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Singapore DollarThe currency of Kuwait دولة الكويت
Kuwaiti
DinarKWD
The currency of Kuwait is the Kuwaiti dinar (KWD), divided into 1,000 fils and issued by the Central Bank of Kuwait. It is the highest-valued currency unit in the world: one dinar costs ₹318.87 at our selling rate right now.
- Code
- KWD
- Symbol
- KDد.ك
- Subunit
- 1,000 fils
- In use since
- 1961
What is the currency of Kuwait?
The currency of Kuwait is the Kuwaiti dinar, code KWD, written KD or د.ك. One dinar is divided into 1,000 fils, which is why Kuwaiti prices carry three decimal places. The Central Bank of Kuwait issues it. Kuwait has used it since 1961, when it replaced the Gulf rupee, a special issue of the Reserve Bank of India. By the value of one unit it is the strongest currency in the world: on 5 Oct 2026, one dinar was worth about ₹318.87 at our selling rate.
Kuwaiti Dinar at a glance
- Currency
- Kuwaiti dinarدينار كويتي
- Code
- KWDNumeric code 414
- Symbol
- KD, or د.كPrices are written to three decimals, like KD 1.250
- Subunit
- 1 dinar = 1,000 fils
- Issuer
- Central Bank of KuwaitKuwait Currency Board, 1961 to 1969
- Introduced
- 1961Replaced the Gulf rupee at 13⅓ rupees per dinar
- Exchange rate
- Pegged to a basketWeights not published; basket again since May 2007
- Used in
- Kuwait only
- Banknotes
- ¼, ½, 1, 5, 10 and 20 dinarsSixth series, in circulation since 29 June 2014
- Coins
- 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 filsA 1 fils coin exists but is rarely seen
Kuwait currency notes and coins
Kuwait money comes as six banknotes and five coins in everyday use. The notes are the sixth series, in circulation since 29 June 2014, and each one is shown with what it costs in rupees at our selling rate today.
- Central Bank of KuwaitQuarter dinar¼
Quarter dinar KD 0.250
≈ ₹79.72 today- Colour
- Brown
- Front
- Liberation Tower and a Tishala dhow
- Back
- A traditional Kuwaiti door, plaster carving and the first Kuwaiti coin
- Central Bank of KuwaitHalf dinar½
Half dinar KD 0.500
≈ ₹159.43 today- Colour
- Green
- Front
- Kuwait Towers and a Shu'i dhow
- Back
- A hawksbill sea turtle and a silver pomfret
- Central Bank of KuwaitOne dinar1KD
One dinar KD 1
≈ ₹318.87 today- Colour
- Grey
- Front
- The Grand Mosque and a Jalbout dhow
- Back
- An Ionic capital and Failaka Island
- Central Bank of KuwaitFive dinars5KD
Five dinars KD 5
≈ ₹1,594.34 today- Colour
- Purple
- Front
- The Central Bank of Kuwait and a Batil dhow
- Back
- An oil refinery and an oil tanker
- Central Bank of KuwaitTen dinars10KD
Ten dinars KD 10
≈ ₹3,188.67 today- Colour
- Red
- Front
- The National Assembly and a Sambuk dhow
- Back
- A falcon and a camel
- Central Bank of KuwaitTwenty dinars20KD
Twenty dinars KD 20
≈ ₹6,377.34 today- Colour
- Blue
- Front
- Seif Palace and a Boum dhow
- Back
- A Boum dhow and a pearl diver
Coins, in fils
Kuwaiti fils coins are for change. The 1 fils coin still exists but you will rarely be given one.
- 55 fils
≈ ₹1.59 - 1010 fils
≈ ₹3.19 - 2020 fils
≈ ₹6.38 - 5050 fils
≈ ₹15.94 - 100100 fils
≈ ₹31.89
Sources: Central Bank of Kuwait, sixth issue; colours as printed. Rupee values at our selling rate, 10:25 AM IST, 5 Oct 2026.
Old Kuwaiti notes that no longer count
Kuwait has issued six series of banknotes, and only the newest is money today. Two of the old series matter to anyone with dinars put away at home: the notes looted in 1990, and the 1994 notes, which can no longer be exchanged.
Looted in the invasion
Iraqi forces stole large quantities of Kuwaiti banknotes during the occupation.
The whole series is cancelled
Kuwait declared the third series invalid, so the stolen notes were worthless. Some later surfaced on the collectors' market.
The 1994 notes stop being money
The fifth series, in circulation since 3 April 1994, lost its legal-tender status. The Central Bank of Kuwait kept exchanging it for ten more years.
The last day to swap them
The central bank closed the exchange. Fifth-series notes can no longer be changed anywhere; the sixth series, issued from 29 June 2014, is what circulates.
Sources: Central Bank of Kuwait, fifth issue page and press statements of 9 March and 13 April 2025; Times Kuwait and Arab Times, April 2025; Wikipedia, "Kuwaiti dinar".
Why is the Kuwaiti dinar so strong?
Three things keep the dinar at the top of every currency table, and none of them is the size of Kuwait's economy.
It started at one pound
In 1961 the dinar replaced the Gulf rupee at 13⅓ rupees, which was exactly one British pound at the time. Kuwait has never cut zeros from it since, so it has stayed a large unit.
It is pegged, not left to float
Since May 2007 the Central Bank of Kuwait has tied the dinar to a basket of the currencies of its main trade and finance partners. The bank does not publish the weights, and the peg stops the dinar swinging the way a floating currency can.
Oil earns the dollars behind it
Kuwait sells oil priced in US dollars and holds large foreign reserves, which gives the central bank the means to hold the peg.
One unit in rupees · our selling rate, 5 Oct 2026
One dinar buys about 23 times as many rupees as it did in 1961.
From the Gulf rupee to the dinar
The Kuwaiti dinar currency is younger than the Indian rupee, and for its first years it was measured against it. Its history in eight entries.
- EntryKuwait
The Gulf rupee
The Reserve Bank of India issues a separate rupee for the Gulf, Kuwait included, equal to the Indian rupee. The old Indian rupees there are exchanged for it.
India link - EntryKuwait
The dinar arrives
The Kuwait Currency Board issues the dinar at 13⅓ Gulf rupees each. At the time that was exactly one British pound.
India link - EntryKuwait
The first basket
From 18 March 1975 the dinar is pegged to a weighted basket of currencies.
- EntryKuwait
Invasion
During the Iraqi occupation the Iraqi dinar is imposed and large quantities of Kuwaiti banknotes are stolen.
- EntryKuwait
A new series
The fourth series is issued on 24 March 1991, and the third series is declared invalid from 30 September 1991.
- EntryKuwait
Fixed to the dollar
From 5 January 2003 the dinar is fixed at 0.29963 per US dollar, with a band of 3.5% either way.
- EntryKuwait
Back to a basket
The dollar peg ends in May 2007 and the dinar returns to an undisclosed basket, where it stays today.
- EntryKuwait
The sixth series
The notes in use today, from the quarter dinar to the twenty, enter circulation on 29 June 2014.
Sources: Central Bank of Kuwait; Wikipedia, "Kuwaiti dinar" and "Gulf rupee"; Scroll.in on the Gulf rupee.
Dinars and rupees side by side
Worked out at our selling rate at 10:25 AM IST on 5 Oct 2026. For the live rate on any amount, use the KWD to INR or INR to KWD converter.
| You pay | You get |
|---|---|
| ₹10,000 | KD 31.361 |
| ₹25,000 | KD 78.403 |
| ₹50,000 | KD 156.805 |
| ₹1,00,000 | KD 313.610 |
| ₹2,00,000 | KD 627.220 |
| ₹5,00,000 | KD 1,568.051 |
| You buy | It costs |
|---|---|
| KD 1 | ₹318.87 |
| KD 5 | ₹1,594.34 |
| KD 10 | ₹3,188.67 |
| KD 20 | ₹6,377.34 |
| KD 50 | ₹15,943.36 |
| KD 100 | ₹31,886.72 |
Spending dinars in Kuwait
Three habits of Kuwaiti money that catch visitors out.
Three decimals: the digits after the point are fils.
That tag reads
1 dinar+250 fils
≈ ₹398.58at our selling rate
Prices run to three decimals
A dinar is 1,000 fils, so prices are written to three decimal places after KD, the Kuwait money symbol. KD 1.250 means one dinar and 250 fils, and a sign that says 250 fils is a quarter of a dinar, about ₹79.72.
KD 1.250 = 1 dinar + 250 filsLocal cards run on KNET
KNET is Kuwait's national payment network, set up by the local banks in 1992, and every local debit card runs on it. Carry some dinars in notes, and keep a card on an international network as a back-up.
KNET · since 1992Small notes do the work of coins
The quarter and half dinar are notes, not coins, and they are what you reach for on small purchases. Today they are worth about ₹79.72 and ₹159.43.
¼ = ₹79.72 · ½ = ₹159.43Taking Kuwaiti dinars from India
The Reserve Bank of India's rules apply to every currency, and the dinar is no exception.
Up to the equivalent of USD 3,000 per trip can leave India as Kuwaiti dinar notes. The rest goes on a forex card or as a bank transfer.
Every resident can send up to USD 250,000 abroad each financial year under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, travel included.
Tax collected at source applies once your foreign-exchange purchases in a financial year cross ₹10 lakh: nil when an education loan pays, 2% for self-funded education and medical treatment, and 20% for travel and everything else. It is credited against your income tax when you file.
Kuwaiti dinars are available on request. Send your amount and the desk confirms availability and your exact rate before anything is booked.
Check availability→Kuwaiti dinar questions
The questions people type about the dinar, answered in full, in three groups.
The basics
9 questionsWhat is the currency of Kuwait?
The currency of Kuwait is the Kuwaiti dinar, code KWD, divided into 1,000 fils. It is issued by the Central Bank of Kuwait and has been in use since 1961, in the capital, Kuwait City, and across the country.
What is the capital and currency of Kuwait?
Kuwait City is the capital of Kuwait, and the Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) is its currency. The city has no money of its own: the same dinar is used across the whole country.
Kuwaiti dinar is the currency of which country?
The Kuwaiti dinar is the currency of Kuwait, and only Kuwait. No other country uses it, although Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq and a few others have their own, separate dinars.
Dinar is the currency of which country?
Eight countries use a currency called the dinar: Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Serbia. Each is a separate currency with its own value; on 5 Oct 2026 a Kuwaiti dinar cost about ₹318.87 at our selling rate, while an Iraqi dinar was worth about 7 paise.
What is the full form of KWD?
KWD stands for Kuwaiti Dinar. KW is Kuwait's two-letter country code and D is for dinar, following the ISO 4217 standard, so the KWD full form is always Kuwaiti Dinar and the KWD currency country is Kuwait. Its numeric code is 414.
What is the Kuwaiti dinar symbol?
The Kuwaiti dinar symbol is KD in English and د.ك in Arabic, and it is the Kuwait currency symbol you will see on every price. In Kuwait KD goes before the amount, as in KD 2.500, with three decimals because a dinar has 1,000 fils.
Kuwait ki currency kya hai?
Kuwait ki currency Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) hai, jise Hindi mein Kuwait mudra bhi kehte hain. Ek dinar mein 1,000 fils hote hain, jinhe log kabhi kabhi Kuwait paisa bhi kehte hain, aur 5 Oct 2026 ko ek dinar lagbhag ₹318.87 ka tha, hamare selling rate par. Kuwait ki mudra ka symbol KD hai.
How many fils make one Kuwaiti dinar?
One Kuwait dinar is 1,000 fils. Kuwaiti fils coins come in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 fils, and the smallest banknotes are the quarter dinar and the half dinar.
Is it Kuwait dinar or Kuwaiti dinar?
The official Kuwait currency name is the Kuwaiti dinar, but Kuwait dinar, dinar Kuwait, KWD dinar and simply dinar currency all mean the same money. It is often misspelt as kuwati dinar, kwait dinar, kuet dinar or quite dinar, and sometimes called the Kuwait riyal or Kuwait dirham, which are really the names of other Gulf currencies. There is no Kuwait dollar either.
Value and history
6 questionsWhy is the Kuwaiti dinar so strong?
It was introduced in 1961 at a value equal to one British pound and has never been redenominated, it is pegged to a basket of currencies rather than left to float, and Kuwait's oil exports and reserves give the central bank the means to hold that peg.
Is the Kuwaiti dinar the highest currency in the world?
Yes. By the value of one unit, the Kuwaiti dinar is the highest-valued currency in the world, ahead of the Bahraini dinar and the Omani rial. Our guide to the highest currency in the world has the full ranking.
Is the Kuwaiti dinar pegged to the US dollar?
Not directly. It was fixed to the US dollar from 5 January 2003 until May 2007. Since then it has been pegged to a basket of currencies whose weights the Central Bank of Kuwait does not publish.
Which Kuwaiti banknotes are in use?
The sixth series, in circulation since 29 June 2014: the quarter dinar, half dinar, 1 dinar, 5 dinars, 10 dinars and 20 dinars.
Are old Kuwaiti dinar notes still valid?
No. Only the sixth series, issued from 29 June 2014, circulates today. The fifth series, in use from 1994, stopped being legal tender on 1 October 2015, and the Central Bank of Kuwait stopped exchanging it after 18 April 2025. The third series was cancelled from 30 September 1991, after Iraqi forces stole large quantities of it.
Was the Indian rupee used in Kuwait?
Yes. The Indian rupee circulated in Kuwait until 1959, and then the Gulf rupee, a separate issue of the Reserve Bank of India at par with the Indian rupee. The Kuwaiti dinar replaced it in 1961 at 13⅓ rupees per dinar.
Buying from India
2 questionsHow many Kuwaiti dinars can I carry from India?
Up to the equivalent of USD 3,000 per trip in currency notes. Anything above that goes on a forex card or as a bank transfer, all within the USD 250,000 a year Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit.
How do I get Kuwaiti dinars for a trip to Kuwait?
Order them before you fly. Matrix Forex, an RBI-authorised Category-II dealer, arranges Kuwaiti dinar notes on request: send your amount through the booking bar at the top of this page and the desk confirms availability and your exact rate before anything is booked. For the live rate on any amount, see the KWD to INR converter.