• Patent fees

Fees associated with filing patent applications in Kuwait as well as other patent fees are available in the fee calculator.

• Term for filing a patent application in Kuwait

The term for filing a conventional patent application claiming priority in Kuwait is 12 months from the priority date.

• Filing requirements in Kuwait

The official language of the proceedings before the Kuwaiti Patent Office is Arabic. However, it is possible to file the specification and abstract in English and submit the translation thereof into Arabic within 3 months from the filing date. 

To obtain the filing date for a patent application in Kuwait, it is necessary to submit:
- description, claims, drawings and abstract in English;
- a copy of the simply signed Power of Attorney.

A scanned copy of a certified copy of the Priority Document must be filed within 3 months from the filing date.

The original Power of Attorney, super legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait, must be submitted to the Patent Office along with its Arabic translation. The translation should be conducted by a Certified Translation Office in Kuwait. This submission must be completed within 3 months from the filing date.

A scanned copy of the Certificate of Incorporation or an extract from the commercial register, super legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait, must be submitted to the Patent Office along with its Arabic translation. The translation should be conducted by a Certified Translation Office in Kuwait. This requirement applies only if the applicant is a legal entity.

If the applicant is not the inventor, the original Assignment Deed must be submitted to the Patent Office, super legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait, along with its Arabic translation. The translation should be conducted by a Certified Translation Office in Kuwait.

• Examination of a Kuwaiti patent application

Patent applications in Kuwait undergo both formal and substantive examinations. Currently, there is no requirement to submit a request for examination for patent applications in Kuwait. Upon meeting all formal requirements, the application automatically proceeds to substantive examination.

• Novelty grace period

No novelty grace period is stipulated in Kuwaiti legislation.

• Grant, validity term and maintenance fees

Grant fees must be settled within three months from the issuance of the Grant notification. The validity term of a patent in Kuwait is 20 years from the filing date. Annual maintenance fees in Kuwait are required from the year following the filing date, starting with the 2nd annuity payment. Annuity fees must be paid within the first quarter of the year, up to March 31, to avoid incurring any penalties. Payments made between March 31 and June 30 of the respective year will be subject to a penalty.

• Duration of registration procedure

As only a few applications have undergone examination, publication, and grant, the exact duration of the registration procedure has not yet been determined.

• Utility Model

Currently, the Kuwaiti Patent Office is not accepting utility model applications.

• Representation by a patent attorney

For foreign applicants, it is necessary to appoint a local representative for performing patent prosecution in Kuwait.

• Note

There are no online databases for patent search in Kuwait.

Brief summary is based on the information provided by ONE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY on 20.02.2024
Please contact us if the above information is not in conformity with Kuwaiti IP Laws