Short answer: Kuwaiti authorities work in Arabic. For residence and family visas, "all documents must be in Arabic" and "documents in other languages must be translated into Arabic from authorized offices". Kuwait's Ministry of Justice ratifies translations "issued and signed from an accredited office by the Ministry of Justice" (2 KWD for the first page, 0.5 KWD for each further page, in one to two hours), and for a document in a third language such as Malay it wants "a translation in Arabic and English in the same document" from the same office. Government-issued documents need no ratification.
What we do: certified English translations of Malay documents, made in Malaysia by translators Wisma Putra accepts and legalised together with the original through Wisma Putra and the Kuwait Embassy; and translations between Arabic, English and Malay. Send your document on WhatsApp and tell us which Kuwaiti office will receive it. If an authority rejects a certified translation we prepared within 30 days of delivery, we re-do it free (our guarantees).
Last reviewed: October 2026. For legalisation, see attesting Malaysian documents for Kuwait.
When you need a translation
Documents in Malay (JPN certificates, Malay transcripts, court papers): Wisma Putra attests Malaysian documents with a certified translation by a court translator, ITBM or DBP translator, which our translations meet, so translate them in Malaysia before legalisation. See who can certify a translation.
Residence and family visas (Ministry of Interior): Arabic, from an authorised translation office.
Ministry of Justice files (marriage registration, courts, divorce, powers of attorney used in court): Arabic translation ratified by the Ministry's translation department. A marriage contract issued abroad must be "translated to Arabic and ratified by the translation department" and ratified by Kuwaiti Foreign Affairs.
Work permits and degrees: the Public Authority of Manpower checks qualifications against the standards of Kuwait's Ministry of Higher Education; engineers also need that Ministry's equivalency. Ask the employer whether the office wants Arabic as well as the attested English original.
Who may translate
Kuwait has no sworn-translator system. Translations are made by translation offices accredited by the Ministry of Justice, whose translation department ratifies them (Ministries Complex, Block 14, and the Family Court in Mahboula). The Consular Department of Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Shuwaikh also certifies translations made by registered offices. In Malaysia, Wisma Putra accepts translations by Malaysian court translators, ITBM, DBP, or translators certified by a foreign embassy in Malaysia: our certified translations are made to that standard and are legalised together with the original.
Translate before or after legalisation?
For a Malay document, translate it into English in Malaysia first, so Wisma Putra and the Kuwait Embassy attest the translation with the original and every Kuwaiti office can read it. For an Arabic translation ratified in Kuwait, legalise the original first, so its stamps are translated too.
Arabic documents for use in Malaysia
A Kuwaiti document for a Malaysian authority is attested by Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kuwait Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, then translated into English or Malay for Wisma Putra and the Malaysian office. We translate from Arabic into English and Malay.
معلومات باللغة العربية
تعمل الجهات الكويتية باللغة العربية: تشترط إدارة الإقامة تقديم المستندات بالعربية مترجمةً من مكاتب معتمدة، وتصادق إدارة الترجمة في وزارة العدل على الترجمات الصادرة من مكاتب الترجمة المعتمدة لديها (2 دينار كويتي للصفحة الأولى و0.5 دينار لكل صفحة إضافية). نقدّم ترجمات معتمدة بين العربية والإنجليزية والملايوية، ونُصدّق الترجمة الإنجليزية للمستندات الماليزية مع الأصل لدى وزارة الخارجية الماليزية وسفارة دولة الكويت في كوالالمبور. للاستفسار: تواصلوا معنا عبر واتساب (+60 17-227 9378).
Common questions
Does my English degree need an Arabic translation for Kuwait?
Not for legalisation: Wisma Putra, the Kuwait Embassy and Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs attest the English original. Whether the receiving office also wants Arabic depends on the office; Residency Affairs works in Arabic.
Can a translation made in Malaysia be used in Kuwait?
A certified translation legalised with the original carries Wisma Putra's and the Kuwait Embassy's attestation. Ministry of Justice files additionally need the Arabic translation ratified by the Ministry's translation department in Kuwait.
Do you translate into Arabic?
Yes, between Arabic, English and Malay.
What does Ministry of Justice ratification cost?
2 KWD for the first page and 0.5 KWD for each further page, usually within one to two hours. Government-issued documents need no ratification.
Related guides
Sources: