How do I legalise my documents for Kuwait?
Consular legalisation is mandatory for documents to be used in countries that are not members of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. The 1961 Hague Apostille Convention abolished the requirement for embassy legalisation of documents to be used amongst the member nations, so as to make cross border movement easier. Instead, documents are certified with an apostille stamp, a special kind of international certification that certifies the documents for all legal purposes in the signatory nations. In the UK, this apostille stamp is provided by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.
However, as Kuwait is not a member of The Hague Apostille Convention of 1961, all UK-issued documents to be used within the Middle Eastern country need legalisation by the Kuwait Embassy in London.
The required documents will first have to be submitted to the FCO for apostille certification, after which they will need to be submitted to the Kuwait Embassy in London, for further attestation. The FCO accepts all documents that have been signed by UK Registrars, such as birth certificates, death certificates and marriage certificates. Other documents need to be certified by a Solicitor or Notary Public in the UK, before the FCO legalises them.
Additionally, documents originating from countries such as the British Overseas Territories and Ireland, have to be first attested by the respective foreign offices of these nations, before the FCO attaches its apostille stamp. Certain commercial documents might require legalisation by the Arab-British Chambers of Commerce (ABCC) in London, before the Kuwait Embassy can proceed with further attestation.
The process of Kuwait Embassy legalisation can be long and tedious. This is where our team at Legalisations.org.uk can help. With years of experience in visa laws and legalisation requirements of countries worldwide, our team can take care of the entire process, right from checking and arranging the documents in the prescribed format to submitting and retrieving them from the concerned authorities after legalisation. Apart from attestation, verification and ratification, we also provide certified translation services, should the embassy require documents to be translated into Arabic, the official language of Kuwait.
Please see the process as below that we follow:
STEP 1
Send Us the
Original Document
STEP 2
We quality check
documents internally
STEP 3
The document is
solicitor certified and then
Apostilled 24 hours.
STEP 4
If required, we take the
document to the required
embassy for legalisation
STEP 5
Documents Returned
Back to you Domestically
or Internationally
Please use the dropdown menu’s for your document requirement. The pricing and document type will be generated after pressing the button below. Please note that to complete your order you will need to use the dropdown menus per document order. After the pricing table, you will then be taken to our order page. Following this you will be sent to our upload page to upload the documents which you can also complete later.
Service Inclusions:
- Solicitor Stamp
- FCO Submission and Collection
- Embassy Legalisations
- Precheck of documents
- Free Resubmissions
- Same Day Send Out
Start Legalisation Order
The button above will redirect you to our legalisation order form via our main RLS website. You will be able to select your service, your return address and method and make payment via it.
After making your order, we advise you contact our legalisation consultants by emailing your requirement to: applications@rapid-visas.co.uk.
Important notes for legalisation by the Kuwait Embassy in London
The Kuwait Embassy accepts bundled documents (bearing only one FCO apostille stamp) for legalisation, except personal documents that have been submitted for visa applications. These documents must be stamped and certified by the FCO separately.
For personal documents meant for visa applications, the visa medical reports must include all the tests and their results, as mentioned in the visa instruction form. UK criminal records must be issued only after the entry visa has been granted by the Kuwait authorities. This entry visa issued by the General Department of Residency Affairs has to be submitted in original, along with the applicant’s passport copy, notarised by an accredited Notary Public or Solicitor. Every personal document must be notarised, apostilled and legalised separately, for visa application purposes.
Commercial documents, such as a certificate of origin, invoices, agreements, trademarks, and product certificates, need to be attested by the Arab British Chambers of Commerce before submission to the Kuwait Embassy for legalisation. In case the Embassy requires prior legalisation by the Arab British Chambers of Commerce, you will have to submit three photocopies of the required document. For certain commercial documents, the Embassy will charge a percentage of the sale price as part of the consular legalisation fee.
Applicants can pay by cash or company cheque, only when documents are directly submitted to the Embassy. The collection time for documents from the Kuwait Embassy in London are from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Submission time at the consulate is from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Conclusion
The Kuwait Embassy legalisation is an important step in obtaining a visa to work in Kuwait. Document legalisation is also vital to acquire residence visas for yourself and your family, to study or conduct research in Kuwait, to conduct business or to open bank accounts in the country and more. Kuwait is not a member of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, consular legalisation is an additional step required, along with apostille certification by the FCO.
The process of Embassy legalisation could appear daunting to many, who are already grappling with the preparations to relocate to the State of Kuwait.
Legalisations.org.uk and its team of experts can guide you through the entire process of document legalisation. We can conduct a thorough screening of all your document requirements and prepare them according to the prescribed standards of the FCO and the Kuwait Embassy in London. This ensures completeness and minimal chances of visa rejections. All your documents will be safely submitted to the respective authorities on your behalf, and retrieved by our consultants as well. We work tirelessly to ensure that the documents reach you in the fastest time possible.
Our company is known for its fast turnaround times, prompt customer services, experience and competitive service charges. In case you have any requirement for document translation services, we will provide the best language experts to you, so that the legalisation process can be completed smoothly.
Email us at info@legalisations.org.uk for any queries related to Kuwait Embassy legalisation. You can also get in touch with us at 0845 224 9482. Fill this contact form and one of our representatives can get back to you shortly.
The Most Common Documents We Legalise
Standard Personal Documents
- Birth, Marriage, Death Certificates
- HMRC letters
- ACPO, ACRO, Police Letters
- No Impediment Certificate
- Court Documents
Corporate Business Documents
- Incorporation Certificate
- Appointment Reports
- Mem & Arts
- Company Letters
- Companies House Certs
- Minutes & Resolutions
Educational Documents
- Degree, Masters, Diploma
- GCSE, CSE, O Level
- Professional Qualifications
- Training Certificates
- Transcripts & Reports
- School Letters
Frequently Asked Questions
Legalising documents can be a time consuming and confusing process, especially if you are doing it for the first time or not residing in the UK. Documents to be used in Kuwait need FCO apostille stamps as well as Kuwait Embassy legalisation. Obtaining appointments at the FCO office and the consular or legalisation department of the Kuwait Embassy can be difficult.
Legalisations.org.uk fulfils all the relevant steps in the Kuwait Embassy legalisation process, so that you can get your documents verified. When you submit the required documents to us, our team will take care of the entire process. We will check your documents to ensure that they are presented in the right formats to the FCO and the Embassy of Kuwait in London.
If the documents require additional notarisation services, we will take care of that as well. Our consultants will submit these documents on your behalf at the concerned departments, and also retrieve them to deliver them back to you safely and quickly.
In various matters of embassy legalisation, apostille certification and certified translation services, trust Legalisations.org.uk to offer you prompt, and efficient services.
Prior to the Kuwait Embassy legalisation in London, documents will need an apostille certificate from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).
You can choose from our standard package (for next-day delivery) and premium package (delivery within 2-3 hours) for FCO attestation. For the standard package, the apostille government fee is £30 and for the premium package, the fee is £75.
The legalisation fee charged by the Kuwait Embassy in London is £15 per document. If the documents require further attestation by the Arab British Chambers of Commerce, an additional fee of £52.20 will be charged. Solicitor certification fee will also be included, if required.
Legalisations.org.uk will charge extra service fees, depending on the package and services you choose in your order form, such as DHL delivery, and special delivery. Once you complete the form, all consular charges and service charges will be added. You can make the payment directly through our order form, and then proceed to submit the documents to us.
If additional charges are required in the steps ahead, our team will notify you beforehand, and will get all formalities completed only with your permission. Legalisations.org.uk is known for its transparent and reliable service.
Kuwait document legalisation is an important step in obtaining Kuwait visas, such as the Kuwait employment visa, family visit visa, and a residence visa. Our team at Legalisations.org.uk ensures the fastest turnaround times and all your legalisation needs can be completed quickly, in order for you to proceed with your travel to Kuwait.
Documents meant for use in Kuwait need to be certified with an apostille stamp by the UK FCO, before they are submitted to the Kuwait Embassy in London for legalisation. The FCO can take anywhere between 3 hours to 1 day, to stamp documents. This will depend on the type of service package you choose with us.
The Embassy of Kuwait in London will take another 1 to 2 working days to complete the attestation process. Additional time will be required if the documents need attestation by the Arab British Chambers of Commerce (ABCC).
In total, the turnaround time for Kuwait document legalisation will be approximately 6-8 working days. We would recommend you to keep note of any public holidays or government holidays, when all UK government offices and consulate missions remain closed. Documents should be submitted well in advance to avoid delays.
Kuwait is one of the richest GCC nations, based on per capita income, and has a well-diversified economy. Over two-thirds of its population comprises expats. Foreign nationals are attracted by the job opportunities in the economic and cultural capital, Kuwait City, in sectors such as banking, financial services, medicine, tourism and petrochemicals. More than 100 UK firms have their branches in Kuwait.
If you aspire for a Kuwait work visa, you will need to get certain documents legalised by the Kuwait Embassy in London, for visa approval as well as for living in Kuwait. This will make all your UK-issued documents authenticated and acceptable by Kuwaiti authorities. Important among these documents is the local employment contract you obtain with the sponsoring corporate entity in Kuwait. Your employer has to obtain permission from the Ministry of Interior to hire expats and apply for a work and residence permit on your behalf. Additionally, you might have to present a letter of introduction from your UK employer, if you are being transferred to one of their company branches in Kuwait or you are going to work in a Kuwaiti company on their behalf.
To get a visa approved by the Kuwait Embassy in London, you will be required to get the following documents legalised:
Personal Documents
- Copy of passports
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Police clearance certificate issued by the UK police
- Driver’s license
- Divorce certificate
- Visa medical reports
- Personal power of attorney
- Adoption papers
- Death certificate
Academic Qualifications
In Kuwait, new laws have been enforced since 2018, regarding academic qualifications of expats who would like to obtain an employment visa. Kuwait does not issue work permits to applicants below the age of 30. In addition, applicants must at least have a bachelor’s, masters or doctorate degree to apply for jobs in Kuwait. The Kuwait Embassy in London will check your academic qualifications and only then legalise your documents. These may include:
- College/diploma certificates
- Post-graduate degree certificates
- A-Level, BTECH, NVQ, HNC, HND, Level 1-3 certificates
- PGCE, QTS, Teaching certificates
- Higher education certificates
- Training certificates
If you are sponsoring a residence visa for your spouse and children (below 18 years), you will need to get their documents legalised as well. This will include primary education certificates (for each child), along with their personal documents.
We would recommend you to consult your sponsoring company in Kuwait to understand whether they have any specific document legalisation needs by the Kuwait Embassy in London. If they require certain documents to be translated into Arabic, certified translators at Legalisations.org.uk can help with that.
Certain consulate missions require the documents to be translated into the official language of their countries, before they legalise them. The United Kingdom has no regulatory system for “sworn translators,” who can guarantee the authenticity and accuracy of translated official documents. This is why translators should be carefully chosen, based on their credibility. Legalisations.org.uk has a vast network of professional translators, all from the Institute of Translators and Interpreters as well as the Institute of Linguists.
The Kuwait Embassy in London does not have any requirements for UK-issued documents to be translated into Arabic, prior to legalisation. However, your sponsoring entity, such as your Kuwait-based employer, might require certain documents to be translated from English to Arabic before their relevant use in the country. This could also be true if you are travelling to Kuwait for business purposes. Certain legal documents, such as power of attorney, trademarks, company product certifications, and criminal background checks, could require translation.
The experts at Legalisations.org.uk perform complete spelling, grammar, punctuation, format and completeness checks, and ensure that the translated documents retain their intent and accuracy. We further take the translated documents to an accredited Notary Public or Solicitor for an authentication stamp.
Kindly send us an email at info@legalisations.org.uk, along with a copy of the document to be translated, for all your translation requirements during the Kuwait Embassy legalisation process. Our consultants will get back to you with a quote and turnaround time for complete translation, as soon as possible.
The Kuwait Embassy in London is situated at:
2 Albert Gate Knightsbridge
60 A Knightsbridge
SW1X 7JU
London
United Kingdom
The working hours of the consulate is Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The nearest tube station to the Embassy is Piccadilly. You can also take bus numbers 137, 38, 14, 22 and 452 to reach the destination. Railway lines that can be used to reach the Kuwait Embassy include Chiltern Railways and Southern Railway. Hyde Park, Embassy of Oman and the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London are some of the landmarks situated nearby.
Testimonials
Previous
Next
