No customs duty for personal belongings worth SR 5,000

No Customs Duty on Personal Belongings

The Saudi customs have announced the exemption of customs duties on personal belongings up to SR 5,000. However, you still have to pay 15% on the imported goods.

The customs duty exemption for personal belongings is given to Saudi citizens who stayed abroad for 6 months, and expats who come to reside in Saudi Arabia for the first time if the following 5 conditions are met; 

1. Items are for personal use.
2. They must come from the place of residence of the person.
3. Expats must provide proof to show that their arrival is meant to reside in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
4. Personal belongings and used household items must reach Saudi Arabia within six months from the date of arrival of the person entitled to the exemption.
5. Various means of transportation are not considered as personal luggage.

No Customs Duty on Personal Shipments

It also announced that there would be no need to pay the customs duties on personal shipments if the purchasing value is less than SR 1,000 including the value of goods and freight charges.

In other words, if you order online something from China worth less than SR 1,000, there will be no customs duties.

No Customs Duty for Saudi Students

Moreover, Saudi scholarship students who are pursuing education under the foreign scholarship program will also be exempted from customs duties at the end of their studies or the end of work abroad.

Customs duty on the import of cars

While importing a car to the Kingdom, the customs duty for the vehicle will be 5% of the vehicle’s value in addition to 15% VAT. 

Common Customs laws of the GCC states explain in article 103 clauses “b” that the personal belongings and gifts possessed by the passengers are being given an exemption from the customs duties, if these items are of personal nature and not of commercial nature, subject to the following conditions:

• The passenger shall be liable to produce the documents required, such as invoice of the item possessed by him, bill of lading and the delivery order.
• The fiscal value of such items must not exceed 5,000 SR or the equivalent of this amount in any of the currencies officially used by the GCC states.
• The quantities shall be of personal nature, items possessed in commercial quantities will not be entitled to this exemption.
• The items shall not be of prohibited nature as mentioned in the Common Customs Law of GCC states or in the legislation made by the member state individually.
• The exemption will not be offered to the frequent travelers as per the record of the customs office. A merchant who is doing the business of same items those are in his possession will also not be liable of this exemption. Customs clearance process of these items does not require a customs declaration and a customs broker is also not required to be there. A note mentioned on the delivery order is enough to complete the procedure of customs clearance.

Source: Saudi Gazette