Question 1

How do you get a SABER certificate in Saudi Arabia?

Accepted Answer

SABER is SASO's platform and issues two certificates: the PCoC per product model (valid 1 year, 500 SAR + VAT) and the SCoC per shipment (valid 90 days, 350 SAR + VAT). Order: HS code → prerequisites (CST, IECEE via JEEM, energy-efficiency, RoHS) → SABER registration via a Saudi importer → Certification Body → PCoC → SCoC per shipment before arrival.

Question 2

What is a SASO Certificate of Conformity?

Accepted Answer

Documentary proof that a product meets the applicable Saudi technical regulation, administered by SASO through SABER. It splits into the PCoC (per product model and importer, valid 1 year, 500 SAR + VAT) and the SCoC (per shipment, valid 90 days, 350 SAR + VAT) — the SCoC is what customs checks, and since October 2025 it is required on every import.

Question 3

How do you export electronics to Saudi Arabia?

Accepted Answer

Get the HS code, then run the prerequisites in parallel before SABER — CST type approval for wireless (about 3–4 weeks), IECEE recognition via JEEM (officially up to 15 working days), RoHS file per IEC 63000, energy-efficiency registration — then register on SABER via a Saudi importer, obtain the PCoC through a Certification Body and an SCoC per shipment before arrival. From zero, a wireless product is realistically 7–12 weeks before the vessel departs.

Question 4

What happens if you import without a SABER certificate?

Accepted Answer

No valid SCoC means no customs clearance and daily storage and demurrage charges. Since January 2025 both the PCoC and SCoC must exist before arrival; Letters of Undertaking are no longer accepted and post-arrival certification is a violation with re-export among the outcomes. Missing prerequisites (CST about 3–4 weeks, IECEE up to 15 working days officially) cannot be compressed once the goods are at the port.

Question 5

Does Saudi Arabia require IEC 62368-1?

Accepted Answer

Yes — IEC 62368-1 is the required safety standard for IT and audio/video equipment in Saudi Arabia; IEC 60950-1 reports are no longer accepted and fail at the PCoC stage. Confirm the current standard with your Certification Body before commissioning lab work; the standard does not replace CST type approval, IECEE recognition or the RoHS file.

Question 6

How long does SABER certification take?

Accepted Answer

From zero with a wireless product: realistically 7–12 weeks before the vessel departs (6–10 weeks on official service times). By step: CST type approval about 3–4 weeks; IECEE recognition via JEEM up to 15 working days officially; lab testing often 2–4+ weeks; PCoC officially 5–6 working days (often 10–14 with CB review); SCoC 1–2 working days for the commercial service; clearance 3–5 working days. Parallelising the prerequisites decides whether you land near 7 or drift past 12.

Question 7

SABER vs SASO — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

SASO is the regulator that sets Saudi technical regulations and standards; SABER is the electronic platform SASO operates to enforce them at import. SABER connects importer, Certification Body, SASO and Saudi Customs and issues the PCoC (per product model, 1 year, 500 SAR + VAT) and the SCoC (per shipment, 90 days, 350 SAR + VAT).

Question 8

What does customs clearance in Saudi Arabia require?

Accepted Answer

Since January 2025 the PCoC and SCoC must exist before arrival (no Letters of Undertaking); since October 2025 an SCoC is required on every import, non-regulated goods via self-declaration. At clearance the documents must line up: valid SCoC, invoice mirroring the SABER registration, B/L Consignee matching the Commercial Registration, a current HS code, compliant labeling. A valid SCoC reaches customs automatically through FASAH; clearance is typically 3–5 working days.

Quick answers — the SABER questions importers actually ask

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