The export declaration on FASAH
| Exporter registration | Exporters register on FASAH with a commercial registration or ID number. The registration is free. (ZATCA e-service: register as an importer or exporter on FASAH (free)) |
| Documents for the declaration | ZATCA lists the invoice, the manifest from the freight company and the bill of lading. The certificate of origin and packing list are what the destination and your buyer usually ask for. (ZATCA Export Instructions) |
| Customs fees on exports | ZATCA waived the customs service fees on exports from 6 October 2024, including declaration processing, lead seal, land-port loading and X-ray inspection. (ZATCA: customs service fees on exports waived from 6 Oct 2024) |
| Restricted goods | Some goods are prohibited or restricted for export. We check the tariff line for every shipment. (ZATCA Export Terms and Conditions) |
| Re-exports | Goods that were imported can be re-exported on FASAH with a re-export declaration carrying an entitlement number, the first import declaration and the invoice. No fee. (ZATCA e-service: re-export declaration with an entitlement number) |
Certificate of origin: four types
Issued through the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources e-service. The type depends on the destination:
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| National product, GCC countries | The UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman |
| National product, Arab countries | GAFTA destinations such as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq |
| Preferential (unified GCC model) | Countries and blocs with a GCC trade agreement |
| General (Arabic and English) | Every other destination |
Goods of Saudi national origin move duty-free into the other GCC states when they travel with a GCC certificate of origin and meet GCC origin rules; Saudi-origin goods qualify for GAFTA preferences with the Arab-country certificate. We confirm the certificate type for every shipment.
VAT 0% on exports: the evidence
Goods exported outside the GCC are zero-rated when the supplier holds, within 90 days of the supply:
| Export documents | Issued by ZATCA, showing the official export clearance. |
| Commercial documents | Showing the customer's identity and the place of delivery. |
| Transport documents | Showing delivery outside the GCC. |
| Without the evidence | The supply is treated as domestic at the standard 15% rate. (ZATCA Guideline on Imports and Exports under VAT (May 2026), section 7) |
Product certificates
- Dry and ambient food: the SFDA validity certificate to export food products, issued to the manufacturer after inspection and sample tests. Food moving between GCC states is not cleared straight away without it.
- SABER certificates are for goods entering Saudi Arabia; an export does not need one unless the destination asks for a conformity certificate.
- Dangerous goods (sulphur, fertilisers, paints, chemicals): classified from the product's safety data sheet; unknown goods are reviewed by our team before we quote.
- Pharmaceuticals, scrap metals, cement, wheat and chilled food are reviewed by our team before we quote.
Egypt-bound cargo
| Advance Cargo Information | Egypt requires cargo data and documents at least 48 hours before the cargo ships from the export country, and the exporter registers on the CargoX platform Egyptian customs uses. (Egypt Nafeza: Advance Cargo Information (48 hours before shipment)) |
Sources
- ZATCA e-service: register as an importer or exporter on FASAH (free)
- ZATCA Export Instructions
- ZATCA Export Terms and Conditions
- ZATCA: customs service fees on exports waived from 6 Oct 2024
- ZATCA e-service: re-export declaration with an entitlement number
- ZATCA Guideline on Imports and Exports under VAT (May 2026), section 7
- Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources: certificate of origin e-service
- Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources: the four certificate-of-origin types
- SFDA guide: validity certificate to export food products
- GCC Economic Agreement (1981), Arts 2-3 (Kuwait Public Authority for Industry text)
- GAFT: agreements Saudi Arabia is party to (incl. GAFTA)
- Egypt Nafeza: Advance Cargo Information (48 hours before shipment)
Official pages, checked 10 October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice; we confirm the documents for each shipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
QIs there a customs fee on exports from Saudi Arabia?
ZATCA waived the customs service fees on exports from 6 October 2024, including declaration processing, lead seal, land-port loading and X-ray inspection.
QWhich certificate of origin do I need?
It depends on the destination: the GCC national-product certificate for the GCC, the Arab-country certificate for GAFTA destinations such as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, the preferential unified model for GCC trade-agreement partners, and the general certificate for everyone else. All four are issued through the Ministry of Industry e-service.
QHow do I keep VAT at 0% on an export?
Hold the ZATCA export documents, the commercial documents showing the customer and place of delivery, and the transport documents showing delivery outside the GCC within 90 days of the supply. Without them the supply is treated as domestic at 15%.
QDo Saudi exports need a SABER certificate?
SABER certificates are for goods entering Saudi Arabia. An export does not need one unless the destination asks for a conformity certificate.
QWhat does food need for export?
The SFDA validity certificate to export food products, issued to the manufacturer after inspection and sample tests. Food moving between GCC states is not cleared straight away without it. We handle dry and ambient food.
QCan I re-export goods I imported?
Yes, on FASAH with a re-export declaration carrying an entitlement number, the first import declaration and the invoice, with no fee.
QAre some goods restricted for export?
Yes. Some goods are prohibited or restricted for export, so we check the tariff line for every shipment. Pharmaceuticals, scrap metals, cement, wheat and chilled food are reviewed by our team before we quote.
QWhat does Egypt require before a shipment leaves Saudi Arabia?
Advance Cargo Information: the cargo data and documents at least 48 hours before shipment, with the exporter registered on the CargoX platform Egyptian customs uses.
Our credentials
- Licensed customs broker
- ZATCA customs clearance
- TGA Freight Forwarder & Broker Licence
- 42/00008120
- ISO certification
- ISO 9001:2015 AMER300621 · ISO 45001:2018 AMER300622
- Verify · Certification body's certificate check
- Head office · Warehouse
- 7273 Fatimah Al Zahraa Rd, Riyadh 12837 · Al Sulay industrial district, Riyadh
Safe Hands Shipping Line is the trade name of شركة الايدي الامينة (Al Aidi Al Amina Company). All credentials →
Export with the documents ready before the truck or vessel leaves
Tell us the product, destination and volume; our team sends a written quote with the document list.