Importing a used car from the US to Saudi Arabia

Saudi customs reads US history reports

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) prohibits importing salvage vehicles that have been sunk, in an accident, burnt, overturned or structurally damaged, as found at its inspection. External damage is also refused, unless it happened at the port of arrival and you have a certificate saying so.

If you dispute the finding, ZATCA asks for three reports from the sources it approves, and it names AutoCheck, CARFAX and the Motor Vehicle Department. In other words, the same US records a buyer can pull before the sale are what customs looks at after the car arrives. Ask your customs broker which reports and format customs currently accepts before you rely on them.

The five-model-year rule

ZATCA allows used cars, buses and light transport vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes if the model is no more than five years old, counted back from the current year without including it. Ask your broker to confirm the oldest model year accepted on the date your car will arrive. Heavier trucks have their own five-year rule, counted from January of the year they were made.

A light car that fails the age or fuel-economy requirements can still come in, but only by paying a vehicle import fee of 20% to 50% of its value, with a minimum of SAR 20,000, set by Ministerial Resolution No. 335 of 15 Jumada al-Akhirah 1443 AH. A car more than 30 years old counts as antique: it is noted on the customs card and isn’t allowed on public roads.

The model year is the 10th character of the VIN. Read it yourself with the VIN decoder or our VIN year guide instead of trusting the listing.

The SASO fuel economy check

The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) applies technical regulation SASO 2864:2015 to used light vehicles. It sets minimum fuel economy of 10.3 km per litre for passenger cars and 9.0 km per litre for light trucks, and it applies whether the car is for personal or commercial use. ZATCA asks for a notice issued through the SASO website showing the car meets the energy efficiency requirements. Check the figure for your exact model and engine against those minimums before you bid.

Other cars customs refuses

• Former taxis, police cars and school transport vehicles
• Stolen and armoured vehicles
• Cars whose steering was converted from right-hand to left-hand drive
• Cars whose chassis number is scratched or altered, or doesn’t match the documents

ZATCA also wants proof of ownership (the original registration, or a certified export certificate depending on the country), your national ID and a document showing how you paid. If the invoice isn’t accepted, customs values the car from the local agent’s new-car price list with 10% depreciation a year, up to 50%.

Ports and registration

Cars come in by sea through Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea or King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam on the Gulf, both customs ports. Once customs releases the car, ask your broker for the current registration steps and fees, as they change.

Before you pay a deposit

1. Read the model year from the VIN and check it against the five-year window for your arrival date.
2. Look up the model’s fuel economy for the SASO check.
3. Run CARFAX or AutoCheck for flood, salvage and total-loss records. See the accident history check.
4. Pull the auction record: the photos show crash, fire and water damage before any repair.
5. Make sure the VIN on the title, the invoice and the car itself match exactly.

What you get from us

Our CARFAX and AutoCheck reports cover vehicles sold in the US and Canada: title brands, accidents and total losses, auction sales and recorded mileage. The auction report shows a Copart or IAAI lot as sold, with photos, recorded damage, title and odometer at sale. We don’t file with ZATCA or SASO and we don’t ship cars.