Saudi Arabia customs
Apply for visa
Free import
• Personal effects and gifts carried by the traveler, with a total value of up to SAR 3,000, if they are for personal use and not in commercial quantities. Keep receipts where you have them.
• Up to 200 cigarettes, or up to 500 g of other tobacco products.
• The exemption does not apply to frequent travelers or to people who bring in goods regularly, and exempt goods are still subject to Saudi import bans and restrictions.
• Gifts and purchases above SAR 3,000, goods in commercial quantities and goods subject to excise tax must be declared, and duty and taxes are charged. You can declare and pay online through the ZATCA website or app before you reach the customs office.
• More than 200 cigarettes (up to 2,400) may be brought in only with the approval of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), and duty and taxes are then charged on the whole quantity. Larger quantities are treated as commercial imports.
Currency
• Cash (Saudi riyals or foreign currency), bearer negotiable instruments (such as cheques), gold bullion and other precious metals, precious stones and fine jewellery worth SAR 40,000 or more in total (or the equivalent) must be declared on arrival. You can fill in the declaration online, but you must also go to the customs declaration office at the port (at airports and seaports it is after passport control and the baggage claim area; at land ports, before the customs checkpoint).
• Failing to declare can lead to a fine of 25% of the amount (50% for a repeat violation). If a link to crime or money laundering is suspected, the whole amount can be seized and the case referred to court, with possible confiscation, a prison sentence of up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to SAR 5 million.
Prohibited
• Alcoholic beverages
• Narcotics and illegal drugs of all kinds
• Pork and pork products
• Pornography, and discs or storage devices with immoral content; books and publications that break Ministry of Media rules
• Weapons and ammunition
• Fireworks
• Counterfeit currency
• Chewing tobacco
• Tear gas and electric shock devices of all kinds
• Laser devices, except one red laser pen with a power of no more than 5 milliwatts
• Eavesdropping devices, speed radar detectors, and items with a hidden camera (such as watches, pens, glasses and drones)
• Kola (guru) nuts, and nutmeg fruit and nutmeg powder
• Sex toys and devices
• Sexual tonic pills and creams, abortion pills, and herbal products and cosmetics that are not registered with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority
Restricted
• Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines are controlled in Saudi Arabia, and some need approval from the Saudi authorities before travel. Declare them and carry an official prescription, hospital note or doctor's letter showing the drug, dosage and amount prescribed, with the doctor's signature and the clinic's or hospital's stamp.
• Drones and other goods that need approval from the competent authorities must be declared on arrival.
• Cats and dogs need an import permit from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), applied for online through the Namaa platform (naama.sa) before travel. The dog's breed is checked against the import rules. Live birds need a separate MEWA import permit.
• Religious books of other faiths are allowed for personal use only; bringing in large numbers can lead to prosecution.
• Special approval may be needed for agricultural seeds, chemicals, some pharmaceutical products, wireless equipment, radio-controlled model aircraft and archaeological artefacts. Satellite phones, listening or recording devices, radio transmitters and powerful cameras or binoculars may need a licence.
• Personal videos, books and electronic devices may be examined by customs.
• Personal effects and gifts carried by the traveler, with a total value of up to SAR 3,000, if they are for personal use and not in commercial quantities. Keep receipts where you have them.
• Up to 200 cigarettes, or up to 500 g of other tobacco products.
• The exemption does not apply to frequent travelers or to people who bring in goods regularly, and exempt goods are still subject to Saudi import bans and restrictions.
• Gifts and purchases above SAR 3,000, goods in commercial quantities and goods subject to excise tax must be declared, and duty and taxes are charged. You can declare and pay online through the ZATCA website or app before you reach the customs office.
• More than 200 cigarettes (up to 2,400) may be brought in only with the approval of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), and duty and taxes are then charged on the whole quantity. Larger quantities are treated as commercial imports.
Currency
• Cash (Saudi riyals or foreign currency), bearer negotiable instruments (such as cheques), gold bullion and other precious metals, precious stones and fine jewellery worth SAR 40,000 or more in total (or the equivalent) must be declared on arrival. You can fill in the declaration online, but you must also go to the customs declaration office at the port (at airports and seaports it is after passport control and the baggage claim area; at land ports, before the customs checkpoint).
• Failing to declare can lead to a fine of 25% of the amount (50% for a repeat violation). If a link to crime or money laundering is suspected, the whole amount can be seized and the case referred to court, with possible confiscation, a prison sentence of up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to SAR 5 million.
Prohibited
• Alcoholic beverages
• Narcotics and illegal drugs of all kinds
• Pork and pork products
• Pornography, and discs or storage devices with immoral content; books and publications that break Ministry of Media rules
• Weapons and ammunition
• Fireworks
• Counterfeit currency
• Chewing tobacco
• Tear gas and electric shock devices of all kinds
• Laser devices, except one red laser pen with a power of no more than 5 milliwatts
• Eavesdropping devices, speed radar detectors, and items with a hidden camera (such as watches, pens, glasses and drones)
• Kola (guru) nuts, and nutmeg fruit and nutmeg powder
• Sex toys and devices
• Sexual tonic pills and creams, abortion pills, and herbal products and cosmetics that are not registered with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority
Restricted
• Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines are controlled in Saudi Arabia, and some need approval from the Saudi authorities before travel. Declare them and carry an official prescription, hospital note or doctor's letter showing the drug, dosage and amount prescribed, with the doctor's signature and the clinic's or hospital's stamp.
• Drones and other goods that need approval from the competent authorities must be declared on arrival.
• Cats and dogs need an import permit from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), applied for online through the Namaa platform (naama.sa) before travel. The dog's breed is checked against the import rules. Live birds need a separate MEWA import permit.
• Religious books of other faiths are allowed for personal use only; bringing in large numbers can lead to prosecution.
• Special approval may be needed for agricultural seeds, chemicals, some pharmaceutical products, wireless equipment, radio-controlled model aircraft and archaeological artefacts. Satellite phones, listening or recording devices, radio transmitters and powerful cameras or binoculars may need a licence.
• Personal videos, books and electronic devices may be examined by customs.