GENERAL NOTES:
- Imports of plants, fruits, vegetables,
seeds, live animals and poultry must have the prior approval of the
appropriate Saudi Arabian authorities and must be accompanied by a
phytosanitary or health certificate stating that they are free from pests
and other diseases. All shipments of plants will be inspected upon arrival
in Saudi Arabia.
- Shipment of hazardous materials must have
the prior approval of the Ministry of Interior in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- According to Royal Decree No. 5/E/27748
dated 24/11/1402 H. (corresponding to September 12, 1982), the country of
origin must be mentioned on all products imported into Saudi Arabia, except
when it is not feasible, as in the following list of examples:
(a) Small spare parts, nails, pins,
nuts, etc. In this case, the country of origin should be mentioned
on the package or box.
(B) Barbed wires, metal sheets, unfinished boards of glass, wood, marble, etc.
In this case, the country of origin should be mentioned on the band.
(C) Raw materials or semi-finished products used as an input by national
industries.
All carpet manufacturers, suppliers and
distributors have to show the captioned data on the sales invoice.
- Shaving brushes and other articles made of
raw hair should be accompanied by a recognized official certificate showing
the consignment to be free from anthrax germs.
- Importing used clothing requires an official
disinfections certificate. These goods will be subject to inspection by the
Saudi Arabian quarantine officials.
- Islamic Law strictly forbid the importation,
sale and use of pork and its products, liquor and narcotics.
- Saudi laws forbid the importation of
firearms. Arms for hunting and similar sports arms need special permission.
- Books, publications, audio and video
materials are subject to inspection and approval by customs for entry into
the Kingdom. In particular, obscene literature and Communist propaganda will
not be allowed entry.
- Medical drugs for personal use in small
quantities are allowed. Travelers should be ready to show the inspectors the
necessary documents to identify the drugs and the medical documents (e.g.
doctor's prescription) to prove that the medicine is for personal use.
- Non-commercial shipments of less than 10,000
Saudi Riyals (about $2,600) and cars imported into the Kingdom for personal
use, regardless of their value, do not require shipping documents.
- Commercial samples are subject to the
payment of customs duty and surcharge either by a deposit equal to the duty
at the time of import or by a bank guarantee. A refund is made if the goods
are re-exported within 12 months. In the event of samples being sold,
neither deposit nor guarantee will be refunded.
Prior permission to import samples
must be obtained from the Director General of Customs, Customs Department
(see here
for address), who should be furnished with lists of samples, prices and
catalogues. A non-refundable duty of 12% is levied for imports of samples of
jewelry and watches. Authenticated shipping documents are required for
all shipments of commercial samples
Sources:
The Commercial office, Embassy of Saudi Arabia,
Washington, D.C. and The Foreign Trade Statistics, Ministry of Finance and National Economy,
Central Department of Statistics, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
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