Is Khat legal in Kuwait?
- Legal status
- Illegal — alkaloids and plant controlled as a narcotic under Decree-Law No. 159/2025 (replacing Law 74/1983). Mechanism: NAMED/class (plant + alkaloid). Trafficking carries death or life under 159/2025, but personal khat sits in the sub-10-year possession band — below the realistic capital tier.
- Consequences if caught
- Treated as a controlled narcotic under the new 2025 law with harsh penalties, but personal-quantity khat is a possession-band offence, not capital.
- If prescribed or medical
- Khat is traditional plant material with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route; leaf is a controlled narcotic under the 2025 law and seized at the border.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Kuwait’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →