The rules are relevant to citizens and expatriate residents planning to buy or sell used vehicles and seeking to ensure that the ownership transfer is completed legally.

The Ministry of Interior provides procedures through the General Traffic Department, while an electronic transfer service is also available through the government’s Sahel application for eligible transactions.

According to the ministry’s official guidance, transferring a vehicle registration requires the insurance policy to be transferred from the previous owner to the new owner.

The authorities must also verify that the seller and buyer have no outstanding financial penalties that would prevent the completion of the transaction.

Required documents include the Civil IDs of both parties, copies of those identification documents and the vehicle’s registration book.

For in-person transactions, the standard procedure requires the seller and buyer to attend and sign before the responsible official, subject to authorised representation arrangements.

If the previous owner has died, the ministry requires additional documentation, including a death certificate and an inheritance determination document.

All relevant heirs or their legally authorised representative must participate as required by the official procedure.

The General Traffic Department lists the vehicle registration transfer fee as five Kuwaiti dinars.

This fee should be distinguished from any additional insurance-related charges or other amounts that may arise from the specific transaction.

Kuwait also provides a digital vehicle ownership transfer service through the Sahel government application, allowing eligible users to complete the process electronically.

The seller begins by accessing the Ministry of Interior section, selecting Traffic Services and choosing the vehicle ownership transfer service.

The seller then identifies the relevant vehicle and enters the buyer’s Civil ID number to initiate the request.

An electronic notification is subsequently sent to the buyer, who must review and approve the ownership transfer process.

The buyer is also required to complete the insurance transfer payment step through the application.

The seller then receives another notification to confirm receipt of the vehicle’s sale price and pay the applicable ownership transfer fee.

Once the electronic process is completed, the buyer can access the new digital vehicle registration and add it to the digital wallet in the Kuwait Mobile ID application.

The General Traffic Department has also issued official instructions requiring proof that the vehicle’s purchase price has been paid.

Acceptable supporting evidence includes a copy of a cheque, a cash payment receipt or a bank certificate confirming the transfer of funds.

This requirement is designed to document the financial transaction between the seller and buyer as part of the ownership transfer process.

The traffic authorities have additionally announced arrangements allowing certain vehicle-related transactions to be completed by authorised representatives when the applicant cannot attend personally.

These arrangements require electronic authentication through the Kuwait Mobile ID application before the representative can complete the relevant transaction.

Vehicle ownership transfer is among the traffic services included in these facilitation measures.

However, authorised representation does not remove the underlying requirements concerning insurance, identification, outstanding penalties or applicable government fees.

Both parties should verify the vehicle information and retain payment records before considering the transaction complete.

Sellers should not rely solely on receiving the purchase price or handing over the vehicle without ensuring that the official ownership records have been updated.

Buyers should also confirm that the new vehicle registration appears correctly through the authorised government platforms.

The Ministry of Interior, Sahel and Kuwait Mobile ID remain the appropriate official channels for checking the procedures and completing eligible transactions.

Source: Kuwait Ministry of Interior – General Traffic Department.

Information reviewed: November 10, 2026.