| Document | What the Saudi text says | Who issues it | What to check before shipping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | Must include details of the incoming products, their quantities, expiration dates and batch numbers | The seller | Every line matches the Certificate of Analysis and the carton, character for character |
| Certificate of origin | Listed among the general documents | As the route sets; your importer or forwarder confirms | Product description and consignee match the invoice |
| Bill of lading | Listed among the general documents | The carrier | Consignee and goods description match the invoice |
| Marketing certificate from the country of origin | Dietary supplements sit in the row for foods for special uses and need a marketing certificate for the specific use as a special food product | Your importer confirms which body issues it | Your importer confirms what it covers, and when it is needed |
| Health certificate | Listed under the entry conditions of the product group | As the entry conditions set | Your importer confirms whether it applies to a supplement |
| Halal proof | Evidence behind any halal logo on the pack | A certification body, for the specific product | The certificate names the product that is on the carton |
| Certificate of Analysis and specification | Not named as separate lines in the clearance text; the invoice's batch numbers point to them | The plant, with every batch | Batch number and expiry date equal to the invoice |
Checked against the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) clearance conditions, the version published on sfda.gov.sa, and the US International Trade Administration (ITA) guide, last published 11 May 2026, on 14 October 2026.
Who files the clearance in Saudi Arabia: the exporter or the importer?
The importer, on the Saudi side. The SFDA text asks the importer to register its establishment and its products on the Ghad platform before importing, and the shipment itself is declared through Fasah, the customs platform. As the exporter's side, we supply the papers that go into the file; we neither file nor promise a release.
That split decides what you ask of us. We hold the invoice, the Certificate of Analysis and the specification of your batch. Your importer holds the Saudi accounts, the declaration and the dealings with the authority. A file stalls in the gap between the two: an invoice written without the dates and batch numbers that the Saudi text asks for.
What must the commercial invoice show for a supplement shipment?
The products, their quantities, expiration dates and batch numbers. The SFDA text says the invoice must include details of the incoming products, their quantities, expiration dates and batch numbers. It is a requirement on the invoice itself, not on an attachment, so a line that reads only "food supplements, 40 cartons" leaves a gap.
The safe layout is one line per product and batch, with four things on it: product name as on the carton, quantity, expiry date and batch number. Those four should equal what the Certificate of Analysis and the printed carton show. Our cartons carry the batch number and the expiry date on the carton, not as a sticker. If a consignment holds two batches of one product, each batch gets its own line.
Ask us how the invoice is laid out before the first order, and send your importer a draft of it. A figure that disagrees between invoice and carton is cheaper to fix at the draft than after the goods have left.
Which certificates does the Saudi side ask for?
A certificate of origin, a bill of lading and, for supplements, a marketing certificate from the country of origin. The SFDA text lists the first two as general documents, and a health certificate where the entry conditions of the product group ask for one; your importer confirms whether the health certificate applies to a supplement.
For the marketing certificate, your importer confirms which body issues it and what it covers. It is the paper most likely to take time, so ask your importer early, before the production run ends, so that the certificate and the goods are ready together. See export documents for how the other certificates are issued.
The plant's own documents are shorter: a Certificate of Analysis and a specification with every batch, and copies of its ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certificates, with their numbers, on request. The plant's GMP is for food supplements, not pharmaceutical GMP. The SFDA food guide of July 2024 asks for a pharmaceutical GMP certificate or equivalent for tablets and other pharmaceutical forms, so your importer settles with the SFDA what it will accept for registration, ideally before you order. That is a registration question rather than a clearance one; the Middle East page covers it.
Does halal proof go into the customs file?
Where the carton carries a halal logo, yes. The SFDA text asks for evidence behind any halal logo, and for food products that need one, a halal certificate. A logo with no certificate behind it is the avoidable problem.
Halal certification is arranged for the specific product rather than for the plant as a whole, so the certificate you hold is for that product. A second product needs its own. See halal supplements. If your carton has no halal logo, the logo question does not arise, but your importer confirms whether the product itself needs a certificate.
When does the Fasah declaration have to be filed?
No later than 48 hours before the shipment reaches the port of entry. The ITA guide to Saudi import requirements, last published 11 May 2026, gives this rule for the declaration on Fasah; your importer or customs broker confirms the current rule.
For you, 48 hours before arrival means the invoice and the certificates must exist and be in your importer's hands before the vessel or flight lands, not at the quay. A paper that arrives after the declaration is due is late, whatever it says.
That is why the order of work matters more than any single paper. Ideally the invoice is written from the Certificate of Analysis, and your importer's declaration follows the invoice. If the chain runs in that order, the dates agree everywhere.
Can the SFDA take samples from my consignment, and who pays?
Yes, and the importer pays for the analysis. The SFDA text says the authority may take samples from the consignment, and that analysis is at the importer's expense, citing Article 27 of the Saudi food law. Sampling is a right of the authority, not a sign that something is wrong.
What it costs you is time, and a batch record that has to hold up. The Certificate of Analysis, the specification and the batch number must agree with what is in the carton.
How long must the documents be kept?
The importer keeps the original documents for five years, according to the SFDA text. The practical consequence for the exporter is that the papers you send must be ones your importer can stand behind years later, with batch numbers that still match.
Keep your own set too. When the Certificate of Analysis, the invoice and the carton of one batch agree, a question years later is answered from a folder. When they do not, the question becomes a dispute.
Which language and which dates must be on the pack?
Arabic, with any other language alongside it identical in content, and dates that are not stickers. The label and date rules, and who confirms them, are set out on the Middle East page. Our carton carries the expiry date and batch number, and your importer confirms that this meets the rule.
What your situation decides
Each line shows what a choice costs you in time or risk, not in money.
| Your situation | What changes | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| You buy EXW | Export clearance is yours; the invoice is raised for the buyer. Import clearance and duties stay with you under every delivery term. | Risk: the invoice is written by whoever books the freight. Check the batch and expiry lines before it is issued. |
| You buy FCA or DAP | The seller clears the goods for export; under DAP the seller also delivers to the agreed place. Saudi import clearance and duties still stay with you. | Time: the seller's papers and your importer's Fasah declaration must agree, so the invoice goes to your importer as a draft first. |
| The carton shows a halal logo | The SFDA text asks for evidence behind the logo | Time: a certificate for the specific product, ready before shipping. Risk: a logo without it can hold the shipment. |
| One product split into several consignments | Each invoice line carries the batch number and expiry date of what is in that consignment | Time: more lines to check. Risk: a mismatch between invoice and carton. |
| Your tablets or capsules go in a blister | The carton is printed in the order, with batch number and expiry date on it. Blister runs have their own minimum and production time | Time: you approve the carton artwork before print, so dates and batch format are settled early. See lead times. |
Questions buyers ask about Saudi clearance
What documents do I need to export food supplements to Saudi Arabia?
The SFDA clearance text lists a commercial invoice with products, quantities, expiry dates and batch numbers, a certificate of origin, a bill of lading, and for dietary supplements a marketing certificate from the country of origin. Proof behind a halal logo is added if the pack has one. Your importer confirms the final list.
Does the invoice really have to show batch numbers and expiry dates?
Yes. The SFDA text says the invoice must include details of the incoming products, their quantities, expiration dates and batch numbers. Write one line per product and batch, and make each line equal to the Certificate of Analysis and the printed carton.
Who files on Fasah and Ghad: the exporter or the importer?
The importer, on the Saudi side. The SFDA text has the importer register its establishment and products on Ghad before importing, and the shipment is declared through Fasah. We supply the batch documents the file draws on; we do not file.
How early must the Fasah declaration be filed?
No later than 48 hours before the shipment reaches the port of entry, according to the ITA guide, last published 11 May 2026. Your importer or broker confirms the current rule. Send your importer a draft invoice well ahead of that.
Can the SFDA take samples, and who pays for the analysis?
The SFDA may take samples from a consignment, and the analysis is at the importer's expense, under Article 27 of the Saudi food law as the clearance text cites it. A sample is within the authority's rights; what it costs you is time if the batch records do not agree.
How long must the customs documents be kept?
The importer keeps the original documents for five years, according to the SFDA text. Keep your own set of the invoice, Certificate of Analysis and specification for each batch as well.
Who issues the marketing certificate from the country of origin?
Your importer confirms which body issues it and what it covers. The SFDA text asks for a marketing certificate from the country of origin for dietary supplements; ask your importer early, because it may be needed before the shipment leaves.
Do you give a Certificate of Analysis with every batch?
Yes. A Certificate of Analysis and the product specification come with every batch, and copies of the plant's certificates, with their numbers, on request. Where the country of sale asks for documents to be legalised, legalisation is arranged as well.
Do you register the product with the SFDA for me?
No. Registration is filed by the brand owner, your importer or a local applicant in Saudi Arabia, and we neither file nor promise an approval. We supply the documents, the printed carton and the batch records.
Does the carton need Arabic text for customs?
The SFDA language rule asks for Arabic, with any other language alongside it identical in content. The plant lays out and prints the carton to the label rules of your market, which your importer confirms, or prints your own artwork.
Read more
Middle East · Export documents · Supplement manufacturer for distributors · Lead times · Quality and batch documents · Halal supplements · Arabic and French packaging
Ask about the file for your shipment
Tell us the product, the batch you plan to ship and the documents your importer has asked for. We answer within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
For tablets and capsules in a blister, a run starts from 2,000 cartons printed for your brand, at least 4,000 blisters, with a ready-made formula or your own, and production takes 6 to 10 weeks before shipping. Each carton holds 1 to 4 blisters, and the lidding foil is printed for your brand.
Request a quote → Email sales@hyperpharm.eu
Sources
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Operations Sector: Conditions and Requirements for Food Clearance, the version published on sfda.gov.sa: Fasah, Ghad, general documents, invoice content, marketing certificate and halal evidence for dietary supplements, samples under Article 27, five-year retention. sfda.gov.sa. Checked 14 October 2026.
- US International Trade Administration: Saudi Arabia, Import Requirements and Documentation (Country Commercial Guide), last published 11 May 2026; declaration on Fasah no later than 48 hours before arrival. trade.gov. Checked 14 October 2026.
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority: FAQ on the language of food labels (SFDA.FD/GSO 9), answer updated 18 July 2024. sfda.gov.sa. Checked 14 October 2026.
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Food Sector: Guide to Pre-registration Evaluation for Food Products (file of July 2024): Pharmaceutical GMP Certificate or equivalent for tablets and other pharmaceutical forms. sfda.gov.sa. Checked 9 October 2026.
- US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards, Country Report, Saudi Arabia, SA2023-0004, 26 July 2023. Written for food. Copy on agriexchange.apeda.gov.in. Checked 14 October 2026.
- International Chamber of Commerce: Incoterms® 2020 rules, overview page. The short summary of EXW, FCA and DAP is ours. iccwbo.org. Checked 9 October 2026.