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Import Car from USA to Saudi Arabia

Car Import to Saudi Arabia Guide

Importing Your Car to Saudi Arabia? Car Import from the USA to Saudi Arabia starts at a cost of $1,095 USD with an estimated turnaround time of 20-35 days, depending on the make and model of the car, the port of origin, and the method of shipment. Below, we explore everything you need to know about importing your car to Saudi Arabia in our 2024 guide.

Are you ready to get started importing a car from the USA to Saudi Arabia?

Request a free online quote – Quotes are available online with a guaranteed response within 24 hours for car importing and moving services to Saudi Arabia.

Please do not hesitate to call or email us anytime with any questions about car import to Saudi Arabia. Contact our importing experts for more information. We are always just a phone call away!

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Importing a Car to Saudi Arabia: Checklist

Here’s a rough breakdown of the process you’ll need to go through to ship your vehicle overseas to Saudi Arabia.
  • Gather all necessary vehicle documentation, including:

    • Notarized Bill of Sale/Sales Contract
    • Car Registration
    • Original Clear Title for the car with no Liens on the Title
    • If the car was purchased new, then your name should be stated on the front of the Title as the registered owner
    • If the car has been sold, then both the seller and the buyer should sign the back of the Title in the appropriate place

  • When importing a car to Saudi Arabia, all the documents can take a while to obtain, so the process should be started in good time before you plan to ship your car to Saudi Arabia.
  • Before starting the international import process, you should be sure that you understand all of the costs involved in importing a car to Saudi Arabia, including:

    • Freight and insurance charges when importing your vehicle
    • Wharf, transport, storage, and delivery charges after your vehicle arrives
    • Duties, taxes and fees, including customs duty rate and vehicle import tax
    • The cost of cleaning the undercarriage of foreign soil
    • Registration and insurance requirements in the relevant Saudi Arabian State or Territory
    • Other charges such as import processing, customs brokers, and logistics service provider charges

  • Select an international car shipping company and preferred shipping method to transport your vehicle from the United States to Saudi Arabia
  • Determine your vehicle’s departure and destination ports
  • Confirm the vehicle’s undercarriage is clean and free of foreign soil
  • For safety reasons, your shipped vehicle must not contain more than a 1/4 tank of gas.

More information on the process of importing a vehicle to Saudi Arabia can be found here.

Online Quotes - Guaranteed Response within 24 Hours!

Quotes are available online for domestic and international vehicle shipping services. Depend on us for reliable and expedited vehicle relocation services - Our dedicated team of shipping specialists are always a phone call away to answer any questions you may have.

Vehicle Import Options

As you engage in the process of importing a car to Saudi Arabia, some of the most important questions to consider include:

  • Whether you plan to permanently keep the car in Saudi Arabia or if it’s just a temporary move
  • The condition of the shipped vehicle; Saudi Arabia has a five-year vehicle age restriction for the import of passenger cars and other light vehicles
  • Whether you’re importing a new or used vehicle

These questions and more will determine whether your car is eligible for import to Saudi Arabia. Your actual tax rate is also based on these details.

When importing cars, you should never assume your international shipping scenario is the same as someone else’s. Importing classic or used cars may have eligibility requirements that differ from those for importing newer vehicles into Saudi Arabia.

To obtain an estimate of the cost to ship a car to Saudi Arabia, fill out our free quick quote form.

Vehicle Import Approval

  • Original Title for the car (with no Liens on the Title)
  • Notarized Bill of Sale/Sales Contract
  • Copy of your passport if you are not a US citizen
  • EIN letter from the IRS if you are a US citizen
  • Power of Attorney form (if required)
  • A Certificate of Conformity

Things to Consider

  • All vehicles shipped to Saudi Arabia must comply with all the legal and technical requirements stipulated by the Saudi Arabian government.
  • Importing small vehicles over 5 years old and high and heavy units over 10 years old into Saudi Arabia is restricted. However, classic vehicles that are over 30 years old may be imported as vintage cars.
  • Importing accident-damaged vehicles and salvage titles into Saudi Arabia is also restricted.
  • Any car imported into Saudi Arabia must not have been previously used as a police vehicle or taxi.
  • All vehicles imported into Saudi Arabia must be left-hand drive and must have been manufactured this way.
  • An individual may only import one vehicle per year into Saudi Arabia without possessing a commercial permit.
  • Once your car has met the standards set out by the government, you can obtain a government-issued certificate permitting you to bring your vehicle to Saudi Arabia.
  • Once your car has been shipped into Saudi Arabia, you will be required to pay a registration fee in order to register the vehicle. This registration will be valid for three years. Vehicle insurance is mandatory for a car shipped into Saudi Arabia.

Importing a Car to Saudi Arabia: Costs & Time Frame

Using a baseline of a compact car being shipped using the roll-on/roll-off method (roro shipping) from the Port of Los Angeles to the Port of Dammam, our estimate for Car Import from USA to Saudi Arabia starts at a cost of $1,095 USD with an estimated turnaround time of 20-35 days.

However, shipping rates for bringing your vehicle into Saudi Arabia can vary according to factors such as the model and make of your vehicle, your current location, the nearest departure port in the USA, your chosen shipping solution, availability of your chosen services, your destination port, and your final destination in the Middle East. Additionally, you’ll need to consider additional costs related to importing your car overseas, such as storage, cleaning, other vendor fees, and Saudi Arabian taxes & duties.

An estimated timeframe to ship a car to Saudi Arabia measures the duration of a port-to-port service. Typically, the timeframe to ship a car to Saudi Arabia from the USA will take between 20-35 days, depending on your port of departure, arrival, and method of car shipping services used. This is provided all the required documents are submitted to us in a timely manner, the vehicle is prepared to depart, and all other vehicles to fill the container have been secured.

Taxes & Duties for Car Import to Saudi Arabia

Prior to importing your vehicle overseas to Saudi Arabia from the USA, verify your vehicle’s specifications and compliance with Saudi Arabian requirements.

If you are importing a vehicle to Saudi Arabia from the USA, your car will be subject to local customs duties, with the standard customs duty rate levied by the Saudi Arabian government being 5% for motor cars and 12% for trucks.

The customs tax rate is calculated based on the value of the motor vehicle, plus the cost of freight and insurance. Any vehicle under 6 months old is considered to be new, and therefore no deduction is taken. Any vehicle which is between 6 and 12 months old is granted a monthly deduction rate of 2%. While vehicles between 2 and 5 years old are granted a monthly deduction rate of 1%.

The amount of taxes and import duties payable when importing a car to Saudi Arabia from the US will vary and depends on the details of your shipment.

To obtain an estimate of the cost to ship a car to Saudi Arabia, fill out our free quick quote form.

Online Quotes - Guaranteed Response within 24 Hours!

Quotes are available online for domestic and international vehicle shipping services. Depend on us for reliable and expedited vehicle relocation services - Our dedicated team of shipping specialists are always a phone call away to answer any questions you may have.

Importing a Car to Saudi Arabia: Options

Car Import from USA to Saudi Arabia can be performed using a shared container, a sole container or a roll-on/roll-off service.

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Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) – Vehicles are loaded onto a ship that contains a cargo area built like a very big parking garage. This international car shipping option tends to be more cost-effective as, other than the shipping charge, you are required to pay only port charges and customs clearance charges.

Transits tend to be faster than with the shared container service, as the vessels depart on a weekly basis.

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Shared container service – This method for car import to Saudi Arabia requires multiple vehicles to be loaded into one shipping container. While there are more fees involved to ship a car from the USA to Saudi Arabia with shared container service than with the RoRo shipping method, due to the fact that the container must be processed, these charges are shared between the various clients who are using the container. Such fees include a trucking charge, terminal handling charge, customs clearance, and charge for unloading the vehicles at a bonded warehouse.

One disadvantage is that you might face a longer wait before your vehicle departs, as the container must have a full load before importing to Saudi Arabia.

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Full container load – You have the added benefit of a fully enclosed container, just like our shared container service, but the 20 ft container is dedicated solely to your vehicle. Since there’s no wait for other cars to be loaded, you’ll enjoy a shorter wait before departure. However, additional terminal handling fees and other charges won’t be shared with other vehicle owners.

Our most selective customers prefer the high level of safety and expediency offered when importing cars with dedicated container shipping. When your vehicle is received, we’ll photograph and document the vehicle’s condition as well as the loading process. Your vehicle will be loaded using our modern steel loading system, which is not only environmentally friendly, but doesn’t rely on outdated wood ramps and nails that other shipping companies use, which can damage your vehicle.

After your car is loaded onto your own private container, it is locked and secured. This will ensure no one gains access to your car before reaching its final destination. Since the vehicle is fully enclosed in a secure container, we invite our clients to pack and transport other items inside the vehicle. However, everything must be loaded securely, as we won’t be responsible for loss or damage of any kind.

Once your vehicle reaches its destination in Saudi Arabia, our agent will unlock the container, document the vehicle’s condition, and photograph the entire unloading process. Every step of the importing process is not only handled carefully but documented for your peace of mind.

Compared to our RoRo shipping option, enclosed container shipping is not only more secure when importing to Saudi Arabia, but much faster due to frequent departures each week.

Additional Services

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Sourcing vehicles – Overseas clients who wish to buy a vehicle can turn to our long list of car buyers developed in our nearly thirty years in the auto industry, who can find and purchase vehicles for an additional fee or commission.

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Other services – Some of the auto transport services we offer in overseas territories include domestic pickup, vehicle import assistance, tracking of your shipment, customs clearance in the USA and a full vehicle inspection report.

Ports Served in the Saudi Arabia

Departure Ports – United States

The location your vehicle will depart from depends on the method of car import to Saudi Arabia, where your vehicle is located, your budget, and which services the nearest port offers. We have multiple departure locations from which we can ship cars from the USA, including Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Miami, Savannah, and more.

Destination Ports – Saudi Arabia

Here are the entry ports in Saudi Arabia that we can ship a car to

  • Jeddah
  • Dammam
  • Yanbu
  • Jubail
  • Jizan

Cleaning Your Vehicle’s Undercarriage

Before importing to Saudi Arabia, the undercarriage of your car must be cleaned and free of foreign soil to prevent the introduction of invasive plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. This can be accomplished through steam cleaning or other thorough cleaning methods.

CFR Classic can assist with finding an appropriate cleaner to help ensure you comply with this requirement before car import to Saudi Arabia. We do not recommend washing the interior of the vehicle as it can cause mold during transport. Vacuuming the interior is usually more than sufficient prior to car transport.

Plating Your Vehicle in Saudi Arabia

After customs clearance, you will need to get authorization to use your shipped vehicle in Saudi Arabia:

  • Upon receiving your copy of Bayan (Bill of Entry), you will be able to obtain a SASO (Saudi Arabia Standard Organization) certificate, which is a Certificate of Conformity to declare that the vehicle has met Saudi Arabia’s quality and safety standards.
  • The SASO certificate allows the vehicle to clear Saudi Arabia customs and you to obtain a Green Card.
  • Before your vehicle can be driven in Saudi Arabia, it must be inspected by MVPI (Motor Vehicle Periodic Inspection) to ensure vehicle safety.
  • You can then secure your car registration and Traffic Police certificate. You must remember to arrange the appropriate vehicle insurance.

You will require the following documentation when registering your car in Saudi Arabia:

  • Copy of Bayan
  • Green Card
  • MVPI Certificate
  • Car Insurance
  • Copy of Passport
  • Copy of Saudi Residence Permit
  • Copy of Saudi Driver’s License

Other Saudi Arabia/US Shipping Options

Online Quotes - Guaranteed Response within 24 Hours!

Quotes are available online for domestic and international vehicle shipping services. Depend on us for reliable and expedited vehicle relocation services - Our dedicated team of shipping specialists are always a phone call away to answer any questions you may have.

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