Citizens and residents traveling abroad from Kuwait with gold bars must obtain permission from the Air Cargo Customs Department at the Kuwait International Airport one day before travel to prove ownership of the bars and upon arrival at the airport of destination submits the document to the customs inspectors to help him/her complete the journey with ease.
The Al-Anba daily has learned this falls within the framework of adhering to the applicable customs procedures, especially since large quantities of gold have left the country in the company of travelers during the recent period.
The source said that traveling with gold bars has only one meaning that the traveler who carries gold in this form has converted the value of his money into gold, which must be dealt with customs in the context in force to protect the traveler himself before anything else.
Speaking of the quantity limit, the source indicated that any gold bars or coins, regardless of their size, small or large, must be disclosed and a statement obtained, as they are not artifacts or jewelry for personal use, since the bars are known to be a conversion process from currency to gold, to be re-monetized in another country, which must be subject to an audit to ensure the following:
— Evidence of the traveler’s ownership of the gold, as his submission of the purchase invoice in the export statement is evidence that he obtained it properly and did not obtain it as a result of any illegal behavior.
— Protection of travelers, both citizens and residents: Proving that citizens and residents carry these bars when traveling is one of the protection mechanisms for them, since they disclosed them directly, which proves their good faith.
Regarding the artifacts, the source confirmed that the gold artifacts that women carry for personal use when traveling should be in reasonable quantities and in this case a statement a declaration is not required.
But if the quantities that a woman wears are exaggerated in weight, then the she must go through the normal procedures, including obtaining a statement issued for those artifacts.
The source mentioned that the unified manual for customs procedures requires acknowledging and disclosing currencies, bearer-negotiable financial instruments, precious metals or precious stones convertible into cash to all travelers arriving and departing from Kuwait that exceed the permissible limit.