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Customs duty calculator for Saudi Arabia 2026: duty and tax on what you import

Hani · Founder & Tax Data Researcher · ArabTaxCalc

Enter the value of the goods and the shipping cost to see the customs duty, any excise tax and the VAT you pay when a parcel or shipment arrives in Saudi Arabia, and the full landed cost.

Short answer

Import VAT in Saudi Arabia is 15%. Example: goods worth 1,875 Saudi riyals (Basic duty 5%: most consumer goods) with 150 shipping: customs duty 5%: 101; import services fee 0.15% (15 to 500 riyals): 15; VAT 15%: 321. So the full landed cost is 2,462 Saudi riyals (23.3% on top of the price of the goods).

Your shipment

Leave 0 if you do not know it
Matters where a fixed duty per item applies

Customs rules in Saudi Arabia

Valuation basis
Value of the goods + shipping + insurance (CIF).
VAT
15% on the value plus duty.
Small shipments
Individuals' purchases from online stores are exempt from customs duty if the total value is under 1,000 riyals, including the price of the goods, shipping and insurance. VAT at 15% applies from the first riyal. If the value is 1,000 riyals or more, duty applies to the full value.
Traveller allowance
Personal, non-commercial luggage and gifts are exempt up to a value of 3,000 riyals, and cigarettes up to 200. Cash, jewellery and precious metals worth 40,000 riyals or more must be declared (lowered from 60,000 in June 2026, according to Okaz newspaper).
Cars
Customs duty 5% and VAT 15%. Used private cars must be no more than 5 years old from the year of manufacture (excluding the current year); classic cars over 30 years old are treated differently and may not be driven on public roads. The customs value of a used car is reduced according to a depreciation table. Cars that do not meet energy efficiency standards may be subject to a charge of between 20% and 50%, with a minimum of 20,000 riyals (age limit not confirmed by an official source).
Gold and jewellery
Gold jewellery (7113.19) 5%, and raw gold and bullion (7108.12) 0%, with 15% VAT added on jewellery. Rates come from WITS/UNCTAD TRAINS data for 2023 (officially reported applied tariff), a secondary source.
Import services fee 0.15% (15 to 500 riyals)
0.15% of the value of the goods including shipping and insurance, with a minimum of 15 riyals and a maximum of 500 riyals, in force since 6 October 2024 (Deloitte).
Online store shipment processing fee
15 riyals per shipment worth less than 1,000 riyals.

Common customs duty rates for individuals

CategoryRateExamples and notes
Basic duty 5% (most consumer goods)5%Televisions (8528.72), games consoles (9504.50), cotton clothing (6109.10, 6203.42, 6204.62), trainers (6404.11), bags (4202), cosmetics (3304), watches (9102), cars (8703)
Smartphones, laptops and headphones0%Smartphones (8517.13), laptops (8471.30), headphones (8518.30) Estimate
Perfumes6.5%Perfumes and eau de toilette (3303) Estimate
Leather shoes10%Shoes with outer soles of rubber or plastic and leather uppers (6403.99) Estimate
Furniture15%Wooden bedroom furniture (9403.50), upholstered seats (9401.61, 9401.71); some other wooden furniture lines (9403.60) between 5% and 15% Estimate
Children's toys (up to 15%)5%Toys (9503): between 5% and 15% depending on the subheading Estimate
Foods with higher rates15%Milk powder (0402.21) between 10% and 15%, unfilled chocolate (1806.32) 15%, juices (2009.89) between 5% and 10%, baked goods (1905.90) between 5% and 10% Estimate
Exempt staple foods0%Rice (1006.30), coffee and tea, fresh red meat, animal feed
Gold jewellery5%Jewellery and articles of gold (7113.19) Estimate

The exact rate depends on the item's Harmonized System (HS) code. The table covers the categories individuals buy most often.

Excise tax

ItemRateNote
Tobacco and tobacco products100%
E-cigarettes and e-liquids100%In force since December 2019 (EY)
Energy drinks100%PwC (reviewed 29 July 2026) gives 100%; secondary sources say they remain a separate category at 100% outside the volume-based model, while Lexis says the new model covers sweetened energy drinks. Check with the authority
Sweetened drinks with medium sugar (5 to under 8 grams per 100 ml)0.79 SAR per litre
Sweetened drinks with high sugar (8 grams or more per 100 ml)1.09 SAR per litreConcentrates and powders are taxed on the litres of the final drink after dilution
  • On 10 June 2020 the Kingdom raised duties on more than 2,000 tariff lines in 57 chapters to 10%, 15% and 20%, and some to 25%, then changed other lines on 27 November 2025, so check the Harmonized System code (12 digits since 1 January 2025) in the authority's integrated tariff tool.
  • The zatca.gov.sa website could not be reached directly from the research environment; the authority's texts quoted here are taken from search result excerpts.
  • Excise tax on goods taxed at a percentage is calculated on the retail selling price, not the customs value, and is then included in the VAT base.

Sources Partly verified

  1. Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority: online store customers
  2. Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority: personal imports
  3. Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority: personal tobacco allowances
  4. Deloitte: amended customs service fees
  5. EY: amendment to the integrated tariff schedule, November 2025
  6. EY: customs duty increase, June 2020
  7. EY: the new excise tax model for sweetened drinks
  8. KPMG: amendments to the excise tax implementing regulations
  9. PwC: summary of other taxes in Saudi Arabia
  10. US Department of Commerce: tariffs in Saudi Arabia
  11. World Bank WITS: 2023 tariff data
  12. Okaz: declaration threshold lowered to 40,000 riyals

Amounts in Saudi riyal (SAR).

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate customs duty in Saudi Arabia?

Customs value = the price of the goods + shipping + insurance. Customs duty = the customs value × the rate for the category of goods, then VAT at 15% on the value plus the duty.

Are small parcels exempt from customs duty in Saudi Arabia?

Individuals' purchases from online stores are exempt from customs duty if the total value is under 1,000 riyals, including the price of the goods, shipping and insurance. VAT at 15% applies from the first riyal. If the value is 1,000 riyals or more, duty applies to the full value.

What is the duty-free allowance for travellers in Saudi Arabia?

Personal, non-commercial luggage and gifts are exempt up to a value of 3,000 riyals, and cigarettes up to 200. Cash, jewellery and precious metals worth 40,000 riyals or more must be declared (lowered from 60,000 in June 2026, according to Okaz newspaper).

How much customs duty is charged on cars in Saudi Arabia?

Customs duty 5% and VAT 15%. Used private cars must be no more than 5 years old from the year of manufacture (excluding the current year); classic cars over 30 years old are treated differently and may not be driven on public roads. The customs value of a used car is reduced according to a depreciation table. Cars that do not meet energy efficiency standards may be subject to a charge of between 20% and 50%, with a minimum of 20,000 riyals (age limit not confirmed by an official source).

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Results are estimates based on common band rates. The final rate depends on the item's HS code and the customs valuation, and the courier may add clearance fees.

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