Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Travelers coming to Saudi Arabia carrying purchases or gifts worth over SR3,000 or its equivalent in foreign currencies must declare them and pay the due customs duties and taxes, the Kingdom’s Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority said recently.

According to the Authority, the required measure is part of the Common Customs Law for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The Authority also called on travelers coming to or departing from Saudi Arabia to declare currencies, jewelry, or valuable items worth over SR60,000 or more or its equivalent in foreign currencies, or any goods prohibited or restricted in the Kingdom, including cigarette and tobacco products.

The Authority disclosed that it will impose a fine equivalent to 25 percent of the value of the seized items, in the event of non-declaration or erroneous declaration of currencies or tradable instruments, if the violation takes place for the first time.

The fine will be 50 percent of the value of seized items, on repeating the offense, if where there is no suspicion that the seizures are related to a crime or a money-laundering offense. And in the event that the seizures are suspected of being linked to a crime or money laundering, the whole amount will be withheld and the violator will be referred to the Public Prosecution.

The Authority stated that failure to acknowledge or declare goods, whether prohibited or restricted, entails the confiscation of those materials, imposition of customs fines, and referral of the person to the competent authority if he possesses prohibited materials, confirming that this is based on the text of Article 23 of the Anti-Money Laundering Law, and Article 60 of the Common Customs Law.

The Authority explained that the approval procedures are available online on the declaration page of the Saudi Customs website via the link www.customs.gov.sa/ar/declare .

It is noteworthy that the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority recently provided its customers with the customs duties and taxes calculator service available via the link www.customs.gov.sa/ar/eservices/calculator, as the service allows customers to determine the estimated value of customs duties and taxes on incoming goods from outside the Kingdom.