To travel to the State of Kuwait, for the purpose of business, employment or further studies, UK citizens need to get the relevant documents legalised. Legalisation is an official confirmation that the stamp, seal or signature on an official document issued by the UK authorities is authentic. This process is completed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), which issues Apostille certificates to these documents. However, Kuwait is not a member nation of the Hague Convention of 1962, which means that documents to be used within its borders need additional Kuwait Embassy legalisation.
Saudi Able Link, an extension of Rapid Visas Ltd., can take care of all your document apostille, attestation, notarisation and translation needs, which are vital for any type of GCC visa application. Our consultants specialise in travel to the member nations of the GCC or Gulf Cooperation Council, a six-nation political alliance in the Persian Gulf, that promotes economic, military and trade partnerships among its member nations. The member nations include Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait.
Established in 2007 in London, Rapid Visas is one of the premier visa agencies, providing fast and extensive visa services to individual clients and corporate entities. Our company has made a name for itself for its knowledge, exceptional customer services, efficiency and fast turnaround times in visa approvals.
Kuwait document legalisation by the Kuwait Embassy in London is vital to obtain a Kuwait visa. Below is a detailed overview of why you need it, how the system works and the role of Saudi Able Link in guiding you.
Kuwait Document Legalisation: Who Needs it and Why?
Legalisation is a multi-step procedure that is part of Kuwait visa applications. The Embassy of Kuwait in London issues various types of visas to UK citizens, including business, work, official visit and transit visas. Depending on your purpose of entry into the country, different documents might need legalisation.
For instance, to apply for an employment visa for a job role in a Kuwaiti corporate entity, you will need to submit your professional documents, such as employment contract and no-objection letters, along with your educational certificates, for legalisation. This might include your degree certificates, diploma certificates, A-level, NVQ and HNC certificates, among others. All documents issued by UK government bodies or educational institutes will need FCO legalisation, before Kuwait Embassy legalisation.
Personal documents, such as UK-issued birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, medical reports and UK police clearance certificates also need legalisation, for visa applications for family visit, spouse visa and Kuwait residency visas.
For business travellers, who would like to conduct business transactions in Kuwait, discuss contractual obligations with Kuwaiti business partners, participate in trade shows and for any other business-related purposes, will need to get their relevant business and commercial documents legalised. This might include Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Sale, invoices, power of attorney, financial reports, company profiles, product certificates and more.
In certain cases, they also might need to submit their educational certificates, if they are participating in a lecture, industry seminar or addressing a business conclave. Additionally, Kuwait visa medical certificates will also need legalisation.
Overview of Kuwait Document Legalisation Process
Kuwait is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, which abolished the need for consular legalisation for documents to be used within member nations. So, after the UK FCO issues an apostille stamp for the relevant documents, they are submitted to the legalisation department of the Kuwait Embassy in London, for further action. It is to be noted that the FCO may demand notarisation of certain documents by a solicitor or notary public in the UK, before issuing an apostille stamp.
Further, all relevant commercial documents need to be submitted after attestation by the local chamber of commerce, such as Arab British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).
With its extensive contacts and experience, consultants of Saudi Able Link are well-equipped to guide you through all these services, so that you have a hassle-free experience, without needing to approach every government agency individually.
Our range of document legalisation services include:
- Apostille: Issued by the FCO, for verifying the authenticity of UK-issued documents for use in other countries.
- Legalisation: For countries not part of the Apostille Treaty of 1962 by the Hague Convention, additional consular legalisation is required from the respective diplomatic mission, situated in the UK.
- Translations: Certain Embassies might need UK documents translated to their official language, before they legalise them.
- Notarisation: Notarisation of certain documents by the solicitor or notary public in the UK, prior to FCO legalisation.
Our Kuwait Document Legalisation is completed in simple three steps:
Step 1: Individual documents are first notarised by an accredited solicitor or notary public in the UK. Some documents, such as UK issued birth and death certificates, do not need notarisation.
Step 2: An appointment is taken with the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) for the documents to be issued an apostille stamp.
Step 3: The documents are then taken to the Embassy of Kuwait in London, for legalisation. We return these documents to our client within 1 to 2 working days. It is important to note that the legalisation of professional and personal documents might take different times to process.
The Kuwait Embassy’s address and contact details are:
2 Albert Gate Knightsbridge
60 A Knightsbridge
SW1X 7JU
London
United Kingdom
Phone: +44(0) 20 7761 8500
Email ID: info@kcouk.org
Opening hours of the Embassy are Monday-Friday, 09:00 to 16:00.
You can also contact the Embassy of Kuwait Legalisation Department directly for any queries.
Documents That Need Kuwait Embassy Legalisation
Different types of Kuwait visa applications, such as work visas, business visas and personal visas, need relevant documents to be legalised. This may include:
- Educational Certificates: For verification of your academic credentials, with respect to a job or higher education course or research work, in Kuwait. Consular officials will check whether you have submitted all documents that prove you are suitable for the role.
- Employment Documents: For corporate immigration purposes, your contract with the Kuwaiti sponsor company, your salary bracket and your previous employment records might be asked for. Applicants visiting Kuwait to seek business partnerships or to participate in corporate conferences will need to submit business introduction letters issued by their UK employers.
Kuwait Visa Medical Certificates: To ensure that you are entering the State of Kuwait, free of any contagious diseases or any grave medical condition, which might require emergency medical attention in the country.
Kuwait Document Legalisation for Other Types of Documents
The Kuwait Embassy in London legalises a range of documents pertaining to various purposes. These include:
- UK birth and death certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Adoption papers
- Personal power of attorney
- Contracts
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Company undertaking
- Sales invoices
- Higher education certificates
- Primary education certificates
- Police clearance certificates
- Product certificates
- Company financial reports
- Medical certificates
Conclusion
Kuwait document legalisation by the Embassy in London could be a confusing process, as the Embassy requirements differ across various categories of documents. Saudi Able Link will be your trusted guide in this process, ensuring that your documents stay protected and returned to you with all formalities completed. We make a detailed analysis of your document legalisation needs, and based on that, offer the right service package.
For further enquiries, get in touch with us at 02070961985 or email us at support@saudiarabiavisa.co.uk.
