• Patent fees

Fees associated with the Kuwaiti PCT national phase entry as well as other patent fees are available in the fee calculator.

• Deadline for the PCT national phase entry in Kuwait

The term for entry into the PCT national phase in Kuwait is 30 months from the priority date or 18 months from the international filing date (if the international application is not based on earlier filing).

• 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:
- specification and abstract in English;
- a copy of the simply signed Power of Attorney.

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.

• Examination of a PCT national phase patent application in Kuwait

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 international filing date. Annual maintenance fees in Kuwait are required from the year following the international 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 entering the PCT national phase.

• Note

There are no online search 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