The Kuwait camping licence, 2026–2027
What to know before you pitch anything: when the season opens, what it costs, where to apply, and the rules that get your deposit back. The figures are from dated reports of past seasons — and the page is updated the day the Municipality announces the new one.
The steps
- 1
Wait for the announcement, then move fast
The Municipality announces the season's designated sites a few days before applications open — in 2025–26 the site list came on 12 November and applications opened on Saturday 15 November. Over 700 licences were issued on the first day of the 2024–25 season, so the good spots go in hours.
- 2
Pick a designated site and check it in person
Camping is only licensed inside the sites the Municipality names for that season (11 sites in 2025–26: seven in the north, four in the south). Go, pick your spot, note the coordinates — you pin it on a satellite map when you apply, and moving later means a new application.
- 3
Apply online through Kuwait Municipality
Applications go through the Municipality's e-services (baladia.gov.kw) with notifications through the Sahel app. You enter your civil ID details, place the camp on the map and pay by KNET. Hotline 139 if the portal fights you.
- 4
Pay the fee and the deposit
For 2025–26 the reported cost was a KD 50 temporary licence fee plus a KD 100 refundable security deposit, paid electronically. The deposit is returned after the season under the Municipality's terms — which in practice means a site left as you found it.
- 5
Keep the licence in the tent
Inspection tours run through the season. Camps without a licence, or outside the designated areas, are removed — one sweep in the north took down 55 camps and issued 75 warnings.
Questions people ask
Do I need a licence for a day kashta?
The seasonal licence is for camps — tents, generators and structures that stay up for the season. A day trip with portable gear is a different thing, and the regulations are aimed at camps. If you are setting anything up that stays overnight, assume you need the licence.
When does the 2026–2027 season open?
Not announced as of 12 October 2026. Recent seasons have opened on 15 November and closed on 15 March; the announcement usually lands about three days before applications open. This page is updated the day it does.
How much does it cost?
KD 50 licence fee plus a KD 100 refundable deposit was the reported figure for 2025–26 (KD 150 up front). Associations and government bodies pay different rates, and businesses running commercial camps need a separate camp-rental licence.
Can I camp anywhere in the desert?
No. Licences are only issued inside the sites the Municipality designates each season, and camps outside them are removed. The number of sites has been shrinking — 20 in 2023–24, 18 in 2024–25, 11 in 2025–26 — so apply early.
Where this comes from
Ghalyh is a shop, not an authority. The figures and dates above come from press reports of past seasons; the only reference for the current season is Kuwait Municipality's own announcement on baladia.gov.kw and the Sahel app.