Shipping Car to Kuwait

Shipping Your Car to Kuwait? Car Shipping from the USA to Kuwait starts at a cost of $1,695 USD with an estimated turnaround time of 4-6 weeks, depending on the make and model of the car, the port of origin, and the method of shipment. Below, we explore everything you need to know about shipping your car to Kuwait in our 2025 guide.

Shipping a Car to Kuwait: Checklist

Vehicle Import Options

Shipping a Car to Kuwait: Costs & Time Frame

Shipping a Car to Kuwait: Options

Additional Services

Ports Served in the US and Kuwait

Cleaning Your Vehicle of Biosecurity Concerns

Plating Your Vehicle in Kuwait

Other Kuwait/US Shipping Options

Shipping a car from the United States to Kuwait can be relatively easy if you carefully prepare and choose a reliable and trustworthy shipping company.

Here’s a rough breakdown of the process you’ll need to go through to ship your car overseas to Kuwait.

After you’ve determined that your vehicle is eligible for import to Kuwait and selected a suitable auto shipping option, you should gather all of the necessary documentation, including:

Obtaining all of the necessary paperwork can take a while. To ensure you have a stress-free experience when car shipping to Kuwait, you should start to gather together this documentation well in advance of organizing your shipping arrangements.

Before starting the car shipping process, you should be sure that you understand all of the costs involved in shipping a vehicle to Kuwait, including:

Once the relevant paperwork is complete, you can select an international car shipping company and preferred international car shipping method to handle your car shipment from the United States to Kuwait.

Don’t forget to determine your vehicle’s departure and destination ports.

More information on the process of shipping a vehicle to Kuwait can be found here.

As you engage in the process of car shipping to Kuwait, some of the most important questions to consider include:

• Are you a Kuwaiti national? If not, do you have an employer in Kuwait willing to sponsor the import under their name?
• Do you plan to permanently keep your car in Kuwait or is this just a temporary move?
• Is your vehicle for personal use, or do you plan to resell it or use it for commercial purposes?
• How old is the vehicle? There is a 5-year age limit for cars imported into Kuwait (or 10 year age limit for trucks).

These questions and more will determine whether your car is eligible for shipping to Kuwait. Your actual tax rate is also based on these details.

When shipping a car to Kuwait, you should never assume that your international shipping scenario is the same as someone else’s. Importing classic cars or used cars may have eligibility requirements that differ from those for newer vehicles for import into Kuwait.

To import a car into Kuwait, it must meet certain emission standards for vehicles. Currently, Kuwait requires vehicles to comply with the Euro 5 emission standard or later. If your car does not meet these standards, you may be unable to import it, you may face a penalty fee, or it might require modifications to comply.

To obtain an estimate of the cost to ship a car to Kuwait, fill out our free quick quote form.

Vehicle Import Approval

Upon arrival of your vehicle shipment to Kuwait, the vehicle must be declared in Kuwait Customs.

You’ll need the following documentation:

• Original Car Title Certificate
• Original Bill of Lading
• Sales Contract / Bill of Sale
• Registration Certificate, or any equivalent official document
• Invoice, if there has been a sale
• Copy of Your Passport, for identification purposes
• Certificate of Conformity
• Certificate of Origin
• Proof of Valid Kuwaiti Insurance
• Valid Driving License

Things to Consider

To obtain an estimate of the cost to ship a car to Kuwait, fill out our free quick quote form.

Car Shipping from the USA to Kuwait can be performed using a shared container, a sole container or a roll-on/roll-off service. It is important to find the best solution to meet your international car shipping needs.

Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo shipping) – Vehicles are loaded onto a ship that contains a cargo area built like a very big parking garage. International RoRo shipping tends to be cheaper as, other than the shipping charge, you are required to pay only port charges and customs clearance charges.

Transits tend to be faster than with the shared container service, as the vessels depart on a weekly basis.

Shared container service – This method for car shipping to Kuwait requires multiple vehicles to be loaded into one shipping container. While there are more fees involved to ship a car from the USA to Kuwait with shared container service than with the roll-on/roll-off shipping method, due to the fact that the container must be processed, these charges are shared between the various clients who are using the container. Such fees include a trucking charge, terminal handling charge, customs clearance, and charge for unloading the vehicles at a bonded warehouse.

One disadvantage is that you might face a longer wait before your vehicle departs, as the container must have a full load before shipping to Kuwait.

Full container load – You have the added benefit of a fully enclosed container, just like our shared container service, but the 20 ft container is dedicated solely to your vehicle. Since there’s no wait for other cars to be loaded, you’ll enjoy a shorter wait before departure. However, additional terminal handling fees and other charges won’t be shared with other vehicle owners.

Our most selective customers prefer the high level of safety and expediency offered when shipping cars with dedicated container shipping. When your vehicle is received, we’ll photograph and document the vehicle’s condition as well as the loading process. Your vehicle will be loaded using our modern steel loading system, which is not only environmentally friendly, but doesn’t rely on outdated wood ramps and nails that other car shipping companies use, which can damage your vehicle.

After your car is loaded onto your own private container, it is locked and secured. This will ensure no one gains access to your car before reaching its final destination. Since the vehicle is fully enclosed in a secure container, we invite our clients to pack and transport other items inside the vehicle. However, everything must be loaded securely, as we won’t be responsible for loss or damage of personal belongings of any kind.

Once your vehicle reaches its destination in Kuwait, our agent will unlock the container, document the vehicle’s condition, and photograph the entire unloading process. Every step of the shipping process is not only handled carefully but documented for your peace of mind.

Compared to our roll-on/roll-off shipping option, enclosed container shipping is not only more secure when shipping to Kuwait, but much faster due to frequent departures each week.

Sourcing vehicles – Overseas clients who wish to buy a vehicle can turn to our long list of car buyers developed in our nearly thirty years in the auto industry, who can find and purchase vehicles for an additional fee or commission.

Other services – Some of the auto transport services we offer in overseas territories include domestic pickup, vehicle import assistance, tracking of your shipment, customs clearance in the USA and a full vehicle inspection report.

Departure Ports – United States

The location your vehicle will depart from depends on the method of car shipping to Kuwait, where your vehicle is located, your budget, and which services the nearest port offers. We have multiple departure locations from which we can ship cars from the USA, including Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Miami, Savannah, and more.

Destination Ports – Kuwait

Here are the entry ports in Kuwait that we can ship a car to.

Before shipping to Kuwait, the undercarriage of your car must be cleaned and free of foreign soil to prevent the introduction of invasive plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. This can be accomplished through steam cleaning or other thorough cleaning methods.

CFR Classic can assist with finding an appropriate cleaner to help ensure you comply with this requirement before car shipping to Kuwait. We do not recommend washing the interior of the vehicle as it can cause mold during transport. Vacuuming the interior is usually more than sufficient prior to car transport.

All imported vehicles shipped to Kuwait from the U.S. must be registered with the Kuwait Ministry of Interior. Once your car has been cleared through customs and you have paid all of the relevant import duties and taxes, you will receive an import permit from Kuwaiti Customs. Your vehicle will then need to undergo an inspection to ensure that your imported car complies with all of the relevant Kuwaiti safety and environmental regulations. On passing this inspection, you will receive a valid inspection certificate.

Once you have this inspection certificate, you will need to register your vehicle with the General Department of Traffic. Before registering your vehicle, you must ensure that you have a suitable Kuwaiti insurance policy in place that meets all local requirements.

To register your car with the Kuwaiti authorities, you will need to gather together all of the necessary documentation, including:

• Ownership Certificate/Original Title
• Vehicle Registration Document
• Passport, Driver’s License, and/or Kuwait Civil ID Card
• Customs Declaration/Clearance Statement
• Proof of Payment of Kuwaiti Taxes and Duties
• Technical Inspection Report
• Proof of Valid Kuwaiti Insurance
• Certificate of Conformity (COC), if available
• Application Form for Vehicle Registration

To register your vehicle in Kuwait, you will need to pay the necessary registration fee. The total cost of this will depend upon the initial purchase price of your vehicle, as well as its age, model, and mileage.

After presenting this information and paying the relevant taxes, duties, and registration fee, your vehicle can be taken to the Kuwait General Department of Traffic to be registered and issued with Kuwaiti license plates.

More information about the registration process can be found here on the Kuwaiti government’s vehicle registration page: https://e.gov.kw/sites/kgoenglish/Pages/CitizensResidents/InfoSubPages/CarAndTransports.aspx

International Car Shipping
Classic Car Shipping
Motorcycle Shipping
Boat Shipping
Air Freight
Cargo Shipping
Moving Household Goods

This information was updated in January 2025. All information, time frames, pricing, and regulations are subject to change. Please contact a sales representative for the most current rates and information.

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