Car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain happens on land only, across the King Fahd Causeway, using a multi-car carrier, a single-car hydraulic flatbed or a closed transporter; a Riyadh car is delivered within one to two days and a Dammam car normally on the day it is loaded. Gulf International Shipping prices a sedan from SAR 780 on a multi-car carrier or SAR 1,100 on its own flatbed; SUVs begin at SAR 1,190 and luxury cars, carried in a closed box, at SAR 1,840. As a rule Bahrain takes imported cars up to 10 years old, and a car not cleared within the GCC pays 5% duty followed by 10% VAT.
Price is not the first question when you ship a car to Bahrain. The first question is whether the car will be registered and stay there, or come back to the Kingdom after a while. The answer decides which papers Saudi traffic will ask for, what you will pay at Bahraini customs and whether the car needs Bahraini plates. So this guide follows the order we use for the job itself: legal route first, then price and carrier type, then customs and registration, then loading day and handover.
Quick answer
- How it travels: on a car transporter over the King Fahd Causeway, Bahrain’s only land link; we do not use ships
- Price: sedans from SAR 780 on a shared carrier or SAR 1,100 on a private flatbed, SUVs from SAR 1,190, luxury cars from SAR 1,840
- Transit time: Dammam and Khobar cars land within a day; Riyadh takes up to two; Jeddah, Makkah, Taif and Madinah need 3–5 working days; Tabuk about 4–6
- Car age: the usual Bahraini ceiling is 10 years from the model year; classics need advance approval
- Bahrain charges: 5% duty first, then 10% VAT on the duty-inclusive value, unless the car qualifies for GCC clearing
- Registration: at Bahraini traffic after a technical inspection, with a year of insurance and the Saudi export or customs certificate
Every route: loading city → Eastern Province → the bridge → Bahrain · Sedans from SAR 780 · 0568829975
Final export or temporary entry? Settle your car’s route first
Final export means the car leaves the Saudi traffic register for good and is registered in Bahrain on Bahraini plates. It is what you need if you have moved to Bahrain to live and work, sold the car to a buyer in Bahrain, or trade in used cars. On this route the Saudi registration is cancelled, the car is issued an export certificate and export plates, and the duty is then paid and the car registered in Bahrain.
Temporary entry means the car goes to Bahrain on its Saudi plates and comes back. The registration is not cancelled; the car needs a valid registration card, a valid periodic inspection and insurance that covers Bahrain, usually bought through the JESR app, and a carnet (Triptyk) may be asked for in some cases. Most temporary-entry owners simply drive over, but we ship cars for owners who would rather not, and for show cars, race cars and classics that are not meant for highway driving.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain?
Gulf International Shipping car rates are built on the lowest prices carriers publish in each city for the same type of transporter, then set about 8% below them. Read each range as running from the most compact car in the class up to what a larger car or a special request typically costs. Bahraini duty and VAT are not part of the shipping price, because they are calculated on your car’s value, not on the distance.
Note: once the export papers are done, a car from Dammam or Khobar needs a day at most, one from Riyadh a day or two, one from Jeddah, Makkah, Taif or Madinah 3–5 working days, and one from Tabuk around 4–6 days; bridge traffic can add time.
Car shipping price by loading city
Every road to Bahrain ends in Dammam and then the causeway, so the farther your city, the longer the trip. And because each city has its own published prices, the starting point differs from one city to the next:
The Tabuk figure is high because it is based on the only published Tabuk-to-Bahrain price, which sits far above every other city. A cheaper path for Tabuk owners is to drop the car at our Riyadh or Jeddah loading point and pay that city’s rate instead. It is also worth a WhatsApp message before deciding, as a carrier coming down from the north sometimes has a free slot.
Hydraulic flatbed, shared carrier or enclosed transporter?
An open multi-car carrier stacks several vehicles over two levels. Nothing moves an ordinary car more cheaply, but it sometimes waits for a full load, and the car is exposed to dust and sun for the whole trip. It suits sedans and family cars whose owners do not mind a quick wash on arrival.
A private hydraulic flatbed is booked for your car alone, so it sets off when you are ready. Its deck lowers to ground level, so low cars drive on without scraping the front bumper. We cover the car in a fitted protective sheet and strap it by the wheels, never by the body. This is the option most of our Riyadh and Eastern Province customers choose.
An enclosed transporter seals the car inside a box, away from grit, stone chips and the midday sun. It is a must for luxury, sports and classic cars, and for anyone covering the long road from Jeddah or Tabuk who wants the car to arrive as it left. Prices for this option begin at SAR 1,840.
What will Bahraini customs charge on your car?
A car leaving for good is handled by Bahraini customs like any other import. Duty of 5% is charged on what the car is worth plus the freight, and VAT at 10% is then calculated on that higher figure. Take a car worth SAR 40,000 including freight that has never been cleared within the GCC: duty comes to SAR 2,000, VAT to 10% of SAR 42,000, or SAR 4,200, so roughly SAR 6,200 goes to customs. None of that is part of what you pay us for the transport.
If duty was already paid when the car first came into Saudi Arabia, Bahrain may waive its own duty on production of the documents issued where the car first entered the Gulf; people call this GCC clearing. Whether it applies depends on the car’s entry date and documents, so we look through yours before booking and tell you if it qualifies.
Will Bahrain accept your car?
The rule generally applied is that an imported car may be at most 10 years old, while classics can come in with written permission obtained in advance. Expect to need a left-hand-drive, GCC-spec vehicle. You may still see a 5-year limit in older guides; that rule has since been relaxed. We vet your car up front so it is not refused at the border.
For duty and VAT on furniture and goods, see Bahrain used household goods customs.
Export papers on the Saudi side
The Saudi paperwork is what holds up most car shipments, because some of it, such as a lien release, takes days. Have it ready before you book the carrier:
- Owner’s ID or iqama and the original registration card.
- A valid periodic inspection before the export certificate is issued.
- All traffic fines paid, since no export certificate is issued with fines outstanding.
- Export certificate and export plates from traffic, requested online.
- An Absher e-authorisation if the shipping company handles the formalities or the driver is not the owner.
- The bank’s release letter for a car still under finance, confirming it may leave the country.
- An export declaration on Fasah, which we prepare before the carrier reaches the causeway.
Registering the car in Bahrain after arrival
Once customs releases the car, it is registered by the General Directorate of Traffic under the Ministry of Interior, through the service for vehicles brought in from GCC states. Bahrain’s national portal lists a registration form signed by the owner, the owner’s identity card, a policy covering twelve months, the customs certificate and, for a car arriving from Saudi Arabia, any one of a detailed report, a customs certificate or the final export certificate; the car must also pass technical inspection. Expect the process to take one working day with an appointment, with official fees between BD 29.5 and BD 1,096 depending on the service.
A practical tip: the Saudi export certificate you obtained before shipping is the same paper Bahraini traffic will ask for, so keep the original with you and never leave it inside the car being shipped.
Electric cars, classics and vans
Electric cars: they travel on a flatbed or inside a closed transporter with the battery around half full, with systems that can drain the battery switched off for the causeway wait. They start from SAR 1,380 from Jeddah; Riyadh and Eastern Province rates are set by weight and size.
Classics: they need an enclosed carrier and Bahraini prior approval because they exceed the age limit, so do not book transport before the approval is issued.
Vans and light trucks: they need a longer dedicated flatbed and start from SAR 1,650 from Jeddah. If the van is commercially registered, the Bahraini side may ask for extra business papers.
Preparing the car for loading day
- A quarter of a tank is plenty to drive on and off the deck; there is no need to fill up.
- Empty the car of personal items; they are searched and can delay clearance, so ship them separately.
- Take your own pictures of every panel and the mileage reading; our team does the same at pickup and at delivery.
- Remove detachable extras such as bike racks and roof boxes.
- Give us one key and keep the spare and the original papers with you.
Can a car be shipped to Bahrain by air?
Realistically, no. Trucking it over the bridge costs a fraction of air and gets a Riyadh car there in a day or two. What car owners do send by air are the small, urgent bits: the spare key, a part, an original document that got left behind. We fly these from SAR 13.8 per kg on the next flight into Bahrain International Airport, and they reach the owner within a day or two. Flight details are in air freight from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain.
Delivery in Bahrain
We hand the car over at your home or workplace anywhere in Bahrain: Manama, Seef and Juffair; Muharraq, Amwaj and Diyar Al Muharraq; Riffa, Isa Town and Awali; Hamad Town, Budaiya and Saar. On a final export we can deliver straight to the technical inspection yard to save you a trip, by arrangement. At handover we take the cover off in front of you, and you compare the car with the loading photos before signing.
Your car’s journey to Bahrain, step by step
- 1Choose the route
Final export or temporary entry? Tell us on WhatsApp 0568829975 with the model, year and your city. - 2We check acceptance
We review the car’s age, spec and papers and give you a rough idea of Bahraini charges. - 3Prepare the export papers
Export certificate and plates, fines settled, lien released if any. - 4Pick the carrier and the date
Shared, private flatbed or enclosed; we book the Fasah slot for the crossing. - 5Loading and crossing
We cover, strap and photograph the car; it crosses the causeway while we follow clearance on both sides. - 6Handover and registration
We deliver to your door or the inspection yard, and you complete registration with Bahraini traffic.
Mistakes that cost car owners shipping to Bahrain
- Shipping a car older than 10 years for registration without prior approval, only to have it refused.
- Booking the carrier before paying fines, so the export certificate is not issued and the job slips.
- Leaving the export certificate in the car when Bahraini traffic will ask for it.
- Filling the car with belongings to save on shipping them, which triggers a search and delay.
- Sending a high-value car on an open deck for the long haul from Jeddah or Tabuk.
What you get with Gulf International Shipping
We check before we ship
Age, spec and GCC-clearing eligibility before you book.
Three carrier types
Shared, hydraulic flatbed or enclosed, matched to your car.
Strapped by the wheels
Wheel straps and a fitted cover, never ties on the body.
Photo handover
Photos at loading and delivery so you can compare condition.
Your car reaches Bahrain covered and secured
Message us the make, model year and where the car is, and we will suggest a carrier and send the price with a paperwork checklist.
Related guides
- Shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain
- Shipping from Riyadh to Bahrain
- Land freight from Dammam to Bahrain
- Shipping from Jeddah to Bahrain
- Shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain
- King Fahd Causeway truck shipping guide
- Bahrain used household goods customs
- Car shipping service
- Customs clearance service
- All shipping destinations from Saudi Arabia
