RIYADH — Saudi Customs announced that passengers' personal belongings would be exempted from customs duties with a condition that their value does not exceed SR3,000. However, there is a need to pay 15 percent value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods. The Customs stated this on Tuesday while replying to queries through its official Twitter account. According to the Customs, personal shipments will be exempted from customs duties if the total value of purchase is less than SR1,000, and these include the value of the goods and freight charges. Regarding personal belongings of Saudi students, who pursue education under the Foreign Scholarship Program, the Customs said that the scholarship students will be exempted from customs duties at the end of their studies or at the end of work abroad after submitting proof of this. In response to a citizen's question about the import of a car from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Customs explained that the last manufacturing year allowed to enter the Kingdom is 2016, provided that it conforms to Saudi specifications and standards and the fuel economy standard. Customs duty for the vehicle will be five percent of the vehicle's value, in addition to 15 percent of VAT. There will also be shipping fees, customs fees and any other fees, until the start of the application of the Unified Electronic Services Law among the Gulf Cooperation Council states. The Customs clarified that the regular period for the foreign vehicle to remain at the entry port is three months, and upon exceeding this period a fine of SR20 is imposed for each day of delay, not exceeding 10 percent of the cost of the vehicle.
