Car Shipping Company from Saudi Arabia to France 0552803439 | RoRo, Container & Air to Le Havre, Marseille and Paris

Home Safe is a car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France that collects your car from your city in the Kingdom, completes its export at the traffic department, sails it from Jeddah Islamic Port to Marseille-Fos or Le Havre, and then hands you its key at your home in the French city. The sea voyage, with the road legs at both ends, takes 22 to 35 days, and air freight to Paris takes 3 to 6 days. A saloon by RoRo starts from SAR 2,800, while the private container, air freight and transport inside France are priced on request once the car and the city are known. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide45ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from Saudi Arabia to France?
2. Services of a car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France
3. Shipping cars by sea from Saudi Arabia to Le Havre and Marseille-Fos
4. How long does it take to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to France?
5. Car shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to France
6. Which Saudi city does the car leave from, and how does it reach the port?
7. RoRo or container: which is right for your car?
8. Types of cars we ship to France
9. Shipping classic cars from Saudi Arabia to France
10. Preparing the car before handing it over for sea freight
11. Exporting the car at the Saudi traffic department
12. French customs on a car arriving from Saudi Arabia
13. Transfer-of-residence relief: when does your car enter free of duty and tax?
14. Registering the car in France: conformity, inspection and registration tax
15. Documents for shipping a car to France, and what is not accepted
16. Insurance and protecting the car on the sea voyage
17. Delivering cars from Saudi Arabia in Paris, Lyon and Marseille
18. Shipping cars for individuals, companies, government bodies and embassies
19. Can the car go by road, and can furniture and luggage be shipped with it?
20. Air freight for cars from Saudi Arabia to France
21. Steps for shipping a car from Saudi Arabia to France
22. Tracking the car and follow-up through to French plates
23. Shipping cars from France to Saudi Arabia
24. Home Safe’s advice before you ship your car to France
25. How do you choose a car shipping company to France?
26. Common mistakes when shipping a car from Saudi Arabia to France
27. Why choose Home Safe as your car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France?
28. Related articles and pages
29. Tags
30. Frequently asked questions about shipping cars from Saudi Arabia to France
31. What is the best car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France?
32. How much does it cost to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to France?
33. What is the cheapest way to ship a car to France?
34. What is the price difference between sea freight and air freight for a car?
35. How many days does the car take to reach Paris?
36. Do I pay customs on my car in France?
37. Can a Gulf-specification car be registered in France?
38. Can I put my belongings inside the car?
39. My car is a classic. How is it shipped, and does it get special treatment?
40. Can I drive my car in France on its Saudi plates?
41. My car is financed by a bank. Can it be exported?
42. Can a car that does not run, or an electric car, be shipped?
43. Which port does the car leave from if I am in Riyadh or Dammam?
44. What is the point of insurance when the car is on a purpose-built car ship?
45. How do I take delivery of the car in France if I have not arrived yet?

Route: Jeddah Islamic Port → Suez Canal → Mediterranean → Marseille-Fos, or through Gibraltar to Le Havre · Method: RoRo, container or air · Time by sea: 22–35 days door to door.

Who ships a car from Saudi Arabia to France?

Few people ship a car to France simply for a trip: the route is long and French taxes weigh heavily on anyone not entitled to relief. Most of those who ask are French nationals who have finished a contract in the Kingdom and are going home with a car they bought here, followed by Saudis and residents moving to France to work or study for some years. Finding your case in this table settles the method and what you will pay at the French port:

The owner	What they usually ship	The method that suits	Their position with French customs
A French national returning home after working in the Kingdom	The private car they used here	RoRo, or a container with their furniture	Transfer-of-residence relief if the conditions are met
A Saudi or a resident moving to live in France	The family car	RoRo to the port nearest their city	The same relief, with proof of the new home
A classic-car enthusiast	A collector’s car more than thirty years old	A private container	Treatment as a collector’s vehicle
A seller or buyer between the two countries	A luxury or rare car	Container or air	Full duty and tax
An embassy, company or government body	Official cars or staff cars	A 40ft container for two cars	According to the status of the body and its letters

Services of a car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France

Shipping a car to France is two jobs in one: a sea move whose stages are well known, and a file of papers that begins at the Saudi traffic department and ends with French plates. That is why our service covers every link:

• A review before booking: we ask about the model, the year of manufacture and your residence status, and tell you what duties and conformity work await the car.
• Collection inside the Kingdom: a flatbed takes the car from your home in any city to the port yard in Jeddah.
• Export papers: following up the surrender of the plates and the export certificate at the traffic department, and the customs declaration at the port.
• Shipping: booking a place on a RoRo ship, or loading and lashing the car inside a container, or booking a cargo aircraft.
• Clearance in France: an agent lodges the declaration, pays the duties on your behalf or submits the relief file, and obtains the customs certificate.
• Delivery: a covered transporter from the port to your address, and an inspection in front of you before the key is handed over.

The general service is explained on the car shipping page, and anyone shipping a whole home with the car will find what concerns furniture and luggage in the article on shipping from Saudi Arabia to France.

Shipping cars by sea from Saudi Arabia to Le Havre and Marseille-Fos

France has two seaboards, and each has a car port. Marseille-Fos is on the Mediterranean, and the ship reaches it after leaving the Suez Canal without ever leaving that sea. Le Havre is on the English Channel at the mouth of the Seine, and getting there means passing the Strait of Gibraltar and sailing up alongside Spain and Portugal. The first is a shorter voyage and serves Lyon, Nice and Toulouse, and the second is closer by road to Paris.

Stage	Where it happens	Usual time	What happens to the car
Collection and transport to Jeddah	From your city to the port yard	One to 3 days	Inspection, photographs and a condition report
Export	The traffic department, then customs at Jeddah Islamic Port	3–5 days	Export certificate and customs declaration
Sailing to Marseille-Fos	The Red Sea, then Suez, then the Mediterranean	9–13 days	Lashed on the car deck or inside the container
Sailing to Le Havre	The Mediterranean, then Gibraltar, then the Atlantic	13–18 days	The same arrangement with more days at sea
French clearance	The customs office at the port of arrival	3–6 days	Import declaration, then the customs certificate
Transport to the city	From the port to your address	One to 3 days	On a covered transporter, then the delivery inspection

Direct sailings from Jeddah to the French ports are not a fixed weekly service on every line. RoRo ships call according to their rotation, and some containers change ship at an intermediate Mediterranean port before continuing. So we confirm the available sailing and its port of discharge with you before the car’s plates are surrendered. On arrival the car is checked against its chassis number and its condition report before it leaves the yard. Details of the destination are on the shipping to France page.

How long does it take to ship a car from Saudi Arabia to France?

The days at sea are a shorter part of the total than people think. A car ship covers the distance to Marseille-Fos in under two weeks, but before that the car waits for the cargo cut-off in Jeddah, and after it the car waits its turn in French clearance. So the time we quote is counted from the day you hand the car over to the day you receive it, not from the day the ship sails.

Method and port	Door to door	Suits
RoRo to Marseille-Fos	22–30 days	Marseille, Lyon, Nice and Toulouse
RoRo to Le Havre	25–35 days	Paris and the cities of the north and west
Private container	22–35 days depending on the port	Luxury, classic and non-running cars
Shared container for two cars	May add a week while waiting for the second car	Those who want to split the freight
Air freight to Paris	3–6 days	Urgent and high-value cars

What lengthens the time?

• A late export certificate because of an unpaid fine or a lien that has not been released.
• Missing the cargo cut-off, so that the car waits for the next ship.
• A change of ship at an intermediate port when the sailing is not direct.
• An incomplete relief file in France, such as a missing proof of address or an unsigned inventory.
• August, when France takes its annual holidays and the pace of work in offices and ports slows.

Times for the other destinations are on the transit times page.

Car shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to France

The freight follows the method, the dimensions of the car and the port of arrival. The figure you hear from us is the freight from Jeddah Islamic Port to the French port, and with it we name every other item: transport from your city to Jeddah, clearance fees at both ends, and transport from the port to your home. Government charges, namely the traffic department fee and the French customs duty and tax, are paid at their actual value and are not part of our price.

Service	Price starts from	Note
A saloon by RoRo to the French port	SAR 2,800	From Jeddah port, with the car running and empty
A 4×4 or a van by RoRo	Set on request	Calculated on length, width and height
A 20ft container for one car	Set on request	According to the port and the sailing date
A 40ft container for two cars or a car with furniture	Set on request	The freight is divided among the contents
A motorcycle	Set on request	In a wooden crate or on a base inside a container
Transport from your city to Jeddah port	Set on request	According to the city and the type of flatbed
Transport from the French port to your home	Set on request	According to the distance from the port
Air freight for the car	Set on request	By weight and dimensions

Prices quoted in the market: you will hardly find a published price for this particular route. The earlier version of this page gave between SAR 3,000 and 5,500 for sea freight depending on the size of the car, between SAR 4,500 and 6,500 for air, from SAR 300 for insurance and from SAR 1,000 for clearance fees. For RoRo between European ports and the Kingdom’s ports, about USD 1,330 for a saloon and USD 1,410 for a 4×4 is published in the market, and between SAR 300 and 500 for moving a car inside the Kingdom. The air figure in circulation is far below the cost of a cargo aircraft for a whole car, so do not build your budget on it.

Factor	How it changes the price
Dimensions of the car	RoRo is charged on volume, so a tall, long car costs more than a saloon
The method	A private container carries container hire, loading and lashing charges that RoRo does not need
Port of arrival	Le Havre is further by sea than Marseille-Fos and closer by road to Paris
Your city in France	Every hundred kilometres from the port adds to the French transporter’s charge

How do you cut the cost?

• Choose the port nearest your French city, because road transport in France is expensive.
• Hand the car over yourself at the port yard in Jeddah if you are in Jeddah or Makkah.
• Share a 40ft container with the owner of another car bound for the same port.
• Prepare the relief file in full if you are transferring your residence, as the duty and tax are several times the freight.

The factors are explained on the pricing factors page.

Which Saudi city does the car leave from, and how does it reach the port?

Jeddah Islamic Port is the Kingdom’s gateway to Europe because it lies on the Red Sea on the Suez Canal route, so the ship does not have to sail round the Arabian Peninsula. That is why the car heads there from whichever city it leaves, on a single-car flatbed or on a car carrier that gathers several cars.

City of departure	How the car reaches the ship	Distance to the port	Air freight from
Jeddah	A flatbed inside the city to the port yard	Inside the city	King Abdulaziz Airport
Makkah and Taif	A flatbed to Jeddah port on the same day	About 80 km from Makkah	King Abdulaziz Airport
Madinah and Yanbu	A flatbed or a carrier to Jeddah port	About 420 km from Madinah	King Abdulaziz Airport
Riyadh and Al-Kharj	A car carrier via the Taif road	About 950 km	King Khalid Airport
Dammam, Khobar, Jubail and Al-Ahsa	A carrier to Jeddah, or King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam if a sailing exists	About 1,350 km to Jeddah	King Fahd Airport
Qassim, Tabuk, Abha and Jazan	A flatbed or a carrier to Jeddah port	Calculated by city	King Abdulaziz Airport

A sailing from Dammam to Europe passes the Strait of Hormuz and then rounds the peninsula until it enters the Red Sea, which adds days to a sailing from Jeddah. So we offer it only when its sailing suits. The cities we collect from are on the cities page.

RoRo or container: which is right for your car?

A RoRo ship is built like a multi-storey car park: a port driver takes the car up a ramp to its inner deck, where it is lashed with straps and stays uncovered inside a closed hold until the port of arrival. A container is a steel box into which the car is brought and tied down by its four tyres to the floor, then locked and sealed and not opened until France. The first is simpler and cheaper, and the second is more isolated and better protected.

Point of comparison	RoRo	Private container	Shared container for two cars
How the car is loaded	Driven up the ramp	Driven, pushed or winched in	As for the private container
Condition of the car	Running only	Running or not	Running or not
Who touches it on the way	The drivers at the two ports	No one after sealing	No one after sealing
Belongings inside	Not allowed	Allowed with an inventory	Allowed with an inventory for each owner
Cost	The lowest	The highest	In between
Suits	An everyday car	Luxury, classic and modified cars	A family with two cars, or two friends

A car on RoRo is not covered with fabric: a cover moves with the vibration of the ship and rubs the paint, and the port driver needs to see through the glass. The two methods are detailed on the RoRo shipping and shipping a car inside a container pages.

Types of cars we ship to France

What can be shipped is not necessarily what is worth shipping. An economy saloon ships easily, but its price in France may not justify its taxes if the owner is not exempt. So we link the type of car to the way it is shipped and to what has to be worked out for it before it moves:

The car	How it is shipped	What is reviewed before booking
Saloon and hatchback	RoRo	Certificate of conformity and year of manufacture
4×4 and large family car	RoRo, charged by dimensions	Weight and engine power for the registration tax
Luxury and sports car	Private container or air	Insured value and ground clearance
Classic car	Private container	Its age and the originality of its parts
Electric or hybrid	According to what the carrier accepts	The shipping line’s battery conditions
Motorcycle	A wooden crate inside a container	Draining the fuel and disconnecting the battery
A car that does not run	Container, by winch	That its wheels turn and its steering works

Shipping classic cars from Saudi Arabia to France

France is one of the largest markets for old cars in Europe, with auctions and shows that draw enthusiasts from everywhere. So what has been kept in garages for decades leaves the Kingdom for it: American and German cars from the seventies and eighties that escaped rust thanks to the dry climate. These cars are not treated like a car that runs every day.

• A container of its own: no other car shares it, and it does not pass through the hands of port drivers as on RoRo.
• Pushed by hand: the team moves it into the container on low-gradient boards, with the engine off, so that it neither heats up nor leaks anything in a closed space.
• Lashing: fabric straps round the tyres only, and timber chocks in front of and behind the wheels, with no tension on an old axle or arm.
• Photographing every detail: the paint, the chrome, the seats, the instrument panel, the chassis number and the engine number, before the door is closed and sealed.
• Humidity: absorbent bags inside the container and the cabin, as the voyage crosses two seas of different temperatures.

In France the rule in force is that a car more than thirty years old, of a model no longer produced and still in its original condition without substantial modification, is classed as a collector’s item. That classification carries reduced import duty and tax, and a registration document specific to collectors’ vehicles, for which a certificate from the French federation of historic vehicles is required. The decision rests with French customs, so we send photographs of the car and its documents to our agent to confirm the expected treatment before shipping.

Preparing the car before handing it over for sea freight

The car will stand for about a month without its owner driving it, and will pass two customs offices, each of which opens its doors and boot. So preparing it differs from preparing it for a short road trip: what is needed is a battery that lasts, a nearly empty tank, and a cabin with nothing in it.

• Wash the car outside and underneath, because a scratch hidden by dust is not written into the report, and a clean chassis has its number checked quickly.
• Keep less than a quarter in the tank, which is a condition of RoRo lines and containers alike.
• Empty the cabin, the boot and the glovebox, and remove parking and toll tags.
• Charge the battery or replace it if it is weak, as a car that will not start at the port of arrival is towed at a charge.
• Repair any oil or coolant leak, because the shipping line rejects a car that drips.
• Hand over one key that works every lock, and keep the second with you.
• Put the car’s handbook and service record in an envelope, as they may be asked for at the conformity stage in France.

The remaining details are in the car shipping guide.

Exporting the car at the Saudi traffic department

Customs at Jeddah port will not accept a car registered in the Kingdom for permanent export until the traffic department has struck it from its register. That is called surrendering the plates, after which an export certificate and temporary plates are issued for the car to travel to the port. The request is made by the registered owner or an agent, and the way it is submitted, in person or online, is updated from time to time, so we tell you the method available on the day of your request. This is what is usually required:

Requirement	Detail	Why it matters
A valid registration card in the exporter’s name	Or a legal power of attorney that mentions export	The request is not accepted from anyone but the owner
A record clear of fines	On the vehicle and on its owner	A single fine stops the request
A car free of any lien	Or a no-objection letter from the finance provider	A mortgaged car is not exported
Handing in both plates	They are replaced by export plates of limited validity	The car travels on them to the port only
The export certificate fee	The set traffic department fee, about SAR 100	The original certificate goes with the car to France

A resident leaving on a final exit starts with this step before the ticket, as the rule in force is that the final exit visa is not issued while a vehicle stands in their name.

French customs on a car arriving from Saudi Arabia

France is a member of the European Union, so a car entering from the Kingdom is treated as goods from outside the Union. A customs duty is calculated on it, then value added tax, and after payment the customs certificate is issued, without which the car cannot be registered. The freight is part of the value on which the duty is calculated, so understating the invoice or hiding the freight achieves nothing.

Item	The rule in force	Note
Customs duty	10% of the value of the car plus its freight and insurance	For passenger cars from outside the Union
Value added tax	20% on the value with the duty added	Paid at clearance
Valuation	The purchase invoice or the market value of a similar car	Customs do not accept an unreasonable invoice
Customs certificate for the vehicle	Issued after payment or after the relief is accepted	The first paper registration asks for
Collector’s car	Reduced duty and tax for a car over thirty years old in original condition	By decision of customs

A worked example: a car worth SAR 80,000, with RoRo freight of SAR 2,800, whose owner is not entitled to the relief.

Item	How it is calculated	Approximate amount
Customs value	80,000 + 2,800	SAR 82,800
Customs duty 10%	82,800 × 10%	SAR 8,280
Value added tax 20%	(82,800 + 8,280) × 20%	SAR 18,216
Paid at the port	8,280 + 18,216	SAR 26,496

In other words, what is paid to the French treasury in this example is close to ten times the freight, and that is before the registration tax and the conformity costs. We confirm the rates currently in force before shipping. Clearance procedures are on the customs clearance page.

Transfer-of-residence relief: when does your car enter free of duty and tax?

Anyone transferring their normal place of residence from the Kingdom to France is entitled to bring in their personal belongings, including their car, without customs duty or value added tax. Its conditions are the same for a returning French national and for a Saudi or resident who is moving, and all of them are proved with documents:

• Previous residence: you must have lived outside the European Union for at least twelve consecutive months before the move.
• Ownership and use: the car must have been in your name and in your use for at least six months before the date of your move.
• Taxes in the country of origin: the car must have been bought with its normal taxes in the Kingdom, not tax-free for export.
• Time limit for entry: the rule in force is that the car enters within twelve months of the date of the move.
• No disposal: the car may not be sold, rented out or lent for twelve months after its entry, otherwise the duty and tax fall due retrospectively.
• The file: an inventory in two copies, dated and signed, listing the car with its chassis number and value, proof of your previous residence in the Kingdom, and proof that you have settled in France, such as an employment contract or a tenancy agreement.

The Saudi registration card, with its date of registration, is the evidence of ownership and of the six months, so do not transfer the car into your name a few weeks before travelling and then expect the relief. Furniture and luggage enter on the same file, and they are explained on the furniture shipping page.

Anyone visiting France for some months without moving there has another route: a person living outside the European Union brings the car in temporarily on its Saudi plates with no duty and no tax, for six months in a year under the rule in force, with insurance covering France and a translation of the registration card. The car is then shipped with its plates, nothing is surrendered, and it returns after the season. For those who travel with it between several countries there is the customs carnet, explained on the triptik page.

Registering the car in France: conformity, inspection and registration tax

Leaving the port is not the end of the road. A car built for the Gulf market has not been approved under the European system, so its owner has to prove that it meets what France requires before plates are issued. This stage is handled by the owner or by a specialist office there, and our part is to tell you about it before shipping and to hand you the car’s papers complete.

Step	What it is	What you need from the Kingdom
Customs certificate	Proves that the car has been cleared or exempted	The export certificate and the original registration card
Proof of conformity	A European certificate of conformity from the manufacturer if there is one, otherwise individual approval with the competent regional authority	The car’s handbook and the manufacturer’s data on the model
Roadworthiness test	For a car more than four years old, with a recent report	A car with sound brakes, tyres and exhaust
Registration tax	Calculated on emissions or fiscal horsepower and on weight, and it falls with the age of the car	The year of first registration as shown on the registration card
Application for the registration document	Submitted online, with temporary plates until the permanent ones are issued	A certified translation of the registration card if asked for
Air-quality sticker	Required for driving in the low-emission zones of Paris, Lyon and other cities	Nothing

A Saudi car has its steering wheel on the left like a French one, and its speedometer reads in kilometres, which spares it the modifications needed by arrivals from right-hand-drive countries. But the registration tax is what surprises owners of large engines: for a recent, high-emission car it can come to more than the freight and the duty together. Ask us for an approximate calculation for your model before you decide.

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

The car’s papers travel on two tracks: a scanned copy sent to the French agent before sailing so that the declaration can be prepared, and originals handed over with the car or sent by express courier to arrive before it. Losing the original registration card or export certificate on the way holds up registration for months, so no original is left inside the car.

Document	Issued by	Where it is required
Original registration card	The Saudi traffic department	Export, then registration in France
Export certificate	The Saudi traffic department	Jeddah customs and French customs
The owner’s passport and residence permit or ID	The owner	Both ports
Purchase invoice or sale contract	The seller	Assessing the customs value
Removal inventory and the two proofs of residence	The owner	The relief application
No-objection letter	The finance provider	The traffic department, for a financed car
Authorisation of the agent and the recipient	The owner	Clearance and delivery in France

And these are cases in which the car is refused, or postponed until they are dealt with:

• A car with fines, a lien or a dispute over its ownership.
• Personal belongings or goods inside a car going by RoRo.
• A full tank, or cans of fuel and oil or gas cylinders in the boot.
• A car recorded as written off or flood-damaged, whose registration in France is not assured even if it is shipped.
• Counterfeit goods, medicines or animal-based foods inside a car shipped in a container.

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

Insurance and protecting the car on the sea voyage

A month at sea means the car meets what it never meets on a road carrier: salt in the air, the roll of the ship, and being moved in two crowded yards. Protection starts with correct securing and an accurate report, and then the insurance policy covers what securing cannot prevent.

• Condition report: written in Jeddah and signed by the owner, with every scratch and dent marked on it, one copy with the car and one with you.
• The shipping line’s liability: it exists but is limited by the bill of lading, and does not cover the value of a car.
• Marine insurance: optional, for the declared value of the car, and it covers partial damage and total loss according to the type of cover.
• At the port of arrival: our agent compares the car with the report before it leaves the yard, and records any remark against the shipping line there and then.

The types of cover are on the cargo insurance page.

Delivering cars from Saudi Arabia in Paris, Lyon and Marseille

A car not yet registered in France is not driven from the port to the house, so it is carried on a covered transporter to the address. The old streets of central Paris cannot take a long transporter, so we agree a nearby drop-off point with the recipient or send a short flatbed.

City of delivery	The port that suits	Approximate road distance	Delivery note
Paris and its suburbs	Le Havre	About 200 km	A drop-off point agreed in the old districts
Lyon	Marseille-Fos	About 315 km	Through the Rhône valley, with delivery at the house
Marseille	Marseille-Fos	About 50 km	On the day the car leaves the port
Nice and the Riviera	Marseille-Fos	About 200 km	Car parks in the coastal buildings are tight, so the unloading spot is arranged
Toulouse	Marseille-Fos	About 400 km	A day is added for the road
Bordeaux	Either port, depending on the sailing	About 650 km	The furthest destination, with the port set from the sailing schedule

At delivery the driver unloads the car and walks round it with the recipient, the Jeddah report in hand. The scratches and the odometer are compared, the engine and the lights are tried, and then the recipient signs and takes the key and the envelope of papers. Details of the service are on the door to door page.

Shipping cars for individuals, companies, government bodies and embassies

The service is the same at its core, and differs in the paperwork, the method of payment and the number of cars. An individual ships one car and needs someone to explain every step, while an organisation ships several cars and needs a contract and a single person to deal with. This is what we arrange for each:

• Individuals: a review of the relief position, an itemised price, follow-up messages, and delivery at the house.
• Companies: shipping the cars of staff transferred to a French branch, with a contract, a tax invoice and a condition report for each car.
• Government bodies: coordination through official letters and a written timetable for cars sent on a mission or to an exhibition.
• Embassies and consulates: the cars of transferred diplomats are cleared according to their status and the approvals issued by the French foreign ministry, and we prepare the shipping side of them.

Can the car go by road, and can furniture and luggage be shipped with it?

We do not offer a road route to France: between the two countries lie many borders and differing transit systems, and a car driven for thousands of kilometres arrives with a higher odometer reading and wear its owner does not want. Road transport with us serves the two ends only: from your city to Jeddah port or the airport, and from the French port to your home. The Gulf states and Jordan, on the other hand, are reached by road car carriers, and that is detailed in the article on car shipping from Saudi Arabia.

Anyone moving with a family ships the furniture with the car in a 40ft container: the car is secured at the far end, a timber bulkhead is built in front of it, and then the cartons and pieces of furniture are stacked. The luggage and the car thus enter on one relief file and one container freight is paid. A few cartons and parcels go by part-load or by air, and commercial goods and appliances have a declaration separate from that of the car. Prices for these services are in the article on shipping to France mentioned above, and the way it works is on the sea freight page.

Air freight for cars from Saudi Arabia to France

Air is for those who do not have a month to wait: a luxury car that a customer in Paris has bought and wants this week, and a car entered in a show or auction with a fixed date. The car is handed over at the cargo village of King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah or King Fahd Airport in Dammam, secured on a metal pallet, and lifted into a cargo aircraft bound for Charles de Gaulle Airport. From there it is carried on a covered transporter to its address in Paris, or to Lyon in one more day.

• Transit time: 3–6 days from handover to receipt, depending on the date of the cargo flight and the speed of clearance.
• Classification: fuel and a battery make the car dangerous goods in the eyes of airlines, so its space is booked ahead and a declaration to that effect goes with it.
• Fuel and battery: a nearly empty tank as the carrier requires, a secured battery with protected terminals, and stricter conditions for electric and hybrid cars.
• Paperwork: the same export certificate, and clearance at the airport of arrival at the same customs rates or with the relief file.
• Price: set on request by weight, dimensions and the date of the flight.

Air does not shorten the conformity and registration stage: it gets the car to France faster, not to its plates. Air freight for anything other than cars is on the air freight page.

Steps for shipping a car from Saudi Arabia to France

Eight steps in order, and the first two decide whether the car is shipped at all:

1. You send to 0552803439 the model of the car, its year of manufacture, a photograph of its registration card, your city in France and your residence status.
2. We review the relief, the conformity and the expected registration tax, suggest the port and the method, and give you the price.
3. Fines are paid and any lien is released, and the export certificate and plates are obtained.
4. We collect the car from your city, and the condition report is written and the car photographed.
5. The car enters the RoRo yard or is loaded into the container, and the export declaration is completed at Jeddah customs.
6. The ship sails, and we send the bill of lading and the file to our agent at the French port.
7. The agent clears the car, with its duties or its relief, and collects the customs certificate.
8. The car is carried to your address, you inspect it, and you receive the key and the papers.

Tracking the car and follow-up through to French plates

Car ships and container ships show their positions on marine tracking sites under the vessel name and voyage number, so we send you both on the day of sailing for you to follow yourself if you like. But the days that really worry a car owner are the days in port, not the days at sea, which is why you receive a message from us at every handover.

• In the Kingdom: a message on collection, on entry to the port yard, and when the export declaration is issued.
• At sea: the vessel name, the sailing date and the expected arrival date, and an update if the ship is changed at an intermediate port.
• In France: a message on discharge, when clearance begins, when the customs certificate is issued, and then the delivery appointment.

How tracking works is on the shipment tracking page.

Shipping cars from France to Saudi Arabia

We ship in the opposite direction through our agent in France: the cars of Saudis returning from a scholarship or a job, and cars bought on the European market. The car is collected from its French address, its export is completed there, and it sails from Le Havre or Marseille-Fos to Jeddah Islamic Port. The Saudi conditions are what to ask about before buying: the rule in force is that an imported light vehicle must be no more than five years old, must meet Saudi specifications and fuel-economy requirements, must have its steering wheel on the left, and must not be recorded as written off or flood-damaged. A customs duty of 5% and value added tax of 15% are collected on it. We confirm which of these conditions currently apply to your model before you pay for the car.

Home Safe’s advice before you ship your car to France

This advice concerns this route and no other, and most of it is acted on weeks before loading day:

• Ask the manufacturer or its dealer about a European certificate of conformity for your model before anything else, as having one saves months.
• Do not surrender the plates until you know what you will pay in France in duty and registration tax.
• If you are transferring your residence, keep your tenancy contracts and bills in the Kingdom, as they are the evidence of the year that the relief requires.
• Have the registration card and the purchase invoice translated into French by a certified translator before you travel.
• Do not ship an old, high-emission car to Paris or Lyon before asking about the driving restrictions there.

How do you choose a car shipping company to France?

Many firms move cars between the Kingdom’s cities, and few know what happens to a car after it lands at a European port. The questions an office puts to you before it mentions a price show which of the two groups it belongs to:

What you notice	A reassuring sign	A warning sign
The first question it asks	About your residence status and the model of the car	“How much will you pay?”
The port	Chosen from your French city	One port for every customer
French duties	Worked out with you before booking	“No customs for you” without knowing your case
Conformity and registration	Explains them and does not promise what it does not control	Does not mention them
The price	Items: inland transport, sea, clearance, delivery	A single “all-inclusive” figure
In France	A named agent who receives and clears	“You collect it from the port yourself”

Common mistakes when shipping a car from Saudi Arabia to France

Seven mistakes we have seen repeated on the European routes, and the price of each is paid in euros:

• Shipping the car before making sure its model can be registered in France.
• Relying on the relief when the car has not been six months in its owner’s name.
• Selling the car in France before the year is up, so that the owner is asked for the duty and tax in full.
• Writing a low value on the invoice, so that customs revalue the car and it is delayed.
• Sending the car to Le Havre when its owner lives in Nice, or the other way round.
• Leaving bags in a car going by RoRo, so that it is emptied at the port or refused.
• Leaving the registration tax out of the sum for a car with a large engine.

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

Because we tell you the whole sum before you pay anything, even if the result is that selling the car here makes more sense than shipping it.

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

Related articles and pages

• Shipping from Saudi Arabia to France
• Car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Belgium
• Car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Spain
• Car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland
• Sea car shipping from Jeddah
• Shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Europe

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Frequently asked questions about shipping cars from Saudi Arabia to France

What is the best car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France?

The best one asks you three things before it names a price: whether you are moving to live in France or selling the car there, what the specification and year of manufacture of the car are, and which French city you are heading for. Home Safe starts with that review, then handles the export certificate, the sailing from Jeddah port, clearance and delivery to the address. Contact: 0552803439.

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

A saloon by RoRo from Jeddah Islamic Port to the French port starts from SAR 2,800. A 4×4 or a van is calculated on length, width and height, and the private container, air freight and the road leg from the port to your French city are priced on request. That is the freight alone; the customs duty and the tax in France are paid at their actual value.

What is the cheapest way to ship a car to France?

RoRo to Marseille-Fos for a running, empty car that you hand over at the port yourself. It is a shorter sailing than Le Havre, and there is no container hire and no loading charge in it.

What is the price difference between sea freight and air freight for a car?

Sea freight is priced on the size of the car and starts from SAR 2,800 for a saloon by RoRo. Air freight is priced on weight and dimensions, and a car weighing a tonne and a half is charged on all of that weight, so its freight comes to many times the sea rate. That is why it is priced on request.

How many days does the car take to reach Paris?

25 to 35 days by sea via Le Havre, from the day it is handed over in Jeddah until it comes off the truck in front of your home in Paris. 22 to 30 days if it lands at Marseille-Fos and then travels north by road, which suits the southern cities better. By air to Charles de Gaulle Airport it takes 3 to 6 days, depending on the date of the cargo flight.

Do I pay customs on my car in France?

The rule in force is a customs duty of 10% on the value of the car plus its freight, then 20% value added tax on the total. Anyone transferring their normal residence to France after at least a year outside the European Union is exempt from both, provided they have owned and used the car for at least six months.

Can a Gulf-specification car be registered in France?

It can, once its conformity is proved. A car that carries no European certificate of conformity goes through individual approval with the competent regional authority, and a change to the lighting or proof of the emissions level may be required. We ask about the model and the year of manufacture before its plates are surrendered in the Kingdom.

Can I put my belongings inside the car?

On RoRo, no: the shipping line requires the car to go aboard empty apart from its spare wheel and tools. In a private container, cartons and luggage can travel with the car, on condition that they are written into a detailed inventory presented to French customs, and that they are secured outside the cabin of the car, not inside it.

My car is a classic. How is it shipped, and does it get special treatment?

It is shipped in a container of its own, pushed inside by hand without starting the engine, and its details are photographed before the door is closed. In France the rule in force is that a car more than thirty years old, still in its original condition and of a model no longer produced, is treated as a collector’s item with reduced duty and tax and a special registration. We confirm that this applies to your car before shipping.

Can I drive my car in France on its Saudi plates?

A visitor who lives outside the European Union is allowed to bring a car in temporarily on its foreign plates for a limited period, six months in a year under the rule in force, with insurance that covers France. Anyone who has become resident in France must clear the car and register it on French plates.

My car is financed by a bank. Can it be exported?

Not while the lien stands. The traffic department does not issue an export certificate for a vehicle that is mortgaged or on a finance lease, so the balance must be paid and the lien released, or the finance provider must give a letter of no objection to the export.

Can a car that does not run, or an electric car, be shipped?

A car that does not run is not accepted on RoRo, because it boards the ship under its own power, so it goes in a container and is winched into it. Electric and hybrid cars are shipped, but shipping lines and airlines set conditions on their batteries that differ from one carrier to another, so we check them with the carrier and tell you what is available before booking.

Which port does the car leave from if I am in Riyadh or Dammam?

From Jeddah Islamic Port in most cases, because it lies directly on the Suez Canal route. From the Eastern Province, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam is also considered if a suitable sailing exists, although its voyage to Europe is longer.

What is the point of insurance when the car is on a purpose-built car ship?

The ship is safe in most cases, but the car is driven and moved in two ports and two yards and may be transferred between two ships. Marine insurance covers scratches, impact, fire, theft and total loss up to the declared value of the car.

How do I take delivery of the car in France if I have not arrived yet?

You name a recipient in France and authorise them in writing, and they hold a copy of your passport and proof of your address there. If you are claiming the transfer-of-residence relief, it is better for the arrival of the car to coincide with your own, because customs ask for proof that you have settled.