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Origin and trade agreements

Importing into Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's SAR 1,000 duty exemption for online orders, 15% VAT on every parcel, the SAR 15 declaration fee, and what the e-commerce rules ask of stores.

Updated · 4 official sources

An online purchase shipped to a person in Saudi Arabia pays no customs duty when its total value, goods plus shipping plus insurance, is less than SAR 1,000 and it needs no clearance from another authority. VAT at 15% is charged on every parcel whatever its value, together with a customs declaration fee, so there is no value below which a parcel arrives free.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

What does a parcel to Saudi Arabia pay?#

A parcel to Saudi Arabia pays VAT at 15% in every case, and customs duty only when its total value reaches SAR 1,000 or more. The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) counts the value of the goods, the shipping cost and the insurance toward that figure, so a SAR 900 item with SAR 120 shipping is over the line.

Total value (goods, shipping and insurance) Customs duty VAT Declaration fee
Less than SAR 1,000, no other clearance needed None 15% SAR 15
SAR 1,000 or more Tariff rate for the goods 15% SAR 15 at exactly SAR 1,000; above it 0.15% of the value, minimum SAR 15, maximum SAR 500

The duty exemption only applies when no other government body needs to approve the goods. Products that need a clearance from another authority pay duty at any value.

VAT is charged on the value of the goods, shipping and insurance plus the customs duty and the declaration fee. ZATCA's guidance on imports says 15% VAT applies to all goods imported into the Kingdom regardless of their classification or duty rate, including goods exempt from customs duty, with exemptions only in limited cases.

Import VAT in Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states

Country Tax Standard rate Since Official source
Saudi Arabia VAT 15%
United Arab Emirates VAT 5% tax.gov.ae
Bahrain No live data
Kuwait No live data
Oman No live data
Qatar No live data

border.bot live data from each country's official publications, updated 2026-10-11

Here are two orders to a buyer in Riyadh, the second with a supposed 5% duty rate for its tariff line.

Line Dress, SAR 600 + SAR 80 shipping Watch, SAR 1,400 + SAR 100 shipping
Total value SAR 680, under SAR 1,000 SAR 1,500
Customs duty None 5% of SAR 1,500 = SAR 75
Declaration fee SAR 15 0.15% is SAR 2.25, so the SAR 15 minimum
VAT base SAR 680 + SAR 15 = SAR 695 SAR 1,500 + SAR 75 + SAR 15 = SAR 1,590
VAT at 15% SAR 104.25 SAR 238.50
Total charges SAR 119.25 SAR 328.50

The landed cost calculator runs these sums for a real product and its tariff line.

How are parcels cleared and paid for?#

Express parcels to Saudi Arabia are cleared by the carrier, which prepares the customs declaration, presents the shipment for security screening and pays the duty and VAT once customs approves it. Express companies must handle customs through brokers accredited by ZATCA. The carrier then gives the customer a copy of the customs declaration and a VAT receipt.

For a personal shipment, ZATCA only needs the importer's full name and civil ID number, without a copy of the ID document. Collect both at checkout so the carrier can file early. ZATCA lists the usual causes of delay as a late declaration, false or insufficient information, and waiting for another authority's clearance.

Clear descriptions and real prices on the commercial invoice avoid the information problems, and the HS code classifier gives a code to put on it.

What do Saudi Arabia's e-commerce rules require?#

Saudi Arabia's E-Commerce Law sets duties for online stores selling to consumers, which the Ministry of Commerce summarizes in its consumer rights guide. A store must show who it is, issue a proper electronic invoice, let the buyer cancel when delivery is late, and protect personal data. The guide doesn't single out foreign stores, so plan to meet it.

On its storefront, an online store must show its name, address and contact details, its tax number and, where it has one, its commercial registration with a link to its documentation on an official platform. It must explain how consumers can complain and let them complain electronically.

The electronic invoice has to be something the consumer can save, and it must:

  • confirm that the contract was concluded and when
  • show the full price, including delivery charges and tax, with the payment and delivery arrangements
  • state the delivery date and place
  • give warranty and after-sales information where there is any
  • make sure the consumer knows the store's exchange and return policy

Unless the buyer agreed a different delivery date, the buyer can cancel the order when the store is more than 15 days late delivering it. If a store shows a product, price or specification in error, it may correct it, and the buyer chooses between going ahead at the corrected terms or cancelling for a full refund.

On personal data, the store must protect any information that could identify the consumer, can't use consumer data for advertising or marketing without consent, can't keep it longer than the transaction needs, and must let the consumer close their account and stop promotional messages in a simple way. Disclosing a consumer's data to a third party without permission is illegal.

Tips for sellers shipping to Saudi Arabia#

Saudi Arabia is predictable once VAT is built into the price and the storefront carries the details the Ministry of Commerce expects. Every parcel pays 15% VAT and a declaration fee, the duty line is tested on goods plus shipping plus insurance, and the buyer's civil ID number speeds up clearance, so set all of that up at checkout.

Ship DDP if you want the buyer to see one price with no charges at the door.

The Saudi Arabia country page has the live data border.bot uses.

Common questions#

Is there a de minimis value in Saudi Arabia?#

For customs duty, yes: online purchases with a total value under SAR 1,000, including shipping and insurance, pay no duty when no other clearance is needed. VAT at 15% applies at any value.

What is the VAT rate on imports into Saudi Arabia?#

15%, charged on the goods, shipping and insurance plus customs duty and the declaration fee. It applies even when the goods are exempt from duty.

What customs fee does Saudi Arabia charge on online orders?#

SAR 15 for an individual's online-store shipment worth up to SAR 1,000. Above that, the import declaration fee is 0.15% of the value, with a SAR 15 minimum and a SAR 500 maximum.

Sources#