning foreign purchases of established dwellings (extended to 30 June 2029) — www.ato.gov.au
ATO: vacancy fee return for foreign owners — www.ato.gov.au
ATO: residential fees for a foreign person — www.ato.gov.au
ATO: tax rates for foreign residents — www.ato.gov.au
ATO: foreign resident capital gains withholding, foreign residents and variations — www.ato.gov.au
ATO: Australian resident for tax purposes — www.ato.gov.au
Revenue NSW: surcharge purchaser duty — www.revenue.nsw.gov.au
State Revenue Office Victoria: understanding the absentee owner surcharge — www.sro.vic.gov.au
NSW Government: the standard residential tenancy agreement — www.nsw.gov.au
Consumer Affairs Victoria: lodging the bond with the RTBA — www.consumer.vic.gov.au
Attorney-General's Department: electronic signatures, documents and transactions — www.ag.gov.au
Income Tax Department of India: the India–Australia tax treaty — www.incometaxindia.gov.in