Kuwait’s Cabinet has approved two draft decree-laws from the Ministry of Justice: one amending the Notarisation Law, the other amending Article 830 of the Civil Code. Justice Minister Counsellor Nasser Al-Sumait set out what each one changes.
Before a marriage contract is registered
Couples will have to complete a marriage preparation programme before their contract can be notarised. The syllabus, the length of the course and who runs it will be set by a decision of the Justice Minister, and the executive regulations will list who is exempt.
Before a divorce or khula is registered
The case must first go to the Family Dispute Settlement Centre for a reconciliation attempt, and the divorce can only be notarised once the set period has passed without one. Final court judgments are exempt, as are personal-status cases where reconciliation is not permitted.
Notarisation without the trip
- Documents, including personal-status matters, can be notarised through the ministry’s electronic system or by approved video call, as well as in person. Some cases will still require attendance.
- Registering a marriage, a separation, a revocation of divorce and a foster-nursing bond becomes compulsory; where that is not possible, the parties must take the matter to court.
- Final family-court rulings on marriage and separation will flow into the notarisation records automatically.
Company contracts move to Commerce
Articles of incorporation, amendments, dissolutions and partner exits no longer need notarising at the Ministry of Justice; the commercial registry unit at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will approve them instead. Justice keeps handling these until that unit starts work under a joint ministerial decision, and documents already notarised stay valid.
The family home in a property split
The Civil Code change lets a court, at one co-owner’s request, keep a residential property undivided for a period it sets, if that co-owner can show it is their only home and they cannot afford a suitable replacement. The protection is temporary, and any co-owner can ask to end it once either condition no longer applies.
When it starts
These are drafts approved by Cabinet. According to the minister, the notarisation changes take effect six months after publication in the official gazette. Until then, nothing changes at the notary’s counter.
Photo: A Ministry of Justice card designed by Kuwait One over a blurred judge’s gavel and law books. Photograph by succo, public domain (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Source: Justice Minister Nasser Al-Sumait’s statements as reported by Al-Anba, 7 October 2026, and Al-Qabas, 6 October 2026.
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