Importing from 
China into 
Saudi Arabia: Fasah, VAT, courier clearance and SABER in detail
Personal online purchases are free of customs duty when goods, shipping and insurance together are below SAR 1,000 and no clearance permission from another authority is needed. VAT generally remains payable regardless of shipment value, except where an exemption applies; the courier collects it. VAT is charged on the full declared amount: goods, shipping, insurance, duty and customs fees. Commercial importers register on the Fasah platform with a Commercial Registration number. Regulated products need SABER certificates (food, cosmetics and medical products go through the SFDA).
- Applies to
- Buyers and small businesses in Saudi Arabia ordering goods from China.
Dear friend,
Welcome! This letter sets out what you need to know, plainly and in order.
The short version
| Question | What ZATCA, SASO or SFDA says | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Duty on small online orders? | Personal purchases below SAR 1,000 in total (goods, shipping, insurance), and no clearance permission from another authority needed: no customs duty; VAT is not exempt | |
| How is VAT worked out? | On goods, shipping, insurance, customs duty and customs declaration fees; collected regardless of value | |
| Who clears a courier parcel? | The transport company prepares the declaration, pays duty and VAT, and gives you a VAT receipt | |
| Do I need to register? | Courier parcels: no registration; the carrier needs your name and civil ID. Traders register as importers on Fasah (CR number and ID). Personal importation outside the courier route: register on Fasah and appoint a customs broker | |
| Product certificates? | Regulated products: product certificate (PCoC) and shipment certificate (SCoC) on SABER; SABER lists SAR 500 to register a PCoC and SAR 350 for an SCoC, excluding VAT |
VAT on every parcel
ZATCA says: "VAT is applied to all amounts calculated in the customs declaration, including customs duties. That is, tax is calculated on the value of the goods, shipping costs, insurance, customs fees, and customs declaration fees." ZATCA says VAT is collected "regardless of the value of the shipment", except where an exemption applies, and the express company gives the customer a receipt for the VAT.
Courier clearance
The transport company creates the customs declaration, which can be prepared before the shipment arrives. Once it is approved, the carrier pays customs duty and VAT and clears the shipment. ZATCA says it does not require a copy of your ID card for personal shipments by express companies: only your full name and civil ID number. This courier route is separate from the personal-importation route below.
Registering as an importer
- Business. Fasah's "Registration of New Importer or Exporter" service needs a Commercial Registration number and an ID number.
- Personal importation (not the courier route above). "The beneficiary must register in Fasah platform and delegate a customs broker." The goods must not be in commercial quantities.
SABER and SFDA
- SABER. Regulated products are registered on SABER for a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC), and each shipment needs a Shipment Certificate (SCoC). SABER's FAQ lists fees of SAR 500 to register a PCoC and SAR 350 to issue an SCoC, excluding VAT (
SABER FAQ).
- Food. The SFDA's food clearance conditions say the importer registers its establishment and the food products on the "Ghad" platform, and "Clearance requests are submitted through the "Fasah" trade platform." (
SFDA food clearance conditions, no date shown in the document)
- Cosmetics, medicines and medical devices have their own SFDA registration; the SABER route does not replace it.
Prohibited goods
ZATCA's personal importation rules say goods that are prohibited internationally or locally, counterfeit, adulterated, or that violate standards or intellectual property rights shall not be imported. We did not find a single public list page, and ZATCA's public tariff search is described as a search for customs duties only; we found no public lookup that shows prohibitions or restrictions by tariff code.
Still uncertain
- ZATCA page dates: E-Store Customers updated 26 Aug 2026; Personal Importation 1 Oct 2023. The SABER pages do not show a date.
- This page is general information from official sources, not legal or tax advice.
Sources for this letter
Wishing you good business,
The mouwise team
Checked 2026-10-27
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