Importing into Saudi Arabia involves two separate systems that shippers often confuse. Customs clearance is run by the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) through its FASAH platform, where the importer or a licensed customs broker files the electronic declaration. Product conformity is run by SASO, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, through its SABER platform, where regulated products need a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) and each shipment needs a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC). The practical takeaway: sort out the conformity certificates before the goods leave the origin port, because customs clearance in Saudi Arabia cannot fix a missing certificate afterwards. This guide is accurate as of October 2026; where a point rests on certification-body summaries rather than a Saudi government page, it says so. For the wider picture of the process, see our customs clearance guide.
Who does what: ZATCA, SASO, SABER and FASAH
The names are easy to mix up, so here they are side by side.
| Name | What it is | What you use it for |
|---|---|---|
| ZATCA | Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority: Saudi Arabia's tax and customs regulator | Customs declarations, duty, import VAT, broker licensing |
| FASAH | ZATCA's electronic platform for customs procedures | Registering as an importer, filing declarations, delegating a broker, tracking the shipment |
| SASO | Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization | Technical regulations and conformity requirements for products |
| SABER | SASO's online conformity platform (launched January 2019, according to certification bodies) | Registering products and obtaining PCoC and SCoC certificates through an approved conformity body |
| PCoC / SCoC | Product certificate (valid for one year) and shipment certificate (valid for that shipment only) | Proof, at customs, that regulated goods meet the applicable Saudi technical regulation |
How customs clearance works on FASAH
ZATCA's own import instructions page (last updated 26 August 2026 when we checked it) says clearance procedures and the customs declaration are completed through FASAH at least 48 hours before the shipment reaches the port of entry. The declaration can be submitted by the importer directly or through a customs broker once the documents are ready. The platform also lets the importer track the shipment and receive notifications.
Registration comes first. ZATCA's e-service describes FASAH registration as logging in, completing the required fields and activating the account, and it asks for a commercial registration number and an ID number. In practice that means the importing entity must exist as a Saudi-registered business with a valid commercial registration. A foreign seller cannot normally clear goods in its own name, so the Saudi consignee or its broker is the party that appears on the declaration.
ZATCA lists three core documents: the commercial invoice, the bill of lading (or air waybill for air freight) and a certificate of origin, which it says is not needed when the origin is clearly established. Some goods need more, for example an IECEE certificate for certain electrical products or registration with the relevant authority. For a general document list, our import documentation checklist is a useful starting point, and the guide to certificates of origin explains how preferential origin claims work.
SABER, PCoC and SCoC: what they are and which goods need them
A common misconception is that SABER is a certificate. It is the platform. The certificates issued through it are the PCoC and the SCoC.
- PCoC (Product Certificate of Conformity). Issued to the importer for a regulated product after a SASO-approved conformity assessment body reviews test reports, labelling and other evidence. Intertek, one such body, states it is valid for one year.
- SCoC (Shipment Certificate of Conformity). Requested for each consignment. The conformity body checks that every regulated product on the shipment has a valid PCoC and then issues the SCoC. Intertek describes it as valid for that specific shipment only.
The requirement follows the technical regulations. Products inside the scope of a SASO technical regulation are "regulated products" and need the PCoC and SCoC route; certification bodies describe low-risk, non-regulated items as handled differently (a self-declaration of conformity, according to one body). SABER has been expanded across technical regulations in phases, so a product that was outside scope some years ago may be inside it now. Do not assume. The reliable test is the product's 12-digit Saudi tariff code, checked against the current SASO requirements, or a quote from an approved conformity body.
Registration on SABER requires a valid Saudi commercial registration, which SASO links electronically to the Ministry of Commerce, so again the Saudi importer is the account holder. The importer then adds the product, selects a conformity body and pays its fees.
Recent changes reported by certification bodies
The following points come from certification-body websites (QIMA, HQTS), not from a SASO notice we could open, so confirm each with your conformity body before relying on it:
- QIMA states that from 1 January 2025 every shipment needs a PCoC and an SCoC through SABER, and that letters of undertaking are no longer accepted for customs clearance. Obtaining certificates after the goods arrive is described as a violation that can lead to re-export.
- QIMA also reports that from 15 September 2025, SCoC requests for newly listed tariff codes need a declaration approved by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. HQTS reports a similar declaration step for certain product categories from 18 June 2026, and a 12-digit tariff code becoming mandatory on SABER from 1 January 2026.
Because the dates differ between sources, treat them as signals that the rules move often, and ask the conformity body for the version in force on your ship date. A wrong tariff code is also a customs problem; our HS code guide covers how to classify properly.
Duty, GCC rules and import VAT
Saudi Arabia is part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) customs union, which came into force in January 2003 and applies a common external tariff to goods from outside the union. The headline rate quoted by the UAE's official customs-union page is 5% on most foreign goods, and the US Commercial Service describes Saudi Arabia's rate as "at least five percent", levied on the CIF value (cost, insurance and freight). Higher rates exist for some products. ZATCA raised various rates in 2020, and an EY alert of 20 July 2026 reports that ZATCA revised duties on 51 agricultural and food tariff lines from 26 June 2026, with the new bands running from 5% to 15%. Goods of GCC origin are generally duty-free within the union, and goods qualifying under a Saudi free trade agreement may carry preferential rates if origin rules and certificates are met.
Import VAT is charged on top. The standard Saudi VAT rate is 15% (since July 2020), and it applies to imports whether or not the goods bear customs duty. As we understand it, the taxable value is normally the customs value plus duty and certain other charges, and a VAT-registered importer can generally recover the VAT as input tax, so the effect is mostly cash flow. We could not read ZATCA's imports and exports VAT guideline in full, so check the exact value base and any deferral arrangement with your broker or ZATCA.
The US Commercial Service also notes other charges on imports (port fees, cargo service fees and an import inspection tax). The amounts change, so ask your broker for a current landed-cost estimate rather than working from a fixed percentage.
Documents, legalisation and Arabic expectations
Legalisation is the area where old advice is most likely to be wrong. The US Commercial Service country guide (published 11 May 2026) says the Saudi government requires US chambers of commerce to authenticate shipping documents. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia joined the Hague Apostille Convention, which entered into force for it on 7 December 2022 (HCCH). That does not settle the question for freight paperwork, because the Convention excludes administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations, so a commercial invoice is not automatically covered. A chamber of commerce notice we found also reports that the Saudi embassy in the UK stopped legalising invoices and certificates of origin, though it gives no date and notes that many Saudi buyers and banks still ask for legalised documents under contract or letter-of-credit terms. In short: whether the invoice needs chamber or embassy stamps depends on the origin country, the buyer's contract and the bank. Ask the Saudi consignee and the broker for the requirement in writing before you spend time on it.
On language, the invoice and bill of lading are normally issued in English, but labels and product information are a different matter. For prepackaged food, the US Commercial Service says the standard GSO 9:2013 applies and labels should be in Arabic or carry an Arabic translation, including the country of origin written out in full. Other goods have their own labelling rules under SASO technical regulations. Check the specific regulation for your product rather than assuming one general rule.
One further operational rule: Mawani, the Saudi Ports Authority, has required containerised imports to be palletised, with a phased roll-out from 2025. Sources disagree on the exact start date (1 June 2025 per Hapag-Lloyd; 8 May 2025 per the US Commercial Service), and exemptions for bulk cargo, heavy machinery and oversized items are handled case by case. Ask your forwarder how this applies to your loading plan.
Prohibited and restricted goods in general terms
The US Commercial Service lists, as of 11 May 2026, goods banned under Saudi law such as weapons, alcohol, narcotics, pork products, pornographic material, retreaded or used tyres and used clothing. It lists as restricted (needing approval from the relevant Saudi body) items such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agricultural seeds, live animals, books and films, wireless equipment, and products containing alcohol such as some perfumes. It also notes limits on vehicle imports. This is a general list from a secondary source, not a full legal schedule. Check your tariff line and product with ZATCA or the relevant agency, such as SFDA for food, drugs and cosmetics, before booking.
The role of a licensed customs broker
Importers can file on FASAH themselves, but most use a licensed customs broker. ZATCA's e-service lets an importer delegate a broker at a specific port for imports, exports or both, using the broker's licence number and a set authorisation period; the importer, not the broker, decides whether the authorisation is single-use or multi-use. A broker typically handles classification, the declaration, duty and VAT payment, and the exchange with inspectors. For a plain comparison of broker, forwarder and self-filing, see Do you need a customs broker?
The broker cannot create a conformity certificate for you, so the right order is: confirm whether the product is regulated, get the PCoC, request the SCoC for the shipment, then book and file. The timing matters, since declarations are due at least 48 hours before arrival and the SCoC must exist before then.
Checklist before you ship to Saudi Arabia
- The Saudi consignee has a valid commercial registration and an active FASAH account (or has delegated a licensed broker).
- Each product's 12-digit Saudi tariff code is confirmed, and regulated or non-regulated status is checked against current SASO rules.
- A valid PCoC exists for each regulated product, and an SCoC is issued for this shipment.
- Commercial invoice, bill of lading and (if needed) certificate of origin are consistent with each other and with the SCoC.
- Document legalisation requirements are confirmed in writing with the buyer, bank and broker.
- Labels meet Saudi requirements, including Arabic where the product regulation asks for it.
- Containers are loaded on pallets unless an exemption applies.
- Duty, VAT and local charges are budgeted from a current quote, not a rule of thumb.
What to do next
- Ask the Saudi importer for its commercial registration and FASAH status, and agree who will be named on the declaration.
- Give a conformity body your product details and tariff code to confirm whether a PCoC is required, and how long it will take before your ship date.
- Request the SCoC for the specific shipment before the cargo sails, and keep the same invoice values and quantities throughout.
- Choose a forwarder and customs broker with Saudi port experience and get written quotes that separate freight, clearance fees, duty and VAT.
If you need a forwarder or broker for the Saudi lane, more than 29,300 logistics companies are searchable by country and service in the CargoLinked directory, and our guide to logistics companies in Saudi Arabia is a starting point for the market. The public requests board lists freight that shippers have posted for forwarders to quote on directly.
This article is general information as of October 2026, not legal, tax or customs advice. Saudi customs and conformity rules change often and several details above come from secondary sources. Confirm requirements with ZATCA, SASO or a SASO-approved conformity body, or with a licensed customs broker, before you ship.
