Kuwait and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Legalisation
- First stop
- First the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kuwait City
- Language
- Arabic, sworn translation
- Register
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- Tax treaty
- Signed 2001, in force 2002 (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- Gulf free trade talks suspended since 2008
- Moving here
- Residence permit needed
Documents from Kuwait
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Kuwait.
Proof of address in Kuwait, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a Kuwaiti notary (Ministry of Justice). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attests the notary’s signature.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
Legalisation. First the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kuwait City. You book the embassy appointment online. The embassy usually takes one working day, and you collect the documents on fixed days. Arabic documents need a sworn translation into Dutch, English, French or German.
Good to know. You need two stamps and a translation, so allow four to six weeks. The embassy returns documents only at the counter. Someone with the receipt can collect them for you.
If a company from Kuwait becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Order the commercial registration (CR) extract and the licence. The articles show the partners of a limited company (in Kuwait a WLL). Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Kuwait and the EU: trade and tax
Kuwait was the first Gulf country to sign a cooperation arrangement with the EU’s diplomatic service, in July 2016, and the EU opened its Delegation in Kuwait City on 14 July 2019 (EEAS). The EU is Kuwait’s second-biggest trade partner.
In October 2025 Kuwait hosted the 29th EU-GCC Joint Council. Its joint statement says the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are exploring a return to their free trade talks, which began in 1990 and were suspended in 2008 (Council of the EU, European Commission). Since 18 July 2025 the EU may also negotiate a Strategic Partnership Agreement with Kuwait itself, covering subjects such as trade, investment and energy.
The Dutch tax treaty with Kuwait allows dividends from a Dutch company to a Kuwaiti company with at least 10% of the shares at 0%. Other shareholders, such as a person who owns shares directly, pay at most 10%. Families who plan a move can read relocating your family from Kuwait to the Netherlands, and owners can read the Dutch holding for Gulf owners and families.
Your next step from Kuwait
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