Car Shipping Company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium 0552803439 | RoRo & Container Car Transport to Zeebrugge and Antwerp

Home Safe is a car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium that collects your car from your city in the Kingdom, sails it from Jeddah Islamic Port to Zeebrugge or Antwerp, and then delivers it to your address in Brussels or any Belgian city. The sailing takes 14 to 20 days, and the door-to-door time is 24 to 35 days depending on the method. A running saloon by RoRo starts from SAR 2,800, a 4×4 is priced by its dimensions, and the container and air freight are priced on request. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide42ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium?
2. Services of a car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium for individuals, companies and embassies
3. The route of the ship and the transit time for a car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium
4. RoRo car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Zeebrugge and Antwerp
5. Car shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Belgium by type of car
6. The price from the cities of the Kingdom: how does the car reach the port?
7. RoRo or container: which is for your car?
8. Shipping 4x4s and family cars from Saudi Arabia to Belgium inside containers
9. Types of cars we ship to Belgium and the advantages of shipping each type
10. Preparing the car before loading, and its packing
11. Procedures for exporting the car at the Saudi traffic department
12. Belgian customs on the car: the duty, the tax and a worked example
13. Transfer-of-residence relief: when does your car enter Belgium with no duty and no tax?
14. Registering a Saudi car in Belgium: approval, inspection and plates
15. Documents for shipping a car to Belgium, and what is not accepted for shipping
16. Insurance and tracking of the car on the way to Belgium
17. Delivering cars from Saudi Arabia in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent
18. Air freight for cars from Saudi Arabia to Belgium
19. Steps for shipping your car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium
20. Car shipping from Belgium to Saudi Arabia
21. Home Safe’s tips before shipping your car to Belgium
22. How do you choose a car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium?
23. Common mistakes when shipping a car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium
24. Why choose Home Safe as your car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium?
25. Related articles and pages
26. Tags
27. Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Belgium
28. How much does it cost to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium?
29. How long does a car take from Jeddah until it reaches Brussels?
30. Which Belgian port does the car arrive at: Zeebrugge or Antwerp?
31. Which is better for my car: RoRo or a container?
32. How much are the customs duty and the tax on a car in Belgium?
33. Am I exempt from customs if I am moving to live in Belgium?
34. Can a Gulf-specification car be registered in Belgium?
35. Am I allowed to leave personal belongings inside the car?
36. What does the traffic department require before the car leaves the Kingdom?
37. I am in Riyadh or Dammam. How does my car get to the ship?
38. Do you ship a car to Belgium by air, and what does it cost?
39. Can my old car enter the centres of Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent?
40. Can I drive the car from the port to my home in Belgium?
41. Do you ship a car to Luxembourg or northern France by way of Belgium?
42. What is the best time to ship a car to Belgium?

Route: Jeddah → Suez Canal → Mediterranean → Gibraltar → North Sea → Zeebrugge or Antwerp · Methods: RoRo, container, air · Time: 24–35 days by sea, and 3–7 days by air.

Who ships a car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium?

Belgium is a country of institutions: it hosts the headquarters of the European Union and NATO and dozens of international companies, so most of those who ask for this lane are an employee or a diplomat moving to Brussels who does not want to sell the car at a loss and then buy another at a European price. Next comes the Belgian or European resident who has finished a contract in the Kingdom and is going home with the car, then the classic-car enthusiast, then the trader who sends a batch through Antwerp. Each has a method that suits them and a paper to start with:

Car owner	What they ship	Best method	First thing to prepare
Employee moving to Brussels	The family car or a 4×4	RoRo, or a 40ft container with the furniture	Proof of owning the car for 6 months
European resident returning from the Kingdom	The car they have used for years	RoRo to Zeebrugge	The export certificate before the final exit
Diplomat or employee of an international organisation	A private car or a mission car	Private container	The letter of the body and correspondence with Belgian Protocol
Classic-car enthusiast	A restored collector’s car	20ft container	Proof of the year of manufacture and original parts
Trader or showroom	A batch of cars	RoRo group booking or 40ft containers	A list of chassis numbers and the European importer number

Services of a car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium for individuals, companies and embassies

Shipping a car to Europe is not just booking a space on a ship. The car leaves the Saudi traffic register, passes two customs offices, and enters a registration system unlike that of the Kingdom, and between one stage and the next there is a paper whose absence stops the car on the quay and starts the storage charges. That is why we offer the service as one chain from your home to your home:

• Collection: a flatbed from your home or the showroom, then a car carrier to Jeddah Islamic Port.
• Export: checking fines and liens, following up the export certificate, and the customs declaration at the port.
• Sea booking: a space on a RoRo vessel or a 20ft or 40ft container, according to the car.
• Clearance in Belgium: the import declaration or the relief file, and payment of the duty and tax on your behalf at their actual value.
• Delivery: a truck from the port to your address, with the file of papers you need for registration.

The service differs in its details from one client to another. An individual cares about a clear price and someone to explain the tax before it is paid. A company needs a contract, a tax invoice and a single list of chassis numbers. Embassies, consulates and organisations have their own customs path through the Protocol department of the Belgian foreign ministry, so we arrange its papers with the body under its official letters before the car sails.

The general description of the service is on the car shipping page. Anyone shipping furniture, cartons or goods with the car will find what concerns them in the article on shipping from Saudi Arabia to Belgium, as this article is about cars alone.

The route of the ship and the transit time for a car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium

Jeddah Islamic Port lies on the shipping lane between Asia and Europe, and that is what makes it the natural port of exit for a car bound for Belgium. The ship sails up the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, crosses the Mediterranean from east to west, leaves through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Atlantic, and then enters the English Channel and the North Sea as far as the Belgian coast. The distance is about 4,000 nautical miles, and the ship covers it in 14 to 20 days depending on the number of ports it calls at.

Stage	Usual time	What happens in it
Collection and export papers	3–6 days	Moving the car to Jeddah, the export certificate, the condition report
The port yard before sailing	2–5 days	The export declaration, and handing the car in before the vessel cut-off
Sailing from Jeddah to the Belgian coast	14–20 days	Direct, or with a change of vessel at a Mediterranean port
Discharge and clearance at Zeebrugge or Antwerp	3–6 days	Inspection, and payment of the duty or application of the relief
Haul to the address	1–2 days	A car truck to the door or the inspection centre

The time differs between the three methods. RoRo is slightly quicker at the two ports because the car is driven and not unloaded, the container waits its turn under the crane and is then opened in a warehouse, and air cuts the weeks down to days:

Method	Arrival port or airport	Door to door	Suits
RoRo	Mostly Zeebrugge, sometimes Antwerp	24–32 days	A running car
Private 20ft container	Antwerp	25–35 days	Luxury, classic and non-running cars
Air freight	Brussels or Liège	3–7 days	Urgent and high-value cars

What lengthens the time?

• The date of the RoRo vessel: its sailings to northern Europe are fewer than container sailings, so the car may wait for the next ship.
• The shipping line changing its route to the Cape of Good Hope, which adds about two weeks, and we tell you of it before booking.
• A fine or a lien that shows up when the export certificate is requested.
• A relief file not completed before the ship arrives, so the car stays in the port at a daily charge.

There is no practical land route to Belgium, so for us the road serves one stage only, which is moving the car inside the Kingdom to the port. The table of times for the other destinations is on the transit times page.

RoRo car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Zeebrugge and Antwerp

A RoRo vessel is built for cars alone: internal decks joined by ramps, and a stern door that comes down on the quay as a bridge. The port driver drives your car from the yard into the ship uncovered as it is, with no cover and no wrapping, parks it in the place numbered for it, and its wheels are lashed to rings in the deck of the hold. On arrival it leaves the same way. No crane lifts it and no container is opened, which is why it is the cheapest of the sea methods and the one with the least handling.

Zeebrugge is a name known to everyone who works in the car trade. It is a harbour on the North Sea belonging to the city of Bruges, one of the largest ports in the world for handling cars, and it has become a single port with Antwerp under a joint authority. Most RoRo vessels coming from the Red Sea berth there, and some continue to Antwerp.

• The first condition: that the car runs, drives and stops on its brakes. One that does not run goes to the container.
• The cabin: completely empty. RoRo accepts no belongings inside the car, and nobody answers for them if they go missing.
• Fuel: about a quarter of a tank, enough for driving at the two ports and within what the ship allows.
• The key: handed over with the car and kept in it, as the ship’s crew move it when needed.
• After coming off: the car stands in the port yard until customs release it, and is then loaded on a truck to your address.

The order at the Belgian port is fixed: clearance, then delivery. The car does not leave its fence unless it is duty paid, or relieved by a decision, or leaving under a transit document for another country. The method is explained on the RoRo car shipping page.

Car shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Belgium by type of car

Sea freight in RoRo is charged on the volume of the car in cubic metres, that is its length by its width by its height, not on its weight and not on its price. That is why a small saloon pays the least, and the figure rises with a long 4×4 and a van. The container has a fixed rate that is not affected by the size of the car as long as it fits. Our price is written out in items: inland haul, sea freight, charges at the two ports, clearance and delivery. The Belgian duty and tax are outside our fee.

Car and shipping method	Price starts from	Note
Saloon or hatchback by RoRo	SAR 2,800	From Jeddah port to the quay at Zeebrugge or Antwerp
Mid-size family car by RoRo	Set on request	According to dimensions
Large 4×4 or van by RoRo	Set on request	Height above a certain limit moves it into a higher band
Car in a private 20ft container	Set on request	For luxury, classic and non-running cars
Space in a shared 40ft container	Set on request	Two cars share the cost of the container
Pickup or light commercial vehicle	Set on request	RoRo, according to length
Motorcycle	Set on request	In a wooden crate, by sea or air
Air freight for the car	Set on request	By weight and dimensions

Prices quoted in the market: the websites that offer car shipping from the Kingdom to Europe mostly publish no figure for Belgium and settle for the phrase “cheapest cost”. What circulates in advertisements and older articles about this lane is that shipping a small car in a shared container is about SAR 4,500 and in a private container about SAR 6,500, that a large or luxury car is between SAR 7,000 and 9,000, and that air is between SAR 20,000 and 35,000. From neighbouring Gulf ports, container shipping to Antwerp is offered at between USD 2,500 and 3,900 for the twenty and the forty foot. These are figures that shift with freight rates, so always ask what the figure covers: does it include the Belgian port charges, clearance and delivery, or the sea freight alone.

Factor	Its effect on the price
Dimensions of the car	The basis of the charge in RoRo, and every centimetre of height counts
Method	RoRo is cheapest, then the shared container, then the private one, then air
Collection city	The farther from Jeddah, the higher the inland carrier fee
Condition of the car	One that does not run needs a winch and a container
Freight rates	They rise if the route lengthens or demand for vessels grows

How do you cut the cost?

• Ship a running car by RoRo, as the container adds nothing it needs.
• If a container is necessary, accept the shared one, or ship the car with the furniture of your house in a single container.
• Take off the roof rack and the roof box before measuring, as they may bring your car down a whole band.

The general pricing factors are on the pricing factors page.

The price from the cities of the Kingdom: how does the car reach the port?

The sea freight is the same whatever your city, because the ship sails from one place. What differs between Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam is the first stage: the car carrier that takes your car to Jeddah Islamic Port. This stage is priced on request according to the distance, and it is written on a separate line.

Your city	The way to the ship	Approximate distance	Air freight from
Jeddah	From your home straight to Jeddah Islamic Port	Inside the city	King Abdulaziz Airport
Makkah and Taif	A flatbed to the port the same day	About 80 km from Makkah	King Abdulaziz Airport
Riyadh	A car carrier to Jeddah	About 950 km	King Khalid Airport
Dammam, Khobar and Jubail	A carrier to Jeddah, or Dammam port if there is a sailing	About 1,350 km to Jeddah	King Fahd Airport
Madinah	A carrier to Jeddah	About 420 km	Via Jeddah airport
Qassim, Tabuk and Abha	A carrier to Jeddah on a date arranged in advance	Set on request	Via the nearest international airport

A car whose plates have been surrendered is not driven hundreds of kilometres to the port, as the period of the export plates is short and the local insurance will have been cancelled. That is why it travels on a carrier even from the nearby cities. Those who live in the capital or on the west coast will find the details of collection from their district in the two articles car shipping company in Riyadh and car shipping company in Jeddah.

RoRo or container: which is for your car?

The question is settled by three things: whether the car runs, how much it is worth, and whether you are shipping anything else with it. An everyday car that has been on the roads of the Kingdom for years gains nothing from the container that is worth the difference in price. And a car whose paint matters, or whose engine does not turn, belongs in the container.

Point of comparison	RoRo	Private container	Shared container
How it is loaded	Driven up the ramp	Put in and secured in front of you or with photos	Secured with another car, a partition between them
Protection	A closed hold, with the car uncovered inside it	A sealed steel box	A sealed box opened in a warehouse
Belongings with the car	Not accepted	Accepted with a contents list	As agreed
A car that does not run	Not accepted	Pulled in by winch	Pulled in by winch
Cost	The lowest	The highest by sea	Between the two
Arrival port	Zeebrugge or Antwerp	Antwerp	Antwerp

Anyone moving a whole household has a third solution: a 40ft container in which the car is loaded first and secured, then a wooden partition is built in front of it and the furniture is stacked in what remains. The internal measurements are on the container sizes page.

Shipping 4x4s and family cars from Saudi Arabia to Belgium inside containers

What is shipped most from the Kingdom to Belgium inside containers is large 4x4s and three-row family cars, because their owners are families on the move with furniture. The door opening of a standard container is about 2.28 metres high and about 2.34 metres wide, and a 4×4 with a roof rack or with tyres larger than the originals may touch the top sill. If the height is greater, we ask for a high-cube container whose door is about 30 centimetres taller.

• Measuring: we measure the height at the highest point, the width with the mirrors folded, and the length with the rear spare wheel if there is one.
• Wooden chocks: nailed to the floor of the container in front of and behind every wheel, so the car moves neither forward nor back as the ship rolls.
• Straps: four webbing straps that wrap over the tyres and are tightened to the rings of the container, not to the body and not to the suspension arms.
• 20ft container: one car, with a little room left around it for boxes on a list.
• 40ft container: two cars one behind the other, or a car and the furniture of a flat, with a wooden partition between the two loads.
• Before closing: photos of the car secured from both sides, then the door is locked and the seal number is recorded on the bill of lading.

The timber used for securing is heat-treated and stamped with the ISPM 15 mark, which is a European requirement on all raw wood entering with shipments. The full description of the method is on the container car shipping page.

Types of cars we ship to Belgium and the advantages of shipping each type

Before choosing the method we ask four questions about the car: what its model and year of manufacture are, whether it runs, whether its height or width has been modified, and in whose name it will be registered in Belgium. The last answer decides the customs path, and the first three decide its place on the ship. This is what we look at in each category:

Category	Usual shipping method	What we watch for
Private and economy cars	RoRo	That it is worth enough in Belgium to justify its duty and tax
Family cars and 4x4s	RoRo, or a container with the furniture	The height, and the emissions level of a large engine
Luxury and sports cars	Private container, or by air	Ground clearance, and insurance at the agreed value
Classics	20ft container	Proof of age and originality for its tax treatment
Company and fleet cars	RoRo group booking	One list, numbering, and a commercial import declaration
Motorcycles	A wooden crate inside a container	Draining the fuel and disconnecting the battery
Cars that do not run	Container, by winch	That the wheels turn and the steering works

The classic car has a special position: the rule in force is that one more than thirty years old, kept in its original state and of a model no longer in production, may be classed as a collector’s item with a much lighter duty and tax. The classification is the decision of Belgian customs, so we prepare a file for it with photos and confirm what currently applies before shipping.

Preparing the car before loading, and its packing

A car in RoRo is not wrapped because it is driven, and any fabric cover is taken off it at the port gate. In a container it is protected by what holds it, not by what wraps it: chocks and straps, foam guards on the door edges, and a soft cover for a luxury car if requested. What falls to you before the flatbed arrives:

• Wash the car outside and underneath. Cleanliness shows the scratches for the report, and clinging mud may stop it at European plant-health control.
• Empty it of everything, down to the glove box, the seat pockets and the toll-gate tag.
• Leave a quarter of a tank for RoRo, and less than that for the container and air.
• Check the battery, the tyres and the brakes, as the car will be driven at two ports without you being present.
• Photograph the odometer, the four sides, the roof and the cabin, and keep the photos until delivery.

The details with pictures are in the car shipping guide.

Procedures for exporting the car at the Saudi traffic department

Saudi customs at the port do not accept a registered car unless it comes with proof that the traffic department has removed it from its register. That proof is the export certificate, and it is issued after the plates are handed in. The request is made by the owner named on the registration card or by an agent. Part of the procedure is available online and part requires a visit to the traffic department, and what is available of each changes, so we confirm to you the method in force on the day you ask and do not promise you steps we have not checked.

Step	What is required	Note
Checking the record	Payment of every fine on the car and its owner	Some fines are entered days after they occur
Releasing the lien	A clearance from the bank or the finance company	The longest wait in the file, so begin with it
The export request	A valid registration card, ID or residence permit, and passport	And for an agent, a power of attorney that mentions export expressly
Handing in the plates	The two plates and the registration card	Temporary export plates are issued for a set period
The export certificate	Payment of the set fee	Its original travels with the file of the car to Belgium

The most important thing in this sequence is its timing. Do not surrender the plates before the place of the car on the ship is confirmed, as the period that follows the surrender is short, and a car without permanent plates does not go on the road. A resident intending a final exit completes the export of the car first, as the rule in force is that the visa is not issued while a vehicle is in their name.

Belgian customs on the car: the duty, the tax and a worked example

Belgium applies the common customs tariff of the European Union. A car coming from outside the Union is charged a duty of 10% calculated on its value plus the freight and insurance as far as the port, then value added tax of 21% on the value and the duty together. The value that customs adopt is the purchase invoice if it is recent, and otherwise they assess it by the price of similar cars in the market.

Item	The rule in force	What we do before shipping
Customs duty	10% on the value with freight and insurance	We estimate the value customs are expected to adopt
Value added tax	21% on the value and the duty	We work it out with you on the same figure
Those moving residence	Relieved of both on conditions	We check your eligibility and prepare the file
Proof of clearance	Customs record it electronically with the vehicle registration office	We make sure it shows before the car is handed over

A worked example: a car worth SAR 80,000, with RoRo freight of SAR 2,800, and no relief for its owner.

Item	Calculation	Amount
Value with the freight	80,000 + 2,800	SAR 82,800
Customs duty 10%	82,800 × 10%	SAR 8,280
Value added tax 21%	(82,800 + 8,280) × 21%	SAR 19,127
Total duty and tax	8,280 + 19,127	SAR 27,407

In other words, what is paid to the Belgian treasury comes to about a third of the value of the car, and about ten times its freight, and that is before the registration tax. That is why we say to everyone not covered by the relief: do the sums first, as for some cars selling in the Kingdom and buying a similar one in Belgium is cheaper than shipping. These rates are those in force, and we confirm what applies before shipping. The procedure is explained on the customs clearance page.

Transfer-of-residence relief: when does your car enter Belgium with no duty and no tax?

This relief is the reason that makes shipping the car worthwhile for most clients on this lane. Anyone moving their normal place of residence from outside the European Union to Belgium is entitled to bring in their personal effects, the car among them, without customs duty or value added tax. The file of the car is submitted by prior appointment to the regional customs and excise centre, not to the ordinary office. The conditions in force:

• Your previous residence: at least 12 continuous months outside the European Union, proved by the Saudi residence permit and the employment or tenancy contract.
• Ownership of the car: that it has been in your possession and use for at least 6 months before the date of your departure, proved by the registration card and the insurance.
• The time limit: the car enters within 12 months of your settling in Belgium.
• Entry before you: possible if you undertake to settle within 6 months and lodge a financial security that is refunded later.
• After clearance: the car is not sold, rented, lent or pledged for 12 months, otherwise the duty and tax fall due.

A car you bought two months before travelling in order to benefit from the relief is not covered, as the six-month condition is counted from the date of the registration card. And the relief covers customs and tax only: it does not waive technical approval or the registration tax.

Registering a Saudi car in Belgium: approval, inspection and plates

Clearance brings the car into the country and registration puts it on the road, and between them lies a technical stage that many underestimate. The cars of the Kingdom are built to Gulf specifications and mostly do not carry the European certificate of conformity that is issued with every car sold in the Union. So an individual approval is required for them from the approval body in the region where the car will be registered, and there are three regions, each with its own administration and inspection centres.

Stage	Body	What is required
Proof of clearance	Belgian customs	That the clearance of the car is recorded with the registration office
Individual approval	The approval body in the region	A check of lighting, brakes, emissions and noise, and modifications may be needed
Technical inspection	An approved inspection centre	Inspection of the imported used car before first registration
Insurance	A Belgian insurance company	A third-party liability policy, and the insurer usually sends the registration request
Plates	The vehicle registration office	The plate and the registration certificate arrive by post at your address
Taxes	The region	A registration tax once, and a road tax every year

The registration tax is what surprises the owners of large engines. Flanders calculates it on the emissions of the car, its fuel type and its age, and Wallonia and Brussels calculate it mainly on engine power and the age of the car, and the formulas are amended from year to year. So the tax on an eight-cylinder 4×4 may differ greatly between Ghent and Liège; send your address and the engine details and we will work it out before booking.

Documents for shipping a car to Belgium, and what is not accepted for shipping

The file has two parts: papers that take the car out of the Kingdom, and papers that bring it into Belgium. We ask for copies of both parts from the first day, because a missing Belgian paper found in Jeddah is kinder than one found with the car on the quay at Zeebrugge. The originals travel with the owner or by courier, not inside the car.

Document	Issued by	Required at
The car registration card	Saudi traffic department	The export request, then Belgian registration as the root of title
The export certificate	Saudi traffic department	Jeddah port and Belgian customs
The owner’s passport and Saudi residence permit	The owner	Both customs offices, and the relief file
The purchase invoice or sale contract	The seller	Valuation
The bill of lading	The shipping line	Collecting the car from the port
Belgian municipal registration or housing contract	The municipality of residence	The relief file and registration

And these are cases that delay loading or prevent it until they are dealt with:

• A car with fines or a standing lien: the traffic department issues no export certificate for it.
• Personal belongings inside a RoRo car: they are emptied before the port gate.
• A fuel or oil leak: refused by the ship and by the airline.
• Food, plants or soil in the car or under it: a breach of the European entry rules.
• A car with a chassis number that is unreadable or does not match the registration card: not shipped until its position is corrected.

The general lists are on the two pages shipping documents and prohibited items.

Insurance and tracking of the car on the way to Belgium

On this journey your car passes through at least six parties, between flatbed, carrier, two ports, ship and truck, and each party answers for its own stage only, while the liability of the shipping line is limited by the wording of the bill of lading. What ties these links into one guarantee is marine insurance at the value of the car, together with a condition report proving how it was handed over.

• The condition report: written at your home and repeated in the port yard, and signed by whoever hands over and whoever receives.
• Insurance: optional, covering total loss and damage at sea and in handling, and calculated as a percentage of the declared value.
• What it does not cover: belongings left in the car, and mechanical faults unconnected with an accident.
• Tracking: by the name of the vessel and the bill of lading or container number, with a message from us on sailing, on passing the canal, on arrival and on release.
• On delivery: the consignee compares the car with the report and the photos before signing, and any remark is written on the delivery note itself.

The types of cover are on the cargo insurance page, and the way to follow up is on the shipment tracking page.

Delivering cars from Saudi Arabia in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent

Belgium is one of the smallest countries in Europe by area, and the two ports are on its northern and western edges, so no city in it is more than two and a half hours from one of them. This makes the last stage the shortest of the journey and the least costly. The car is loaded from the port yard on a licensed car truck and comes off in front of your home or at the inspection centre where you have booked your appointment.

City	From Zeebrugge	From Antwerp	Delivery note
Brussels	About 110 km	About 45 km	The streets of the centre are narrow, and the unloading spot is arranged in advance
Antwerp	About 100 km	Inside the city	Delivery mostly on the day of release itself
Ghent	About 60 km	About 60 km	Halfway between the two ports
Bruges	About 15 km	About 95 km	The nearest city to the RoRo quay
Liège	About 210 km	About 130 km	The farthest of the large cities, reached by the truck in a day
Charleroi	About 170 km	About 100 km	Delivered with the cars for Namur and Mons

Handing over the car with its papers is part of the service, not an extra to it. With the key the owner receives an envelope holding the original export certificate, a copy of the bill of lading, the import declaration or the relief decision, and the condition report. These papers are what the approval centre and the insurance company ask for the next day, and without them the car stands in the garage for weeks.

A car bound for Luxembourg, Lille, Aachen or Eindhoven leaves the port under a transit document and is cleared in its own country. The delivery-to-address service is on the door to door page.

Air freight for cars from Saudi Arabia to Belgium

Air is a solution for a specific case, not a cheaper alternative: a luxury car whose owner does not want it to spend a month at sea, a show car with a date at an exhibition in Brussels, or the car of a diplomat who starts the posting next week. It leaves from King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah or King Fahd Airport in Dammam, and arrives at Brussels Airport or Liège Airport, which is one of the largest air cargo hubs in Europe and is linked to the Kingdom by regular cargo flights. The time from hand-over to collection is 3 to 7 days.

• Loading: the car is driven onto a flat metal pallet and lashed to it with straps over the wheels, then the pallet is raised to the door of the cargo aircraft.
• Classification: a car in aviation is dangerous goods because of the fuel and the battery, so a declaration is prepared for it and signed by a certified specialist.
• Fuel and battery: the tank at its minimum, the battery secured with its terminals protected, and electric and hybrid cars have additional conditions that are reviewed with the carrier.
• Dimensions: the height of the car decides which aircraft carries it, as some aircraft do not accept a tall 4×4.
• Delivery: an enclosed truck from the airport to your address in Brussels, Antwerp or elsewhere.
• Price: set on request by weight, dimensions and the date of the flight.

Air services for things other than cars are on the air freight page.

Steps for shipping your car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium

The order here is deliberate. The second and third steps come before any payment, because their result may change your whole decision.

1. You send the model of the car, its year of manufacture, a photo of the registration card, your city in the Kingdom and your address in Belgium to 0552803439.
2. We review your customs position: transfer-of-residence relief, duty and tax, or transit to a neighbouring country.
3. We work out with you the Belgian charges and the approximate registration tax, and give you the shipping price in items and the date of the vessel.
4. The fines are paid and the lien released, and the export certificate is obtained at a time that fits the booking.
5. We collect the car from your home with a report and photos, and it is moved to Jeddah port.
6. It is driven onto the RoRo vessel, or secured in the container and the door sealed, and the bill of lading reaches you.
7. The import or relief file is submitted to Belgian customs while the ship is still at sea.
8. The car is released, loaded on a truck, and delivered with its papers at your address.

Car shipping from Belgium to Saudi Arabia

The lane works in both directions, and demand for the reverse one is high because Antwerp and Zeebrugge are among the most important outlets for used and new cars in Europe. Our agent collects the car there, its Belgian registration is cancelled, and it sails to Jeddah. But the Saudi import conditions are what decide whether it is shipped at all: the rule in force is that a used light vehicle must be no more than five years old, must meet the Saudi specifications and the fuel-economy standard, and must not be written off, flooded, or a former taxi or police car. The duty is 5% with value added tax of 15%. Ask before you buy, not after you pay. The general rules are in the article on car shipping from Saudi Arabia.

Home Safe’s tips before shipping your car to Belgium

These are notes from files that stumbled on this very lane, and most of them are solved by a question before booking:

• Decide first whether the car deserves shipping: compare its value there with the total of freight, duty, tax and approval.
• If you qualify for the relief, gather what proves the six and the twelve months from now: registration card, insurance, residence permit and employment contract.
• Ask your Belgian municipality of residence about the date of your registration, as the relief file needs it.
• Ask the dealer of the car in the Kingdom for a sheet with its technical data and emissions level, as it eases approval.
• Insure the car at its true value, as the value you declare for insurance is the same one customs see.

How do you choose a car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium?

Sea freight is close between everyone because the ships are the same. The difference between one company and another lies in what comes before the ship and after it: who knows the traffic department, who knows Belgian customs, and who tells you not to ship if shipping is a loss. These are signs to tell them apart by:

What you ask about	A reassuring sign	A warning sign
The tax	Works out the duty and tax with you before the price	Says “no customs” without asking about your residence
The port	Distinguishes Zeebrugge from Antwerp and asks about your city	Mentions “the port of Belgium” with no name
The method	Asks whether the car runs and how tall it is	Offers a container for every car
Registration	Mentions individual approval and the regional tax	Stops talking at the quay of the port
The price	Detailed items including the charges of both ports	A single figure for the sea freight

Common mistakes when shipping a car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium

Seven mistakes we see repeated, and the cost of each lies between days in the port and thousands in tax:

• Shipping a low-value car without relief, then paying duty, tax and approval that exceed its price.
• Buying a car weeks before travelling and expecting the transfer-of-residence relief to cover it.
• Surrendering the plates before the booking is confirmed, so the export-plate period runs out with the car still in the Kingdom.
• Selling the car in Belgium before the year has passed, so its owner is asked for what was relieved.
• Counting the duty and tax and forgetting the registration tax, which differs between the regions.
• Stuffing the boot of a RoRo car with suitcases.
• Clearing in Belgium a car that will be registered in Luxembourg or France.

Why choose Home Safe as your car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium?

Because we begin with the question others avoid: is shipping this car in your interest. If the answer is yes, we take on all the links, from the traffic department of your city to a key placed in your hand with the registration file.

To book: 0552803439 by call or WhatsApp, from 7 am to 11 pm. Or from the request a quote page.

Related articles and pages

• Shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium
• Car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France
• Car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to the UK
• Sea car shipping from Jeddah
• Shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Europe
• Ports and gateways

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Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Belgium

How much does it cost to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to Belgium?

A running saloon by RoRo starts from SAR 2,800 from Jeddah Islamic Port to the quay at Zeebrugge or Antwerp. A 4×4 and a van are priced by length, width and height, and a private or shared container and air freight are priced on request. Added to that are the haul from your city to the port and then the Belgian charges at their actual value.

How long does a car take from Jeddah until it reaches Brussels?

The sailing itself is 14 to 20 days. With the days at the traffic department and the port before it, and the discharge, clearance and road haul after it, the door-to-door time becomes 24–32 days by RoRo and 25–35 days by container. If the ship sails round Africa instead of through the Suez Canal, about two weeks are added.

Which Belgian port does the car arrive at: Zeebrugge or Antwerp?

RoRo vessels mostly berth at Zeebrugge and some at Antwerp, and the two ports are now under a single authority. A car inside a container comes off at Antwerp because it is the container port. Zeebrugge is nearer to Bruges and Ghent, and Antwerp is nearer to Brussels and Liège.

Which is better for my car: RoRo or a container?

RoRo is for a car that runs, drives and is not harmed by standing uncovered in the hold of the ship, and it is the cheaper way. The container is for a luxury car, a classic and a car that does not run, and for anyone shipping two cars together or a car with the furniture of the house.

How much are the customs duty and the tax on a car in Belgium?

The rule in force is a customs duty of 10% on the value of the car together with its freight and insurance, then value added tax of 21% on the total. After those comes a registration tax paid once, which differs between Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels, and then an annual road tax.

Am I exempt from customs if I am moving to live in Belgium?

Yes, on conditions. The rule in force is that you have lived outside the European Union for at least 12 continuous months, that the car has been in your ownership and use for 6 months before your move, that it enters within 12 months of your settling in Belgium, and that you do not sell, rent or lend it for a year after clearance. The request for the car is made by appointment at the regional customs centre.

Can a Gulf-specification car be registered in Belgium?

It can, if it passes individual approval. A car built for the Gulf market mostly carries no European certificate of conformity, so it is examined on its own in the region where it will be registered, and a change to the rear lighting or the headlamps, or proof of its emissions level, may be required.

Am I allowed to leave personal belongings inside the car?

In RoRo, no. The car goes aboard empty apart from the spare wheel and the jack, and whatever is left in it is not covered by any insurance and may cause loading to be refused. In a private container, belongings can be shipped beside the car, not inside it, with a contents list that is presented to Belgian customs.

What does the traffic department require before the car leaves the Kingdom?

That the registration card is valid and in your name, and that its record is free of fines and liens; then the export request is submitted, the plates are handed in, and the export certificate and temporary plates are issued. Some of these steps are done online and some by visiting the traffic department, and we handle them for you under an authorisation.

I am in Riyadh or Dammam. How does my car get to the ship?

We collect it from your home on a flatbed, and it is loaded on a car carrier to Jeddah Islamic Port: about 950 km from Riyadh and about 1,350 km from Dammam. From the Eastern Province it may leave from Dammam port if there is a suitable sailing, and we confirm that before booking.

Do you ship a car to Belgium by air, and what does it cost?

Yes, from the airports of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to Brussels or Liège in 3 to 7 days. The car is secured on a pallet inside a cargo aircraft and is delivered after release in Brussels or Antwerp. It is an option for a luxury car or one tied to a date, and its price is many times that of the sea and is set on request according to weight and dimensions.

Can my old car enter the centres of Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent?

The three cities have low-emission zones that bar cars falling short of a given European standard, and the threshold is tightened every few years and is stricter for diesel than for petrol. So if your car is old and you will live in the centre of one of them, ask about its standard before shipping.

Can I drive the car from the port to my home in Belgium?

Not before it is registered. The car arrives on temporary Saudi export plates and without Belgian insurance, so it does not go on the road. That is why we carry it on a truck from the port to your address or to the inspection centre, and hand it over with its papers.

Do you ship a car to Luxembourg or northern France by way of Belgium?

Yes. The car leaves the Belgian port under a customs transit document, so nothing is paid on it in Belgium, and it is cleared and registered in the country of its owner. Antwerp is about 260 km from Luxembourg and about 125 km from Lille in France.

What is the best time to ship a car to Belgium?

Book at least six weeks before you travel if you want to find your car close to the date of your arrival. Avoid having it arrive in July, August or late December, when holidays slow down customs and the inspection centres.