GUIDE — CONTROLS
Restricted and Prohibited Imports — Saudi Arabia
The difference between a prohibition and a restriction, what falls into each, which authority controls what, and how to check a specific commodity before you ship rather than after it has been seized.
Prohibited
Cannot be imported at all
Restricted
Importable with a named approval
Controlled by
ZATCA plus the sector regulator
Check against
The 12-digit tariff code
Vehicles
Age and condition limits apply
Consequence
Seizure, penalties, re-export
Prohibited is not the same as restricted
A prohibited good cannot enter the Kingdom. There is no permit, no bond and no bonded-zone workaround — prohibited goods may not be admitted into or cross Saudi territory even under temporary admission.
A restricted good can be imported, but only with the approval of a named authority, obtained before the goods arrive. The declaration is routed to that authority inside Fasah, and the shipment waits for their decision.
The distinction matters commercially because the two failures look different. Getting a prohibition wrong loses the goods. Getting a restriction wrong loses time and money while the approval is chased from the wrong side of the border — and for some commodities it cannot be obtained retrospectively at all.
SOURCES · ZATCA; GCC Common Customs Law; ZATCA Guideline on Temporary Admission under ATA Carnet.
Prohibited
Saudi law prohibits the importation of the following, as summarised in the U.S. International Trade Administration’s country commercial guide:
Saudi Customs also does not allow the importation of cars more than five years old, salvaged cars, or used police cars, taxis and rental cars.
SOURCES · U.S. International Trade Administration, Saudi Arabia Country Commercial Guide — Prohibited and Restricted Imports, last published 11 May 2026.
Restricted — special approval required
The following require special approval by the Saudi authorities before importation:
Which authority approves depends on the commodity. Medicines, food, medical devices and cosmetics go to SFDA. Plants, seeds, live animals and animal products go to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and its agricultural quarantine service. Non-hazardous chemicals are permitted by the Ministry of Commerce, and restricted chemicals for industrial use by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources — both requested through Fasah. Wireless and communications equipment falls to the communications regulator.
SOURCES · U.S. International Trade Administration, Saudi Arabia Country Commercial Guide — Prohibited and Restricted Imports; Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources e-services.
How to check a specific commodity
- Classify firstrestrictions attach to tariff codes, not to product names. Establish the twelve-digit code before you ask whether the goods are restricted.
- Search the Integrated TariffZATCA publishes the tariff with the conditions applying to each item. ZATCA’s own guidance to importers is to search for the product in the customs tariff and check which conditions apply, or to consult a customs broker.
- Ask the sector regulator, not the internetfor a food, a medicine, a chemical or a device, the regulator’s own import conditions are the binding document.
- Confirm the approval exists before the goods movean approval obtained after arrival is, for several categories, no approval at all.
ZATCA operates an e-service through which authorised government entities submit and track requests to restrict, prohibit or lift restrictions on specific tariff items. The restriction list is administered, and it changes — which is why the tariff, and not a printed list, is the reference.
SOURCES · ZATCA (import instructions; Customs Tariff restriction and prohibition services).
What happens when it goes wrong
- The declaration is held and the consignment is inspected.
- Prohibited goods are seized. Depending on the commodity, that can be the end of the matter for the whole consignment, not only the offending carton.
- Restricted goods without approval sit in the port accruing storage while the approval is sought, if it can be sought at all.
- Penalties apply under the Common Customs Law, and the violation attaches to the importer’s record — which feeds the risk engine that decides how the next shipment is treated.
- Re-export at the importer’s cost is a common outcome where entry is refused.
SOURCES · GCC Common Customs Law; ZATCA.
Official sources
- ZATCA — Integrated Tariffs ↗
- The tariff, with the conditions attaching to each item.
- U.S. ITA — Saudi Arabia prohibited and restricted imports ↗
- The U.S. government’s summary of the prohibited and restricted lists, last published 11 May 2026.
- SFDA ↗
- Food, medicines, medical devices and cosmetics — registration and import control.
RiyadhCargo.com is an independent news monitoring service. It is not a customs broker, freight forwarder, carrier or law firm, and nothing on this page is customs, tax or legal advice for a particular shipment. Procedures and rates change; the authorities named on this page are the only binding source. Check the current position with ZATCA or a licensed Saudi customs broker before you ship.
Frequently asked questions
What is banned from import into Saudi Arabia?
Saudi law prohibits weapons, alcohol, narcotics, pork and pork products, pornographic material, distillery equipment, retreaded or used tyres, used clothing and certain sculptures. Cars more than five years old, salvaged cars and used police cars, taxis and rental cars are also not allowed.
What needs special approval to import?
Agricultural seeds, live animals, books, periodicals, films and tapes, religious material, chemicals and harmful materials, pharmaceutical products, wireless equipment and radio-controlled model aircraft, horses, products containing alcohol including perfume, natural asphalt and archaeological artefacts.
Can restricted goods go into a bonded zone to avoid the approval?
No. A bonded zone suspends duty and tax; it does not suspend a control. Prohibited goods may not enter or cross Saudi territory at all, and restricted goods still need their approval from the responsible authority.
How do I check whether my product is restricted?
Establish the twelve-digit tariff code, then search ZATCA’s Integrated Tariff for the conditions applying to that item — which is ZATCA’s own advice to importers — and confirm with the sector regulator or a licensed customs broker.
Does perfume really count as restricted?
Products containing alcohol, perfume among them, are listed as requiring special approval. Treat cosmetics and fragrance as a regulated category and clear the approval before shipping.
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