Article 70 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 70 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الثاني: البضائع العابرة (ترانزيت
Transit operations are permitted only at customs departments licensed for them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يسمح بإجراء عمليات العبور (الترانزيت) إلا في الدوائر الجمركية المرخص لها بذلك.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 70 explained in plain English
This article restricts where transit operations may be carried out: they are permitted only at customs departments licensed for them.
What the provision means:
- Not every customs department is qualified to carry out transit operations.
- The department must be licensed for this type of operation specifically.
- A customs department, under the law's definitions, is the area the Minister designates at each port, crossing or other place that has an Administration center, where all or some of the customs procedures are licensed to be completed; some departments may therefore be licensed for procedures and others not.
The article does not name these departments or the body that licenses them, so learning them requires consulting Customs. The practical effect is that a carrier who wants to cross the State's territory with a transit shipment must enter and leave through departments licensed for these operations.
Article 69 permits transit under the laws and agreements in force, subject to Article 67. Article 71 adds that transit transport takes place on the designated routes and at the carrier's responsibility under the Director General's instructions, with the routes and conditions set by decision of the Minister or the competent authority. Anyone who faces a violation in a transit operation would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in customs and commercial matters.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 70 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Can transit be carried out through any customs crossing?
No. Transit operations are permitted only at customs departments licensed for them.
How do I find out which crossings are licensed for transit?
The article does not specify them; one refers to Customs for that.
More articles on Suspended Customs Regimes and Transit
- Article 67
Goods may be brought in and moved to another place within the State without paying customs duties, provided a cash deposit or bank guarantee equal to those duties is given under the Director General's instructions.
يجوز إدخال البضائع ونقلها إلى أي مكان آخر داخل الدولة دون تأدية الضرائب "الرسوم" الجمركية، بشرط تقديم كفالة نقدية أو ضمان مصرفي يعادل ما يترتب عليها من ضرائب "ر
- Article 68
Cash deposits, bank guarantees and undertakings given to Customs are released on the basis of discharge certificates, under the conditions set by the Director General.
يفرج عن الكفالات النقدية والضمانات المصرفية والتعهدات استنادا إلى شهادات الإبراء وفق الشروط التي يحددها المدير العام.
- Article 69
Transit of goods across the territory of the GCC states is permitted under the laws and international agreements in force, subject to Article 67 and the GCC Unified Economic Agreement.
مع مراعاة المادة (67) من هذا النظام "القانون" وأحكام الاتفاقية الاقتصادية الموحدة لدول المجلس، يسمح بعبور البضائع (ترانزيت) لأراضي دول المجلس وفق أحكام الأنظمة
- Article 71
Transit is carried on the designated routes by various means of transport, at the carrier's responsibility under the Director General's instructions, and the routes and conditions of transport are set by decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
مع مراعاة أحكام الاتفاقيات الإقليمية والدولية النافذة ، يتم نقل البضائع بالعبور (ترانزيت) على الطرق المعينة، وبمختلف وسائط النقل وعلى مسؤولية الناقل وفق التعليم
- Article 72Amended by M/124
When goods are transferred from one customs department to another, interested parties may be exempted from submitting a detailed customs declaration at the entry center, and the transfer is made under the documents and conditions set by the Director General.
يجوز في حالة النقل من دائرة جمركية إلى أخرى إعفاء أصحاب العلاقة من تقديم بيان جمركي تفصيلي في مركز الدخول، وتتم الإحالة وفق المستندات والشروط التي يحددها المدير
- Article 73
The Minister or the competent authority issues the decisions needed to regulate the suspension of customs duties on all other types of transport by way of transit.
يصدر الوزير أو الجهة المختصة القرارات اللازمة لتنظيم تعليق الضرائب "الرسوم" الجمركية على جميع أنواع النقل بطريق العبور (الترانزيت) الأخرى.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.