Saudi Arabia

Agreement in force · Strong coverage

Laws, documents and trade data — no screening rules yet

Screening rules for this market aren't available yet, so product screening skips it.

Market profile

Main food law: Food Law (Royal Decree M/1, 1436H/2015) + SFDA Food & Feed regs
Labeling regulation: SFDA.FD/GSO 9:2022; GSO 2233:2021 (nutrition); SFDA.FD 150-1:2021
Additives and residue limits: SFDA.FD 2500:2021; GSO 193:2021; SFDA.FD/GSO 382 (MRL)
Import requirements: SFDA e-account + E-Clearance; SFDA import conditions (2022)
National standards body: SASO (SASO/GSO) — paywalled; GSO store
Latest USDA FAIRS report: 2025

Certificates required

Health certificate (food export, fit for human consumption) — Mandatory (Applies to: All imported food)
Certificate of origin – non-preferential — Mandatory (Applies to: All imported food (legalised/attested))
GCC certificate of origin (national product) — Mandatory (Applies to: GCC-origin goods claiming duty-free treatment)
Veterinary health certificate (products of animal origin) — Mandatory (Applies to: Meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, seafood)
Phytosanitary certificate (IPPC / ePhyto) — Mandatory (Applies to: Fresh produce, grains, seeds, nuts, spices)
Halal slaughter certificate (per consignment) — Mandatory (Applies to: Meat and poultry)
GAC halal accreditation (GCC Accreditation Center) — Commonly requested (Applies to: Halal certificates for animal-derived ingredients/products)
Free sale certificate (certificate of free sale) — Mandatory (Applies to: Packaged food product registration)
Certificate of analysis (CoA) — Commonly requested (Applies to: Registration dossiers; high-risk products (aflatoxin, pesticides))
ISO 22000 (food safety management system) — Commonly requested (Applies to: Manufacturers supplying retail/HoReCa)
HACCP certification — Commonly requested (Applies to: Manufacturers; municipality food-establishment approval)
Radiation / radioactivity certificate — Commonly requested (Applies to: Selected origins/products (confirm with authority))
SFDA food product & facility registration (Saudi Arabia) — Mandatory (Applies to: Imported foods; foreign establishments for meat, poultry, dairy etc.)
SFDA Halal Center approval of foreign halal certification bodies (Saudi) — Mandatory (Applies to: Meat, poultry, animal-derived ingredients)
SABER Product Certificate (PC) & Shipment Certificate (SC) – Saudi Arabia — Mandatory (Applies to: Food-contact packaging & non-food regulated products (not food itself))

Import and export

Documents to import

Health certificate (product-specific SFDA formats) — Issued by: Competent authority of exporting country — Mandatory
Halal slaughter certificate (consignment) — Issued by: SFDA-recognised halal body — Conditional
Phytosanitary certificate — Issued by: NPPO of exporting country — Conditional
Establishment registration on SFDA approved list — Issued by: SFDA — Conditional
Food product registration / notification — Issued by: SFDA — Conditional
SABER product and shipment certificates (PCoC/SCoC) — Issued by: SASO via notified bodies — Conditional
Import permit (case-by-case) — Issued by: SFDA / MEWA — Conditional
Customs declaration — Issued by: ZATCA — Mandatory

Documents to export

No verified documents yet.

Government fees

Customs service fee (ad valorem) (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
Deposit area entry / exit request (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
Special food / supplement registration (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
SABER Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
SABER Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
SFDA food establishment licence / consignment lab fees (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
VAT/GST on imported food (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
Customs export fees (Export) — Not confirmed — check with the authority

Customs single window: FASAH, SFDA e-services, SABER

Customs duties are not included.

A fee without a confirmed amount is listed by name only.

Reference documents

SFDA regulations library (incl. Conditions & Requirements for Importing Food 2022; Conditions for Food Clearance 2025) (2025) Open the source
USDA FAIRS Country Report Annual — Saudi Arabia (SA2025-0013) (2025) Open the source
USDA FAIRS Export Certificate Report Annual — Saudi Arabia (SA2025-0009) (2025) Open the source
GSO 2500 — Additives permitted for use in food stuffs (2022) Open the source
GSO 9:2022 — Labeling of prepackaged food stuffs (Gulf Technical Regulation) (2022) Open the source
GSO 193:2021 — Contaminants and toxins in food and feed (2021) Open the source
USDA FSIS Export Library — Saudi Arabia (2020) Open the source
GSO 2055-1:2015 — Halal food Part 1: General requirements (2015) Open the source
GSO 150-1:2013 — Expiration dates for food products Part 1: mandatory (+Amd 2:2022); Part 2 voluntary (2013) Open the source
SABER conformity platform (SASO) (current) Open the source

Guidance compiled from published sources — not legal clearance. Confirm the requirements with the destination regulator or a licensed advisor before shipping.

Screening guidance based on published standards — not legal clearance. Requirements marked "needs verification" are directional hints; confirm with the destination regulator or a licensed advisor before shipping.