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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCES

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

REGIONMIDDLE EAST
CUSTOMS AUTHORITYZakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA)
VAT RATE15%

ALCOHOL

None

CIGARETTES

200

200 cigarettes duty-free; between 200 and 2,400 cigarettes is allowed as a personal quantity but duty and tax apply to the whole quantity

GOODS VALUE

SAR 3,000

≈ US$800

Checked against Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) on 2026-09-06 View source →

Duty-Free Allowances

CategoryAllowance
AlcoholNone
Cigarettes200200 cigarettes duty-free; between 200 and 2,400 cigarettes is allowed as a personal quantity but duty and tax apply to the whole quantity
Personal goods valueSAR 3,000≈ US$800

Alcohol is completely prohibited in Saudi Arabia — no allowance. Tobacco: up to 200 cigarettes exempt; between 200 and 2,400 cigarettes is treated as a personal quantity with duty and tax charged on the whole amount. Personal luggage and gifts without commercial character are exempt up to SAR 3,000 (GCC Common Customs Law, Article 103(B)); keep receipts. Commercial goods follow standard import duty rules.

What the official page says
Personal luggage: According to Paragraph "B" in Article "103" from The Common Customs Law of The GCC States, customs duties are exempted from personal luggage and gifts in the possession of travelers ... The value shall not exceed 3000 SAR
If the quantity does not exceed 200 cigarettes, they are exempt from customs duties and taxes. (from sibling page /Travel-pages/Quantity-Tobaacco.aspx, same authority, fetched separately, 200)
If the quantity exceeds 200 cigarettes but is less than 2,400 cigarettes, it falls within the personal allowance, and they are allowed to be brought in with the imposition of customs duties and taxes on the entire quantity (from Quantity-To
Cash amounts, transferable financial instruments, metals, or other currencies if the total exceeds SAR 40,000 or its equivalent. (from sibling page /Travel-pages/disclosure-amounts.aspx, same authority, fetched separately, 200)
The value shall not exceed 3000 SAR or its equivalent.
Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA)

Cash Declaration Threshold

US$10,700DECLARATION REQUIRED ABOVE THIS AMOUNT

Local currency equivalent: SAR 40,000

Travelers carrying cash, traveler's cheques, or negotiable instruments above this threshold must declare them at customs on arrival.

Special Notes

  • 01Saudi Arabia is governed by Islamic law (Sharia) which heavily influences what can be imported.
  • 02VAT was raised to 15% in July 2020 (from 5%) due to economic pressures from COVID-19.
  • 03Saudi Arabia is a GCC member; GCC Unified Customs Law applies.
  • 04Saudi Vision 2030 has been liberalizing some import rules (cinemas, entertainment now allowed).
  • 05SFDA (Saudi Food and Drug Authority) oversees food, drug, and cosmetic imports.
  • 06Saudi Arabia enforces strict halal requirements on food imports.
  • 07E-invoicing (FATOORAH) is mandatory for VAT-registered businesses.

Does what I'm carrying fit?

This is a fit check, not legal advice — the red channel is always available.

RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES45UNIQUE SOURCES645LATEST VERIFICATION2026-08-22MethodologyChangelog