DHL Express Import Guidelines: Saudi Arabia

Shipping guidelines, standard prohibitions and restrictions to consider when sending express shipments to Saudi Arabia.

Prohibited Commodities for Saudi Arabia

The following commodities are not acceptable for transport by DHL under any circumstances.
This is a result of a policy decision, following the full consideration of Operational, Legal and Risk Management implications.
Animals
Antiques (breakable and/or fragile)
Asbestos
Bullion
Currency
Firearms, parts thereof and ammunition
Furs
Hazardous or combustible materials (as defined in IATA Regulations)
Human remains, including ashes
Jewelry, precious metals and stones
Narcotics (illegal)
Alcoholic beverages
Dangerous goods, haz. or comb. mats
Furs
Gambling devices
Ivory
Pornography
Postal envelopes
Precious metals & stones
Soil samples
Property, the carriage of which is prohibited by any law, regulation or statute of any federal, state or local government of any country to or through which the shipment may be carried.

Shipping Commodities – What You Need to Know

Certain commodities are considered as “Non-Document” and need to be accompanied by an invoice and, in some cases, additional customs documentation. Other commodities are considered simply as a “Document” and only require a DHL Waybill to be completed. The following list explains what you need to do in order to ship various commodities.

Document Commodities (Require only DHL Waybill)

Advertising brochures/pamphlets
Airline tickets, blank stock (NI)
Airline tickets, issued/validated
Annual reports
Artwork inc.drawings/proofs/layouts
Blank forms
Blueprints
Booklets, brochures (non-adv.)
Books: hardbk/paperbk non-comm. use
Business cards
Calendars
Catalogues
Charts/graphs
Cheques, cashier (NI)
Credit card blanks (NI)
Credit cards (NI)
Deeds
Diplomatic mail
Documents, general business
Invoices, not blank
Labels
Magazines, periodicals, journals
Manuals, technical
Manuscripts
Maps
Music, printed or manuscript
Negatives, including x-rays, films
Newspapers
Pamphlets
Passports
Photographs
Photos as part of business reports
Plans/drawings-arch/indust/eng. pur
Price lists
Price tickets for garments
Shipping schedules
Slides
Transparencies
Visa applications

Commodities where you should contact your local Customer Service advisor to clarify shipping requirements

Chemicals, non-hazardous
Communications equipment
Compact disc
Computer components & parts
Computer software
Cosmetics
Diskettes
Drugs: non-prescription
Drugs: prescription
Films: 8mm, 16mm & 35mm
Films: entertainment
Films: promotional, training
Foodstuffs
Grain samples
Medical samples
Medical/dental supplies & equipment
Microfiche & microfilm
Phones/modems
Plant products
Plants
Seeds
Telecommunications equipment
Televisions, television equipment
Tobacco

All other commodities are Non-Document in nature and should be accompanied by a DHL Waybill and an Invoice.

Worldwide Express Import Guidelines

Import guidelines for more than 220 other countries and territories covered by DHL Express worldwide.

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