Shipping alerts for Saudi Arabia

Get the latest news and shipping restriction updates for Saudi Arabia here.

Saudi Arabia

Effective 1 July 2020:

The Saudi Arabian Customs Office has revised the clearance process for international shipments. As of 1 July 2020, a 15% value-added tax (VAT) is applicable to all shipments regardless of value. MyUS does not collect VAT, and it will not be included on your MyUS invoice. The Saudi Arabian government often collects VAT when your package is delivered by the carrier.

Effective 10 September 2018:
 
The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), and the General Authority of Customs have introduced new clearance requirements to import electrical and electromechanical equipment. Products from the categories listed below will now require a Conformity Testing and Certification of Electro Technical Equipment and Components (IECEE certificate), issued by SASO, for customs clearance.
 
The electrical and electromechanical equipment include, but are not limited to:

• Batteries (including mobile phone batteries)
• Lighting equipment
• Water pumps
• Laptops and tablets
• Washing machines and dishwashers
• Televisions

Consignees in Saudi Arabia must apply for an IECEE certificate through the Saudi Arabian government: http://jeem1.saso.gov.sa/

Effective 01 January 2018:

The Saudi Arabian Customs Office has revised the clearance process for international shipments. As of 1 January 2018, a 5% value-added tax (VAT) is applicable to all shipments regardless of value. MyUS does not collect VAT, and it will not be included on your MyUS invoice. The Saudi Arabian government often collects VAT when your package is delivered by the carrier.

Shipments with a declared value over US$266 will likely require a formal clearance, meaning the Saudi Arabian government may require additional documentation. MyUS can often assist with this additional documentation, but it may increase package processing time and result in additional processing charges. Other notes:

• For formal clearances of commercial shipments (any shipment imported for reasons beyond your personal use, or, even if declared for personal use, in quantities beyond what would be customary for an individual to purchase): The receiver must have a valid Company Registration (CR) and have registered the carrier as a nominated broker for the inbound shipments with Saudi Customs. The receiver must also provide a copy of the IOR’s National ID card to facilitate customs clearance. The Saudi Arabia Customs Authority may apply fines for shipments arriving in Saudi Arabia gateways where the importer is unable to provide a valid CR or National ID card to facilitate customs clearance. If a valid CR or national ID card is not provided by the receiver, the shipment will be returned to its origin.
• For more information, please visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Customs Website.

Effective: 25 September 2017

Saudi Arabia customs prohibits the import of smartwatches. Please do not order a smartwatch and send it to MyUS, as we will not be able to ship it to Saudi Arabia.

Effective: 13 April 2016

Saudi Arabia customs has prohibited the import of radio transceivers and radio transmitters. Common items that fall into these categories are CB radios and walkie talkies.

Effective: 28 December 2016

• Any shipment exceeding US$2,600 in value requires a Country of Origin (COO) and Commercial Invoice (CI), both legalized by the Chamber of Commerce or the Saudi Consulate at origin. Shipments subject to further regulatory requirements should be supported by a Certificate of Conformity (COC) or equivalent documentation. You will need to contact the seller of the items in your shipment for an invoice that lists the country of origin of each of the items, and provide that invoice to the carrier of your shipment. Please make sure to include the tracking number for your shipment. Here are contact details for the carriers:
  • FedEx: preparecooo@mail.fedex.com
  • DHL: cvg.coo@dhl.com
• Carriers will charge a processing fee for completing the COO for you, as well as storage fees while they wait for you to provide the invoice(s). Please prepare these documents as quickly as possible.
• Any shipment exceeding US$10,000 in value requires a proof of payment.

Effective: 20 April 2016

The Saudi Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has announced that shipments by an individual that require SFDA approval for import are limited to one per month, with a total weight of 15kg (33 lbs) or less. SFDA regulates cosmetics, food items and over-the-counter medications. Shipments imported by a business are not subject to this policy. Please contact your local customs office for updates on this recent policy change.

Saudi Arabia customs requires a completed permit for all items considered to be cosmetics, non-prescription medicines or food. Please complete this form and email it to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority at clearance.drug@sfda.gov.sa if they require it. You can also call or email for assistance with SFDA documents at 01 2759222 or mds@sfda.gov.sa. 

Effective: 11 September 2015

Our carrier partners have notified us that we cannot transport Lithium Ion Batteries that exceed 100 Watt Hours to Saudi Arabia. For example, a popular item called a Smart Balance Wheel contains a lithium battery that cannot be removed from the item. Please do not ship this to MyUS, as we cannot ship it to Saudi Arabia or return it if it was purchased outside the US.

Effective: 20 August 2015

Effective immediately, dutiable shipments imported into Saudi Arabia require Importer of Record (IOR) identification to be presented at the time of customs clearance based on the following criteria: 

• All imports to individuals with value of 1000 USD or above require a copy of the Saudi National ID or IQAMA (valid)
• All imports to commercial entities with value of 300 USD or above require a copy of the Commercial Registration (active and valid)

Import clearance and delivery will be delayed until the necessary documents are provided. For imports through DHL, please submit the necessary information via email to ksa.imports@dhl.com or by fax to +966 (13) 8826732. For imports through FedEx, please contact your local FedEx station and submit the Letter of Authorization form. This is a one-time requirement. Once you have submitted the necessary information, future imports will be covered.

Effective: 28 July 2015

DHL can transport Dangerous Goods such as nail polish, perfume and other hazardous goods to Saudi Arabia. All Dangerous Goods are transported by DHL to their Bahrain hub and then are held until ground transportation is available to take them to the final destination. This can cause delivery time frames to be extended. Local customs and DHL may request a photo ID to be provided by the consignee. We are not able to guarantee normal delivery time frames on shipments containing Dangerous Goods.

Effective: 01 June 2015

Saudi Arabia customs has prohibited the import of electronic cigarettes including e-juice and e-cigarette and e-shisha parts and accessories. Please do not ship these products to MyUS, as we cannot ship them to Saudi Arabia.