Freelance Licence in Kuwait 2026: Which Activities Qualify, What You Can Sell and Who Is Excluded

Kuwait's Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) now lets a Kuwaiti run a freelance business without a shop, under Ministerial Decision No. 216 of 2026 (the rules) and Decision No. 217 of 2026 (the table of 86 permitted activities), both issued on 8 November 2026. The licence is held through a single-person company, lasts four years and can be renewed. It replaces Decision No. 168 of 2025.

Why this matters: a freelance licence is the cheapest legal way to turn a skill into a business, but the rules are narrower than many people expect. The activity wording is strict, you cannot receive clients at home, you cannot pay or be paid in cash, and a government employee is, in our reading, excluded. Getting these points wrong can mean a refused application or a licence problem later. This article uses the Freelance Licences section we have just added to our free Kuwait Business Activities Guide.

In this article: 1. What the new rules do; 2. Who can apply; 3. Government employees; 4. Which activities qualify; 5. What you can sell, and how; 6. Running rules; 7. Existing licences and removed activities; 8. Frequently asked questions.

1. What the new rules do

Decision 216 lets the activities in the Decision 217 table be carried out without a commercial shop, as an exception to the shop requirements of Decision No. 411 of 2013 (Article 1). The 86 activities sit in 12 sectors, and 43 of them are in professional, scientific, technical and consulting work. Applications go through the Kuwait Business Centre, the Sahel or Sahel Business apps, or any other method the Minister approves (Article 2).

2. Who can apply

The licence is held through a single-person company, and its founder must also be its manager. The founder must be a Kuwaiti individual of full legal capacity, at least 21 years old (Gregorian calendar), with no final judgment of imprisonment for a felony or a crime against honour or trust, unless rehabilitated (Article 3). The company needs an address: a chosen domicile, a P.O. box or an email registered with the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI). If the domicile is a private home, the owner's consent is needed (Article 3).

3. Government employees

A government employee cannot hold a freelance licence. Civil Service Council Decision No. 8 of 1997 bars employees of ministries, government departments, authorities and public bodies from engaging in trade, even if they hold licences. Council Decision No. 9 of 1999 lets an employee found a non-shareholding company as long as he or she takes no part in its management. Decision 216 requires the founder of the single-person company to be its manager, so that exception does not fit. Anyone in public service should confirm their position with their employer before applying.

4. Which activities qualify

48 of the 86 activities have no requirements. Examples are fashion, clothing, footwear and jewellery design, gift and accessory design, photography, event photography, calligraphy, trademark registration agents, product promotion for others, and brokerage in fish, birds, livestock and vegetables and fruit.

The other 38 ask for a qualification. Most consultancy and technical activities need a university degree or a diploma in the field, for example IT, telecoms, economic, management, marketing, mechanical, electrical, educational and tourism consultancy. A few accept at least seven years of documented practical experience instead of a degree: commercial consultancy and information, public relations consultancy, and media consultancy. The Ministry judges whether the certificate fits the activity.

Read the wording closely. Cooking consultancy covers advice, recipes, menus and techniques, not preparing, producing or selling food to the public. Beauty consultancy covers advice and teaching make-up methods, not doing make-up for clients, and no medical or therapeutic work. Teaching sport or arts cannot be done from home, because receiving clients in a private home is banned.

5. What you can sell, and how

You may sell what your activity produces: designs, ideas, models and products (Article 11). You may sign written contracts with licensed factories and workshops for manufacturing, production, printing and packaging, and with licensed warehouses for storage, taking orders and delivery. Four conditions apply: the product must come from your own design; you keep the contracts and invoices; you obtain any regulatory approvals the product needs; and the company name and commercial registration number appear on the product, its packaging, the invoice or the online listing. You may sell through exhibitions, temporary markets and online platforms (Article 12).

The limit is buying ready-made goods from abroad to resell. In the design activities (fashion, decor, gifts) that is not allowed, because the product must come from your design. Direct sale of ready products is allowed only in specific activities, such as trade in pottery and handicrafts and sale of ready software. A commission agent is different: he sells or buys for others for a commission and does not own the goods. That route excludes real estate, securities, vehicles, precious metals and gems, and anything needing a special licence.

6. Running rules

No clients or visitors may be received at a private home (Article 10). The company must hold a bank account in its own name through which all its dealings pass, using only electronic payment methods approved by the Central Bank of Kuwait, so no cash dealings (Article 8). The commercial registration number must appear in accounts, dealings and correspondence, and the company name and number must be clear on its website and social media accounts (Articles 6 and 9). Each year the company gives the Ministry its bank statement, its financial statements for the year, links to its online accounts and any other data requested (Article 14).

7. Existing licences and removed activities

The decision applies to existing and new companies. Existing licences continue until their term ends, deleted activities are not renewed, and an owner may ask to change to a permitted activity that meets its conditions (Articles 15 and 16). The Ministry may still ask an owner to bring their position into line directly. Our guide lists 31 activities that appeared as freelance on the Kuwait Business Centre portal but are not in the Decision 217 table, including insurance, real estate, environmental and music consultancy, project management and beekeeping.

8. Frequently asked questions

Do I need a shop or an office?

No. A chosen domicile, a P.O. box or a PACI-registered email is enough. Working from home is possible with the owner's consent if it is a private home, but you cannot receive clients there.

Can I sell with a freelance licence?

Yes, what your activity produces: designs, innovations and products, through licensed manufacturers and through exhibitions, temporary markets and online platforms.

Do I need a tailor on my premises if I design clothes?

No. You contract in writing with a licensed tailor or factory (not a home tailor), and you keep the contract and invoices.

Do I need the promotion activity to market myself?

No. You may promote your own designs, products and licensed services. The promotion activity is for promoting other people's products.

Can I pay or be paid in cash?

No. All dealings go through the company's bank account and electronic payment methods approved by the Central Bank of Kuwait.

What happens to my current licence if its activity was deleted?

It continues until it expires unless a legal ground for cancellation arises. The activity is not renewed, and you may ask to change to a permitted one.

WEFAQ's view: before applying, match your real work to the exact wording of one activity in the Decision 217 table, check its qualification requirement, and plan how payments, packaging labels and manufacturing contracts will work. If you already hold a freelance licence, check its activity now and plan the move to a single-person company before renewal.

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Source: MOCI Ministerial Decisions No. 216 and No. 217 of 2026, issued 8 November 2026; Civil Service Council Decisions No. 8 of 1997 and No. 9 of 1999; WEFAQ Kuwait Business Activities Guide, Freelance Licences section (wefaqlaw.com/files/activities-guide)

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, please contact WEFAQ Law Firm.