Customs on online orders from abroad in the Gulf: limits and fees

The baseline: the unified 5% tariff

Since 1 January 2003 the GCC states have operated a customs union with a unified tariff of 5% on all foreign goods imported from outside the union, with a list of 417 exempt goods and further exemptions under the unified customs law. Tobacco and its derivatives are an exception, at 100%.

So an order from China, the US or Europe through stores such as SHEIN, Temu, AliExpress or iHerb is in principle subject to 5% duty, unless it falls under your country's low-value exemption or the exempt-goods list. An order shipped from a warehouse inside one GCC state to another is different, because the goods have already entered the customs union.

On top of duty, import VAT may be due in countries that apply it: Saudi Arabia 15%, Bahrain 10%, the UAE and Oman 5%. Qatar and Kuwait do not apply VAT as of October 2026.

Exemption thresholds by country

The "exemption threshold" is the value below which a personal shipment pays no customs duty. The table shows what we could confirm from official sources and what we could not.

The Saudi exemption text refers to "SAR 1,000 or its equivalent in GCC currencies", wording that points to a common GCC origin in customs procedures. That is not enough to say every country applies the same limit today, since some have changed thresholds by local decision. Courier sites and unofficial reports quote differing figures for Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman; we have not used them because they contradict each other and we could not find them on customs authority websites.

Traveller allowances, such as limits on gifts and personal belongings on arrival, are separate from limits on shipped parcels, so do not mix them up.

Saudi Arabia in detail: conditions and fees

According to ZATCA's customs procedures guide, incoming postal shipments worth no more than SAR 1,000 are exempt from customs duty on these conditions:

• The shipment is personal and in non-commercial quantity.
• The importer is not a trader by profession.
• Permits from the relevant authorities are provided for restricted goods.
• It contains no prohibited, counterfeit, non-compliant or IP-infringing goods.
• Tobacco and its derivatives and goods of a special nature are excluded.

Any postal parcel over 50 kg is moved to commercial import clearance.

Customs service fees: since 6 October 2024, individuals' shipments from online stores pay a flat SAR 15 declaration-processing fee if their value does not exceed SAR 1,000. Other imports pay 0.15% of the goods' value including insurance and shipping, with a minimum of SAR 15 and a maximum of SAR 500.

VAT: a customs exemption is not a VAT exemption. ZATCA states that personal goods are not exempt from VAT except as the VAT law provides, and that VAT is calculated on all amounts in the customs declaration, including duty.

A rough example for an order worth SAR 1,500 including shipping (above the threshold): 5% duty = SAR 75, then 15% VAT on SAR 1,575 = SAR 236.25, plus the 0.15% service fee (SAR 2.25, so the SAR 15 minimum applies). Actual amounts depend on the item's classification and declared value.

UAE: each emirate has its own customs

Customs in the UAE is run at emirate level, so procedures can differ between Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the others.

Dubai Customs announced that Customs Circular No. 16/2026 amended the duty exemption threshold for e-commerce shipments, raising it from AED 300 to AED 1,000 of CIF value (cost, insurance and freight) for eligible shipments, under defined categories and conditions whose details we could not review. An earlier Dubai Customs notice stated that the courier exemption excludes tobacco and its derivatives, e-smoking devices, nicotine liquids, alcoholic drinks and foods containing alcohol.

We could not confirm from an official source how the 5% import VAT is treated for personal shipments below the threshold. For the other emirates we did not confirm updated official thresholds for e-commerce shipments.

Who pays: you or the store?

Legally, the importer is responsible for duty and tax, and for personal orders the importer is you. How it is collected depends on the store:

• Collected upfront at checkout: some international stores show a duties or taxes line and pay it for you at dispatch, so nothing is due on delivery. Look for wording such as "duties included" or "duties prepaid".
• Collected on delivery: the parcel arrives and the courier or post asks you to pay duty, VAT and a clearance fee before delivery, sometimes through a payment link by SMS.
• Shipped from a GCC warehouse: some stores stock items locally, and the price then usually covers what is needed with no extra charges.

Watch out for fake payment messages: pay only through the courier's official app or website, and check the tracking number before paying.

A discount code lowers the item's value and can keep an order under the threshold. Where CIF value is used, customs looks at the actual invoice value plus shipping and insurance, not the pre-discount price. Never ask a seller to under-declare the value; it is a violation and can lead to the parcel being held.

Why customs clearance gets delayed

Most delays are not about the duty itself but about the type of item or missing information:

• Restricted goods: supplements, medicines, cosmetics and some electronics may need permits from the relevant authorities in your country. This matters for iHerb orders in particular. The Saudi exemption text requires such permits for restricted goods.
• Commercial quantities: several identical items may be treated as a commercial import, which removes the personal exemption.
• Weight: in Saudi Arabia a postal parcel over 50 kg goes to commercial clearance.
• Missing data: ID or residence number, an inaccurate address, or an invoice that does not show the real value.
• Unpaid charges: if you do not pay what is due on delivery, the parcel stays on hold and may be returned to the sender after a period set by the courier.

We found no official standard clearance times in any of the six countries; timing varies by courier and seasonal load, such as around Black Friday on 27 November 2026.

Before you order from abroad

1. Work out the total value including shipping and compare it with your country's threshold, where confirmed.
2. Check at checkout whether duties and taxes are included or will be collected on delivery.
3. For supplements, medicines or wireless devices, check your country's authority requirements before ordering.
4. Split large orders with care: splitting one order to avoid duty may be treated as evasion if the parcels arrive together.
5. Keep the invoice and tracking number, and pay any charges only through the courier's official channels.
6. In countries where we could not confirm the threshold, ask the courier or customs authority directly before large orders.