Car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon is open to left-hand-drive passenger cars no older than 8 years, the rule Lebanon applies to imports. Gulf International Shipping loads the car on an enclosed or open carrier in your city, takes it to the Saudi border at Al-Haditha or Halat Ammar, runs through Jordan as transit cargo to Jaber, moves it at Nassib onto a carrier licensed to cross Syria, and brings it into Lebanon through Masnaa. Prices start at SAR 2,300 for a small car on a shared carrier, SAR 3,680 for a large car or 4×4, and SAR 4,140 for a flatbed carrying your car alone. Count on 5–8 working days if the car leaves Tabuk, and about 8–12 if it leaves Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam.
Most car questions we get about Lebanon start with the price, but the first question should be: will Lebanon accept my car at all? Plenty of adverts quote car shipping rates without mentioning the age limit, so the customer pays for transport and then finds the car cannot enter. This guide starts with the rules, then covers cost and duties, the paperwork in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, and finally the route, timing and handover, so you decide with the whole picture in front of you.
At a glance
- Car age: passenger cars up to 8 years old, transport vehicles up to 5 years old
- Steering: left-hand drive only; right-hand-drive cars are refused
- Price: SAR 2,300 for a small car, SAR 3,680 for a large one, SAR 4,140 for a flatbed of your own (starting rates)
- Transit time: Tabuk 5–8 working days · Madinah 7–10 · Riyadh, Qassim and the west 8–12 · Dammam 9–12
- Charges in Lebanon: customs duty, consumption tax and 11% VAT, all based on the car’s valuation and age
- Saudi export: vehicle export issued through Absher and a customs declaration on Fasah, once fines are paid
- Route: carrier through Jordan in transit, transfer at Nassib to a licensed carrier, then Masnaa
Route: your city → Al-Haditha or Halat Ammar → Jordan → Jaber → Nassib → Jdeidet Yabous → Masnaa → Lebanon · 0568829975
Which cars does Lebanon accept? The 8-year rule and left-hand drive
Lebanon lists passenger cars more than 8 years old among the goods it does not allow to be imported, and it bars transport vehicles more than 5 years old as well. Right-hand-drive cars are not accepted either. That rarely affects Saudi cars, which are left-hand drive, but it matters if you bought an import from a country that drives on the left. So before any talk of price we ask for the year of manufacture, and we check it against a photo of the registration card.
Note: these rules come from Lebanon’s current list of prohibited imports; and we check them again for each booking because rules can change.
How do you know whether your car is inside the limit? Take the manufacturing year printed on your istimara and count forward. If the car is right on the edge, say in its eighth year, do not rely on your own sum: we check the case with a clearing agent in Lebanon before booking, because the trip can take two weeks and a car that qualified on loading day still has to qualify on arrival.
Do not buy a car to ship before checking
If you are thinking of buying a car in the Kingdom to take to Lebanon, check its year of manufacture, its steering side and that there is no lien on it before you pay. A car over 8 years old will not get in, and bringing it back from the border means paying for the road twice.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon?
The cost depends on the size of the car and how it travels. On a shared carrier your car rides with others on one trip, so the cost of the road is split, but it waits for the carrier to fill. A dedicated flatbed carries your car alone and leaves on your date. These are Gulf International Shipping’s prices, each below the lowest figure competitors publish for the same service:
Note: expect 5–8 working days for a car loaded in Tabuk, 8–12 for the western and central cities and 9–12 for the Eastern Province; a shared carrier may add a few days while it fills.
Why the gap between a shared carrier and a dedicated flatbed? A large carrier holds several cars and spreads the fuel, driver and crossing costs across them, while a flatbed covers the whole road for one car. We suggest a shared carrier if you are not tied to a date, and a dedicated flatbed if you need the car by a set day or own a high-value car you would rather see travel alone. The full city-by-city list sits on the shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon page.
Charges in Lebanon: customs duty, consumption tax and VAT
The freight charge is one thing; what you pay the Lebanese state is another. When the car reaches Masnaa, Lebanese customs value it, then customs duty and consumption tax are calculated on that value and VAT is added at 11%. The total varies a lot from one car to another with value, year of manufacture and engine category, so we do not quote a fixed figure. Instead we take the car’s details and send them to the clearing agent for an estimate before you decide to ship.
It is also worth knowing that the used household goods exemption for Lebanese returning for good does not cover cars. If you are bringing your furniture and car back together, the furniture may enter duty-free if you meet the conditions, but the car pays its charges in full. For the household exemption see Lebanon used household goods customs.
Estimate the charges before the freight
For some cars the Lebanese charges are far higher than the cost of shipping. Send us a photo of the registration card and the rough purchase price, and we will get you an initial estimate before you pay anything.
Temporary entry for a Lebanese resident of Saudi Arabia
If you are Lebanese, live in the Kingdom and want your car during a long holiday in Lebanon, you do not have to import it. Lebanese customs law lets Lebanese living abroad, and foreigners, bring their cars in on temporary entry: the car enters Lebanon for a period set by customs and then leaves, without being registered there or paying full import charges. The period and conditions are set by Lebanese customs case by case, so we confirm them with you before you travel.
As for Saudi Arabia, a car that is only going away for a while and will return is not exported for good; it leaves under a temporary-admission document issued by the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority. The difference matters: a final export cancels the car’s Saudi registration, while a temporary exit keeps it registered so you can drive it back. Tell us at the start whether the car is coming back or staying, so we prepare the right papers.
Final export from the Kingdom through Absher and Fasah
If the car is staying in Lebanon, it needs a final export from the Kingdom. That happens in two stages: the electronic vehicle export service on Absher, then the customs declaration on the Fasah platform, which we handle. Before either, a few conditions have to be met or the export stalls:
- All traffic fines paid, as the service will not complete with fines outstanding.
- Any lien released if a bank or finance house still holds one, or its written consent obtained.
- Valid registration and insurance up to the day the car leaves.
- Matching chassis number between the registration card and the car itself.
- A valid power of attorney if someone other than the owner hands the car over.
Once the export is issued we collect the car with its papers, file its declaration on Fasah and book the truck’s crossing slot at the border.
How does the car travel from your city to Lebanon?
We load the car on an enclosed carrier that shields it from dust, sun and flying grit on the long desert road, which is what we recommend for new and luxury cars, or on a cheaper open carrier that suits everyday cars. Either way the wheels are held by straps and chocks, the car is photographed from every side before it goes on, and the odometer reading is recorded.
Carriers from Riyadh, Dammam and Qassim head for Al-Haditha, and from Tabuk, Madinah, Jeddah and Makkah usually for Halat Ammar, then cross Jordan as transit cargo up to Jaber. The Saudi carrier’s trip ends at Nassib, because Syria does not currently admit Saudi trucks; the car is moved onto a carrier licensed to cross Syrian territory, which takes it to Jdeidet Yabous and on to Masnaa. Our team supervises the transfer and photographs the car again afterwards, so you know its condition at every stage. For what happens at the crossings in detail, read the Masnaa border crossing guide.
How long does car shipping to Lebanon take from each city?
Timing runs from the moment the car is loaded. The Absher export and the paperwork come first, and usually take a few days if the car is free of fines and liens.
Note: approximate; Mount Lebanon, Keserwan and Jbeil take a day longer, the northern and southern regions up to two days longer, and border queues can stretch any of them.
Shipping your car to Lebanon, step by step
- 1Send the registration card
we check the year of manufacture, steering side and vehicle category, and tell you straight away whether it meets Lebanon’s rules. - 2Estimate the Lebanese charges
we get an initial estimate of duty and tax from the clearing agent before you commit. - 3Choose carrier and date
shared or dedicated, enclosed or open, and we fix the collection day. - 4Complete the Absher export
after paying fines and releasing any lien, or request temporary entry if the car is coming back. - 5Collection and records
we photograph the car from every side, log the odometer and secure it on the carrier. - 6Crossing and the Nassib transfer
exit via Al-Haditha or Halat Ammar, transit through Jordan, then the supervised move to a licensed carrier at Nassib. - 7Clearance and handover
we lodge the papers at Masnaa, you pay the assessed charges, and we hand you the car in your town.
Documents required to ship a car to Lebanon
Receiving and registering the car in Lebanon
After clearance at Masnaa and payment of the assessed charges, we hand over the car in the Bekaa, Beirut or any Lebanese area you choose, on the same carrier right to your door if the road allows. The cover comes off in your presence, we check the bodywork against the departure photos, and you get the key and papers. The car is then registered and given Lebanese plates at the Traffic, Trucks and Vehicles Management Authority, known locally as the Nafaa, using the papers you receive from customs.
In mountain villages with narrow or steep roads, a large carrier may not reach the door. We tell you in advance, agree a safe handover point nearby, or move the car on a smaller flatbed for the last stretch.
Can the car ship with my furniture in one booking?
Yes, many families returning to Lebanon ship the house and the car together. The car travels on the car carrier and the furniture on the cargo truck, but we time the two to arrive in the same window and keep the paperwork in one file. The one fixed rule: nothing inside the car. No cartons in the boot and no bags on the seats, because personal belongings inside a shipped car are not accepted and slow down inspection. Pack everything in the furniture cartons; the house move itself is covered under furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon.
Air freight for spare parts, papers and the spare key
The car itself is not realistically flown because of the cost, but things linked to it may need speed: original papers for registration, the spare key, or a part the owner needs in Lebanon. Gulf International Shipping flies them to Beirut from SAR 32 per kg, on Middle East Airlines flights departing Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah or Madinah (timings follow the airline’s timetable), with delivery in 3–5 days. Read more under air freight from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon.
Is there sea freight for cars to Lebanon?
Containers do sail from Jeddah Islamic Port to Beirut and Tripoli, mostly carrying commercial cargo in full boxes, and take around 15–25 days door to door. For a single car we use the road because it is faster and needs no container slot. Dealers moving a batch of eligible cars together can ask us to price a container against trucking.
Motorcycles and other vehicles
We do not currently include motorcycles in our Lebanon service, because how they are treated in transit is not settled. If you have an unusual vehicle, such as a camper or a small transport vehicle, send us its details and we will check Lebanon’s rules, including the 5-year limit for transport vehicles, before any booking.
Costly mistakes when shipping a car to Lebanon
- Guessing the car’s age from the model name instead of reading the build year off the istimara.
- Shipping before estimating the Lebanese charges, then finding them higher than expected.
- Leaving belongings inside the car or in its boot.
- Forgetting traffic fines or a lien, so the Absher export stalls on the day.
- Confusing final export with temporary exit, then needing to bring the car back.
- Believing adverts that quote car shipping rates with no mention of the age limit.
- Not photographing the car and recording its condition before handing it over.
Insurance and payment
Insurance in transit is optional and calculated on the car’s declared value; it is worth having for newer or high-value cars, so request a quote on WhatsApp. You settle the bill in riyals inside Saudi Arabia, and the price covers collection, securing, transport to Lebanon and supervision of the Nassib transfer. Lebanese customs duty and tax are paid to the state at clearance.
Why Gulf International Shipping for your car to Lebanon?
Rules first
age and steering checked before booking, so no fee is wasted on a car Lebanon would refuse.
Enclosed and open carriers
strapped and chocked, photographed before loading and after the Nassib transfer.
Paperwork on both sides
we handle Fasah and work with the clearing agent at Masnaa on a duty estimate.
Below published prices
small cars from SAR 2,300 and a dedicated flatbed from SAR 4,140.
Is your car eligible for Lebanon?
Send the registration card and where you live; we reply with the rules, the cost and a loading date.
Related Lebanon guides
- shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon and furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon
- From the cities: Riyadh to Lebanon, Jeddah to Lebanon, Dammam to Lebanon and Tabuk to Lebanon
- Makkah to Lebanon, Madinah to Lebanon and Taif to Lebanon
- shipping prices to Lebanon, Masnaa border crossing and air freight to Lebanon
- car shipping service, customs clearance and all destinations
