Car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Syria is possible today in specific cases only: a brand-new car whose model year is within the last two years, or a Syrian expatriate’s own car brought in on temporary entry. Used cars are not currently accepted into Syria for local use. For eligible cars, Gulf International Shipping carries the vehicle on an enclosed or open carrier through Jordan to Nassib, from SAR 3,220 for a sedan, SAR 4,140 for an SUV and SAR 5,520 for a luxury car, reaching Damascus in 4–11 working days depending on the loading city.
We open with this plain statement because most of the car questions we receive come from outdated information or misleading adverts. Some pages still say Syria accepts cars up to five or ten years old, and posts circulate about bringing in older models for a small fee. None of that applies now. This guide explains what is actually allowed, what duty you pay and how we ship an eligible car step by step, so you never pay to move a car that ends up stuck at the border.
At a glance
- Used cars: imports for local use in Syria are currently suspended
- New cars: accepted when the model year is one of the last two, per the import decision in force
- Customs duty: about 20% for conventional cars and 10% for fully electric cars under the current tariff
- Expatriate’s car: temporary entry for a set period, with no sale or lending, on conditions checked before travel
- Motorcycles: banned in every form, new or used
- Price: sedan from SAR 3,220, SUV from SAR 4,140, luxury from SAR 5,520
- Transit time: from Tabuk 4–7 working days, Riyadh and Jeddah 7–10, Dammam 8–11
Route: loading city → Al-Haditha (or Halat Ammar for the west) → across Jordan → Jaber → car switched at Nassib → your Syrian city · 0568829975
Can I ship a used car from Saudi Arabia to Syria?
Not for local use. Syria’s Ministry of Economy suspended imports of used passenger cars, and no decision has reopened them. A used car bought in the Kingdom therefore cannot be registered or sold in Syria, whatever its condition or model. Used cars were later allowed into showrooms inside Syrian free zones only, with the investor pledging not to sell or register them on the local market. That is a commercial route for investors, not for individuals.
Beware of “older models for a small fee” rumours
Posts have claimed that used cars from certain model years can enter for a flat fee. Syrian officials denied any such decision and the notice was shown to be fabricated. Do not buy a car to ship on the strength of a social-media post; ask us before taking any step.
If your car is used and you want it in Syria, the only route open is temporary entry, provided you are an expatriate who meets the conditions, explained below. If you want to sell it, selling in the Kingdom and buying an eligible new car is far safer than any gamble.
Which vehicles does Syria accept at present?
Note: these rules follow the import decisions in force and can change, so we recheck them for every booking before loading.
Temporary entry for a Syrian expatriate’s car
Temporary entry means the car goes into Syria for a fixed period and then leaves, without being imported or registered there. It suits a Syrian living in the Kingdom who wants their own car during a long holiday or family visit. According to the latest rules published on the Syrian customs website:
- Period: up to 6 months for a Syrian expatriate’s car under the unified Arab passage booklet, and up to 8 months for cars owned by Saudi nationals
- Residence abroad: the beneficiary must live outside Syria and have spent at least 6 months abroad in the previous year
- Frequency: once a year
- Use: the car may not be sold, given away or lent inside Syria
- Fees: entry fees are set by the authority, and have at times been waived for certain seasons
These rules have been published for some time, so we verify them before each shipment. On the Saudi side, a car leaving temporarily needs temporary-exit papers from the relevant authority, and we guide you according to your case. Many expatriates drive to Syria themselves, but anyone who would rather not drive 1,600 km or more, or who is flying with their family, prefers us to carry the car and hand it over ready to use.
How we ship the car: enclosed or open carrier
Pickup is from your home or any address you name; there we inspect and photograph it from every side with you present, and record the mileage, fuel level and any existing marks. We then put on a protective cover, winch it onto the carrier rather than driving it up the ramp in a hurry, and strap each wheel with wide tie-downs.
At Nassib the same rule applies to a car carrier as to every Saudi truck: it does not enter Syrian territory. The car is therefore moved in the customs yard to a Syrian carrier that completes the trip to your city, or, on temporary entry, you can take it over at the crossing and drive on yourself. We settle the option before loading, and our representative oversees the transfer so the car is only lowered and lifted the right way. Yard layout and opening hours are covered in our Nassib border crossing guide in more depth.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to Syria?
Our car prices are based on what shipping companies publish for Jeddah to Syria, the only city where we found published car rates, and we set ours below them. In each row the lower number is our opening rate and the higher one is what the move typically reaches with longer distance or an enclosed carrier.
Note: road transport of a car takes about 4–7 working days from Tabuk, 7–10 from Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Taif, and 8–11 from Dammam to Damascus.
The price covers collection, covering, securing, haulage to Nassib and coordinating the transfer. It excludes Syrian customs duty and temporary-entry fees, which are paid to the authorities according to the car’s case. Cover is optional, from 0.9% of the car’s value, and well worth it on a new or high-end vehicle. Shipping furniture alongside the car? Our shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Syria page lists each city’s rates.
How long does car shipping to Syria take from each city?
Beyond Damascus, allow one or two more days for Homs or Hama, two or three for Aleppo and the coast, and three or four for the northeast. Queues at Jaber and Nassib and the pace of clearance can stretch any of these.
Customs duty on cars in Syria
Under the unified customs tariff now in force, a conventional passenger car pays duty of about 20% of its customs value and a fully electric car about 10%. Other fees and taxes may apply under Syrian rules. A rough illustration only: a new car with a customs value of SAR 80,000 would pay about SAR 16,000 in duty, or about SAR 8,000 if fully electric, before any other charges.
A duty rate does not make a car admissible
A tariff rate for a type of car does not mean every car of that type may enter. The model-year rule comes first; duty is then calculated only on cars that are accepted.
A car is not part of a returning Syrian’s household-goods relief, so even someone whose furniture comes in duty-free pays the full duty on a new car. Relief on furniture itself is set out in Syria used household goods customs with the permitted quantities.
Exporting the car from Saudi Arabia: Absher and Fasah
Before the car heads for the border, its papers must be in order in the Kingdom. These are the main points we check with you:
- Traffic fines: settle any fines recorded against the car and the owner
- Finance: a financed or mortgaged car needs the lien released or the lender’s consent
- Export document: issued through Absher for a car leaving permanently, or temporary-exit papers for a car that will return
- Insurance and inspection: valid insurance and an unexpired registration
- Customs declaration: filed by us on the Fasah platform together with the truck’s border slot
How to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to Syria with Gulf International Shipping
- 1Check eligibility
send us the make, model year and purpose, new car or temporary entry, by WhatsApp on 0568829975. - 2Get the quote
we set the carrier type, loading city and Syrian city, and send you the price and timing. - 3Prepare the papers
registration, ID, export document or temporary-exit papers, and any fines settled. - 4Inspection and loading
we photograph, cover, winch and strap the car onto the carrier. - 5Crossing and transfer
the carrier clears the Saudi post and Jordan to Jaber, and the car is transferred at Nassib under our supervision. - 6Handover
we deliver the car in your city or at the crossing as agreed, and you inspect it with our agent.
Documents required to ship a car to Syria
Air freight for car keys, papers and spare parts
The car itself does not fly on this route, but many customers need to send a spare key, original documents or an urgent part before the carrier arrives. For these we use nonstop services linking Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam with Damascus according to the airline schedule. Air freight starts from SAR 23 per kg, a 10 kg parcel from SAR 230, delivered in 3–5 days. For flight days and weight rules, open our air freight from Saudi Arabia to Syria page.
Can the car travel with my furniture in one shipment?
We can schedule both for the same date, though the two never share a box: the car rides a proper car transporter and the furniture a closed truck, so neither damages the other. The paperwork is separate too: used furniture may qualify for returnee relief, the car does not. We time both to reach your city within a few days of each other. Our furniture moving from Saudi Arabia to Syria page covers furniture packing step by step.
Motorcycles and spare parts
Motorcycles of every type are banned from entering Syria, new or used, and we do not accept them, even dismantled inside a furniture load. Car spare parts, tyres and accessories ship as ordinary goods, per kg for small quantities or as part of a commercial load, and pay duty by tariff line. Traders need a commercial invoice and certificate of origin. Parts traders should read our land freight from Saudi Arabia to Syria page on commercial loads.
Receiving your car in Damascus, Aleppo and other Syrian cities
We deliver cars to Damascus and its countryside, Daraa and Sweida near Nassib, Homs and Hama, Aleppo about 362 km beyond Damascus, Latakia and Tartus on the coast, and Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah and Qamishli in the northeast. On arrival the driver lowers the car in front of you, we remove the cover, you compare it against the loading photos and then sign for it.
When a temporary-entry period ends, the car must leave Syria before it expires. You can drive it back, or we can carry it from your city to the crossing and on to the Kingdom by carrier, along the same route in reverse.
Is there sea freight for cars to Syria?
You will see adverts for cars by sea to Latakia or Tartus, yet we know of no regular direct sailing from Jeddah to a Syrian port. Commercial containers can go by sea with a vessel change on request, but every car we handle travels by road through Jordan, which is faster and simpler on paperwork.
Costly mistakes when shipping a car to Syria
- Buying a used car to ship: it cannot be registered in Syria and becomes a burden
- Relying on old web pages: the age rules have changed; what was allowed before is not now
- Ignoring fines or a lien: the car will not clear the Saudi border post until they are settled
- Leaving belongings inside the car: personal items in the cabin slow inspection and may be held
- Missing the temporary-entry deadline: overstaying exposes you to fines and customs problems
Why Gulf International Shipping for your car?
We say “no” when we must
we will not take a car we know will be refused, or charge for a wasted trip.
Winch and straps, not a rushed ramp
calm loading, every wheel secured, full cover.
Supervised transfer
our representative at Nassib watches the car move to the Syrian carrier.
From SAR 3,220
below published market rates for a sedan, with optional insurance.
Check your car’s eligibility before shipping
Tell us the make, model year, loading city and Syrian address; we reply with a yes or no and the cost.
Related Syria guides
- Shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Syria for everything about the route
- By city: Dammam to Syria for the east, shipping from Riyadh to Syria for the centre and Jeddah to Syria for the west
- Shipping from Tabuk to Syria: the nearest Saudi city to Syria
- Nassib border crossing guide
- To book: request a quote or browse our car shipping service and customs clearance
