Debt recovery in Kuwait is often slow and procedural.

Debtors delay. Creditors wait. And while the court system works, it often feels sluggish, especially for low value claims or straight forward debts. That’s now beginning to change.

In June 2025, a significant legal development took effect: Law No. 71, amending Kuwait’s Civil and Commercial Procedures Law (CCPL). The objective is clear: faster proceedings, fewer procedural hurdles, and more effective enforcement.

Key changes:

A new Threshold for Final Judgments: Judgments for claims of KD 2,000 or less (up from KD 1,000 before the amendment) shall be final and not subject to appeal.

Easing of Payment Order Requirements: Prior to the recent amendments, a creditor whose debt is due and evidenced in writing in a quantified way can apply to the court to accelerate payment of the debt claim. A payment order against the debtor can be issued by the judge within 3 days without having to review the merits of the debt. However, interest associated with the debt was considered unquantified, which resulted in the court rejecting payment orders that included interest. Now, under the CCPL recent amendments:

• Claiming interest can now be included in the application for a payment order, and this would not lead to the rejection of the payment orders.
• Notification of the debtor can now be done through electronic means as determined by the Ministry of Justice. In this regard:
  1.  A minimum of 10 days for payment must be granted to the debtor before the creditor can apply for a payment order.
  2. The payment order shall be considered null and void if it was not notified to the debtor within 6 months from its issuance.
• A debtor can submit a grievance within 10 days from the date it was notified of the payment order, which shall be reviewed by the Court of First Instance.
• Payment orders will not be mandatory for creditors to pursue accelerated debt enforcement procedures unless the debt arises from a “commercial paper” (e.g., debt instrument such as a promissory note) and the creditor is suing the drawer, or the issuer, or the acceptor, or the alternative guarantor of any of the earlier mentioned persons.

This new amendment aligns with other recent legislation aiming to facilitate and speed up court proceedings and the collection of debts.

For tailored legal advice, contact our Kuwait team at asar@asarlegal.com