Moving Household Goods from Dubai to Saudi Arabia: FASAH and Customs

What FASAH is

FASAH is Saudi Arabia’s single window for trade: one digital platform for import and export procedures, with services for importers and exporters, seaports, airports, dry ports and land ports. Customs brokers, shipping agents and cargo agents work on it to file declarations, track shipments, book appointments and pay.

For a household move this matters mainly because your shipment is declared through it. Searches for FASAH registration or FASAH appointments usually come from traders and brokers; as someone moving home, you deal with your mover and its broker, who use FASAH on your behalf.

Who gets the duty exemption

ZATCA’s page on personal luggage and used household appliances sets out the conditions:

• You are a resident living abroad (returning to the Kingdom) or a foreigner coming to reside in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
• The luggage and household appliances are used and within the limits of personal use, and come from a place eligible for the exemption.
• Foreigners provide proof that they are arriving for the first time.
• The exemption is tied to a six-month window from the date the entitled person arrives.
• Imported cars are not included.
• Anything that does not meet the conditions pays customs duty under the tariff, and the Common Customs Law’s prohibitions and restrictions still apply.

Documents for the declaration

Add the mover’s packing list. It is not on ZATCA’s list above, but the broker uses it to describe the shipment and to answer questions if the goods are selected for inspection.

How clearance works

1. Manifest

   For sea freight, the cargo agent enters the manifest.

2. Declaration

   The goods’ representative or customs broker prepares the customs declaration remotely, on FASAH, with your documents.

3. Fees

   Any due fees are paid.

4. Inspection

   Goods are inspected according to risk factors.

5. Release

   A release order is issued and the goods can be delivered.

Before the goods leave Dubai

1. Survey and inventory

   The mover lists every item. Separate anything new, with receipts, from used household goods.

2. Choose the route

   Household goods can go by road across the land border, by sea or by air. Ask each mover which it proposes and why.

3. Packing list and shipping documents

   Every box is numbered and described. Keep copies of the packing list and the bill of lading or cargo manifest.

4. Close your Dubai home

   Move-out permit, DEWA final bill and Ejari cancellation are in the move-out checklist.

Timeline for a Dubai to Saudi Arabia move

What to keep out of the shipment

• Anything on ZATCA’s prohibited or restricted goods lists, which still apply to exempt household goods. Check the lists before packing and leave out anything you are unsure about.
• Your car: the household goods exemption does not cover imported cars.
• New items you have not used: keep the receipts and expect them to be declared separately, because the exemption is for used goods.
• Valuables and documents: carry passports, certificates, jewellery and laptops with you.

Your mover will usually have its own list of items it will not carry across a border. Ask for it at the survey, so nothing has to be unpacked on loading day.

Cost

Fewer than two published price pages agreed on a Dubai to Saudi Arabia range when prices were last checked in October 2026, so this guide gives no typical figure. Ask movers to quote door to door, with Saudi customs clearance and any duty shown as separate lines, and compare them on the same inventory.