Shipping Company from Saudi Arabia to Benin 0552803439 | Car Shipping, Containers and Cargo by Sea and Air to Cotonou Port

Home Safe is a shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Benin that moves cars, goods, luggage and parcels from any city in the Kingdom to Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou. The route is essentially by sea: the shipment leaves Jeddah Islamic Port for the port of Cotonou on the Gulf of Guinea and reaches the consignee’s door in 35 to 50 days. Urgent items fly to Cotonou airport in 4 to 7 days. Shipping a saloon car by sea starts from SAR 2,800, air freight from SAR 28 a kilogram, and an express parcel from SAR 110. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide47ShowHide

1. Who ships from Saudi Arabia to Benin, and what do they ship?
2. The route and transit time from your city to Cotonou
3. Shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Benin
4. Shipping to Benin from the cities of the Kingdom
5. Sea freight from Jeddah to the port of Cotonou: a full container or a shared one?
6. The port of Cotonou: gateway to Benin and its neighbours
7. Shipping used cars and vehicles from Saudi Arabia to Benin
8. RoRo or a container for your car?
9. Conditions for importing a car into Benin
10. Steps for shipping a car from Saudi Arabia to Benin
11. Why do West African buyers ask for a car that comes from Saudi Arabia?
12. Trucks, equipment and motorcycles
13. Shipping commercial goods and spare parts to Benin
14. The cargo tracking note and import verification: before sailing, not after
15. Personal effects and furniture for returnees and students
16. Parcels, gifts and the luggage of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims
17. Packing for a voyage that ends in the Gulf of Guinea
18. Documents and customs clearance in Benin
19. What cannot be shipped to Benin or needs a permit
20. Delivery of shipments from Saudi Arabia in Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou
21. Is there land freight from Saudi Arabia to Benin?
22. Air freight from Saudi Arabia to Benin
23. Steps for shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin
24. Tracking and insurance on a long line
25. Shipping from Benin to Saudi Arabia
26. Tips before shipping to Benin
27. How do you choose a shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Benin?
28. Common mistakes when shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin
29. Why Home Safe for shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin?
30. Related articles and pages
31. Tags
32. Frequently asked questions about shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin
33. How much does shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin cost?
34. How many days does a shipment need to reach Cotonou?
35. Can an old used car enter Benin?
36. What is the cargo tracking note Benin asks for?
37. Which is better for my car: RoRo or a container?
38. Can I leave belongings inside the shipped car?
39. Do you ship from Riyadh and Dammam, or from Jeddah only?
40. I am a trader in Niger. Can I receive my goods through Cotonou?
41. How much is customs duty on a car in Benin?
42. What documents are needed to ship a car to Benin?
43. Are the belongings of someone returning to Benin exempt from duty?
44. Do you collect a Beninese Hajj or Umrah pilgrim’s luggage from the hotel?
45. Can I ship a small quantity of goods without a full container?
46. Who pays the charges at the port of Cotonou?
47. Do you ship from Benin to Saudi Arabia?

Route: your city → Jeddah port → Suez Canal → Mediterranean → Strait of Gibraltar → Atlantic coast → Cotonou · Sea distance: more than 5,500 nautical miles · Transit: by sea 35–50 days, by air 4–7 days.

Who ships from Saudi Arabia to Benin, and what do they ship?

Most of the traffic on this line is commercial, with cars at the front. The port of Cotonou is a well-known market for used vehicles in West Africa, and buyers there know the car that comes from the Gulf and ask for it. Alongside the traders are individuals with smaller needs: a worker going home, a student who has finished a degree, and a pilgrim whose gifts exceed the airline allowance.

Shipper	What they ship	Most suitable method
Vehicle trader	Saloons, 4x4s, pickups and minibuses	RoRo for runners, and a 40ft container for two cars
Spare parts trader	Engines, used parts, tyres and oils	Full container, or a part load for small quantities
Exporter and manufacturer	Building materials, plastics, electrical appliances, dates and foodstuffs	20ft or 40ft container
Resident returning for good	Furniture, appliances and luggage, sometimes with a car	Part load, or a container holding the car and the effects
Graduating student	Books, clothes, a computer and items from the lodgings	Part load, and air for urgent books
Hajj and Umrah pilgrim	Dates, prayer rugs, perfumes and gifts for the family	Air by the kilogram, or a part load to save

The route and transit time from your city to Cotonou

The longest part of this journey is the sea. The ship heads north up the Red Sea and crosses the Suez Canal and the whole Mediterranean, then leaves through the Strait of Gibraltar and runs south along the African coast to the Gulf of Guinea. As a rule no container ship links Jeddah with Cotonou directly, so the container is moved from one ship to another at a hub port on the Mediterranean or near the strait. Some lines sail round the Cape of Good Hope when shipping conditions change, so we confirm the routing and transit of your sailing at booking.

Stage	What happens	Approximate time
Collection and preparation	Survey, packing and loading at your home, warehouse or car showroom	1–3 days
Transport to Jeddah port	A truck for the container, a car carrier or flatbed for the vehicle	One day from the west, two to three from Riyadh and the east
Export from Jeddah	Export declaration and delivery of the container or car to the port yard before the sailing closes	2–4 days
Sailing and change of vessel	Suez, then the Mediterranean, then the Atlantic down to the Gulf of Guinea	25–35 days
Clearance in Cotonou	Matching the tracking note, customs examination and payment of charges	4–8 days
Delivery inside Benin	A truck from the port to the consignee’s address	One day for Cotonou and around it, two to three for the north

The total time differs with the method of shipping. This table compares the four methods we work with on the Benin line:

Method	Sailing or flight	Door to door	Suited to
RoRo	25–35 days	35–48 days	Cars, trucks and equipment that move on their own wheels
Full container	25–35 days	35–48 days	Wholesale goods, two cars together, and a whole home
Part load	28–38 days	40–50 days	Less than half a container of cartons and pallets
Air	One to two days with a stop	4–7 days	Urgent parcels, documents and spare parts

What lengthens the transit?

• The date of the second ship: if the container misses its connection at the hub port it waits for the next one, and the gap can be a week.
• A late tracking note: its data are taken from the final bill of lading, and any late amendment to the bill delays both.
• Congestion at the Cotonou quay: the port serves Benin and its neighbours together, and in peak seasons ships wait their turn.
• Customs examination: a vague packing list such as “miscellaneous items” means opening the container and counting what is in it.
• A consignee who is not ready: a tax number not yet issued, or a clearing agent not yet appointed, while the container waits in the yard.

Shipping prices from Saudi Arabia to Benin

Our published prices start from the following figures, the same as on our lines to the neighbouring ports of the Gulf of Guinea. A car is charged by its size, air freight by chargeable weight, and a container by its sailing and date. Where a fixed figure would not be right, we have written how it is set, and its price reaches you on the day you ask on 0552803439.

Service	Price	Note
Saloon car by RoRo from Jeddah port to Cotonou	Starts from SAR 2,800	For a running car; rises with size
4×4, pickup or truck	Set on request	Calculated on length, width and height
Car inside a container	Set on request	A 20ft container for one car, a 40ft for two
Full 20ft or 40ft container	Set on request	A price per container that follows the sailing date
Part load by the cubic metre	Set on request	According to volume and weight
Air freight per kilogram	Starts from SAR 28	Falls as the weight rises
Express parcel of up to 5 kg	Starts from SAR 110	To the consignee’s address in Cotonou
Express documents of up to one kilogram	Starts from SAR 83	Certificates, contracts and official papers
Transport from your city to Jeddah port	Set on request	A separate item according to distance

Prices circulating in the market: we looked for what others publish about this line and found no announced price for shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin. Pages dealing with car exports to Cotonou from Gulf ports give only the transit time, 30 to 45 days, and leave the price to an enquiry. The only published figures concern arrival charges, not freight: a customs handling charge quoted by one shipping line at about EUR 260 for a used car, and a fine mentioned at about USD 2,500 for a bill of lading that arrives without a tracking note. For that reason we have kept the published prices of our line to the neighbouring port as they are.

What sets the price	How it affects it
Size of the vehicle	RoRo freight is charged by the cubic metre, so a 4×4 or a pickup costs more than a saloon
Shipping method	RoRo is cheaper for one car, and a container is cheaper when it is filled
Collection city	The farther from Jeddah port, the higher the road transport item
Tracking note	Its fee differs between a container, a car and break-bulk cargo
Final destination	Delivery at the port of Cotonou costs less than delivery to Parakou or transit to a neighbouring country

How do you reduce the cost?

• Ship a running car by RoRo as long as it carries no belongings.
• If you have two cars, put them in one 40ft container and place spare parts in the space that remains.
• Hand the car over yourself in the Jeddah port area if you are nearby, and the road transport item drops out.
• Send the documents to the clearing agent early, since storage in Cotonou is charged by the day once the free days end.
• Ask for the customs estimate before buying the car; your decision may change between one model and another.

How the items are calculated is explained on the pricing factors page, and you can work out the volume of your goods with the CBM calculator.

Shipping to Benin from the cities of the Kingdom

Every city in the Kingdom feeds into one exit to West Africa, Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea. The difference between one city and another is the road distance to that port and the airport the air shipment leaves from. The sea prices in the table above are calculated from Jeddah port; the transport item from your city is added to them and is set on request.

Origin city	Route to Jeddah port	Approximate distance	Air freight airport
Jeddah	The port is inside the city	Less than an hour	King Abdulaziz International Airport
Makkah	Makkah–Jeddah expressway	About 80 km	Jeddah airport
Taif	Via Makkah or the Al-Sail road	About 170 km	Jeddah airport
Madinah	Al-Hijrah highway	About 420 km	Madinah airport or via Jeddah
Riyadh	Riyadh–Taif–Jeddah highway	About 950 km	King Khalid International Airport
Qassim (Buraydah and Unaizah)	Via Madinah	About 900 km	Riyadh or Jeddah airport
Dammam, Khobar and Jubail	Via Riyadh, or from Dammam port when a sailing exists	About 1,340 km	King Fahd International Airport
Tabuk	The coastal road via Yanbu	About 1,000 km	Jeddah airport
Abha, Khamis Mushait and Jazan	The coastal road via Al-Lith	650–710 km	Jeddah airport

Riyadh: the capital has no port, and its showrooms and auctions are the largest source of cars on this line. Cars are loaded on a carrier to Jeddah, and a container is stuffed in Riyadh, sealed and then travels by road. The details are in the article shipping company from Riyadh to Benin.

Jeddah: the port and the airport are in the city itself, so no long road transport item is paid and the shipment catches the nearest sailing. What concerns its districts and warehouses is in the article shipping company from Jeddah to Benin.

Makkah and Madinah: most of what leaves them is the luggage of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and of students. Entry of large trucks to the centre of both cities is regulated by hours set by the traffic department and tightened in the seasons, so we collect with a small vehicle from the hotel or lodgings and then consolidate the shipment in Jeddah.

Sea freight from Jeddah to the port of Cotonou: a full container or a shared one?

Sea freight from Jeddah to the port of Cotonou takes three forms: a full container for you alone, space in a shared container, and a RoRo vessel for vehicles. A 20ft container holds about 28 cubic metres, a 40ft about 58, and a 40ft high cube about 68. Choosing between them is first a question of volume and then one of time: a full container is sealed at your door and not opened until Cotonou, while a shared one passes through a consolidation warehouse in Jeddah and a deconsolidation warehouse at the port.

Point of comparison	Full container	Part load in a shared container
When to choose it	Goods filling half the container or more	A few cartons and pallets
Basis of the price	One charge for the container	By the cubic metre or the weight
Time	Catches the first sailing	Waits for the container to fill
Cars	Accepted and lashed by the wheels	Not shipped as a part load

The practical rule is to work out the volume of your goods first. Anything above 14 or 15 cubic metres makes it worth asking for the price of a 20ft container, which may equal the part-load price or come in below it. The dimensions and payload of each container are on the container sizes page, and the service is explained on the sea freight page.

The port of Cotonou: gateway to Benin and its neighbours

The port of Cotonou is the only commercial port in Benin and lies on the Atlantic in the country’s largest city. Its importance is greater than the size of Benin itself: it is the nearest sea outlet to landlocked Niger, about 120 kilometres from Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, and goods are distributed from it to Burkina Faso and Mali. That is why it has wide yards for cars, and around it a vehicle market where traders from the neighbouring countries buy.

A transit shipment has its final destination written on the bill of lading from the start, leaves Benin under a transit document with electronic tracking, and must cross the border within a set period, mentioned as about fifteen days. Here is an important caution: the land crossing between Benin and Niger has been closed at times and transit stopped with it, so many traders in Niger moved their goods to the port of Lomé. We therefore do not accept a transit shipment to Niamey before making sure of the border position on the day of booking. If Lomé suits you better, its details are in the article on shipping from Saudi Arabia to Togo.

Shipping used cars and vehicles from Saudi Arabia to Benin

Shipping used cars and vehicles from Saudi Arabia to Benin is the first service on this line. A car is shipped in one of two ways: driven onto the deck of a RoRo vessel uncovered, as it is, or secured by its wheels inside a closed container. Benin drives on the right with the steering wheel on the left, as in the Kingdom, so the car is registered there without conversion. We go through the import conditions in force with you before you buy the car, not after you ship it.

• Collection: from your home, the showroom or the auction yard in any city, on a car carrier or flatbed to Jeddah port.
• Preparation: a quarter of a tank of fuel or less, the alarm switched off, and every personal item taken out.
• Bill of lading: it states the chassis number, the engine number and capacity, the year of manufacture, the make and the model, and an error in any number stops the clearance.
• Handover: to the consignee or an agent in the Cotonou port yard after the charges are paid, or carried on to the consignee’s town.

The general conditions for exporting a car from the Kingdom are in the article on car shipping from Saudi Arabia, and the vehicle service is on the car shipping page.

RoRo or a container for your car?

The answer follows three questions: does the car run? Is there anything else you want to send with it? And how many cars are you shipping? RoRo is simpler and cheaper for a single running car, but its sailings to West Africa are fewer than container sailings, so we confirm that a sailing exists before promising you a date. A container is always available and protects the car from salt and from hands.

Point of comparison	RoRo	Container
How it is loaded	Driven up the ship’s ramp and lashed on the car deck	Driven into the container and strapped at all four wheels
Condition of the car	It must start, move and stop on its own brakes	Non-runners and damaged cars are accepted
Cover	Uncovered, on a roofed deck inside the ship	Inside a sealed steel box
Belongings	Not allowed inside the car	Shipped beside it on a packing list
Cost	The lowest for one car	Split between two cars in a 40ft

Both methods are explained on the RoRo shipping and car in a container pages.

Conditions for importing a car into Benin

Benin is one of the easiest markets in the region for accepting a used car, but the charges are not small and the papers are scrutinised. This is a summary of the practice, all of it rules that change, so we confirm what is in force with the clearing agent in Cotonou before every shipment.

• Age of the car: the information circulated by shipping lines is that Benin sets no maximum age for an imported passenger car. Its neighbours do: Nigeria and Ivory Coast, for example. If the car is going on to another country, that country’s condition is the one that governs.
• Charges: customs duty under the common external tariff of the West African states, value added tax at 18%, and statistical and community levies. The figure in circulation is that the total comes close to half of the assessed value.
• New electric and hybrid cars: an exemption from value added tax was announced for them for a set period. We ask whether it still applies before shipping.
• Transit cars: they are entered in an electronic tracking system and leave the border within their time limit, otherwise transit status lapses and the charges fall due.
• The consignee: needs a tax number in Benin and a licensed clearing agent who receives the file before the ship arrives.

Steps for shipping a car from Saudi Arabia to Benin

Shipping a car starts at the traffic department, not at the port. The car does not leave Jeddah port on its local plates; it has to be taken off the register and issued with an export certificate. These are the steps in order:

1. Send the details: a picture of the registration, the type of car, its year of manufacture and its city, and we reply with the price and the method available on the nearest sailing.
2. Settle what is owed: traffic fines, and any lien or finance needs a release letter from the financing body.
3. Obtain the export certificate: from the traffic department after handing in the plates; the car is given temporary export plates on which it moves to the port.
4. Hand over the car: we collect it from your location and record its condition in photographs, then it is taken to the port yard.
5. Loading and the bill: it is driven onto the ship or lashed in the container, and the bill of lading is issued in the name of the consignee in Benin.
6. Tracking note: we obtain it as soon as the bill of lading is issued and send the complete file to the clearing agent in Cotonou.

The step-by-step procedure is on the car shipping guide page.

Why do West African buyers ask for a car that comes from Saudi Arabia?

Because its condition is usually better than that of its counterpart from a cold, damp country. The dry climate of the Kingdom keeps the body from rust, the paved motorways do not wear out the suspension, and genuine spare parts are available at the dealerships, so servicing stays regular. The market is large and turns over quickly, so you find the same model in many years and prices in the showrooms and auctions of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Trucks, equipment and motorcycles

Whatever moves on wheels or tracks boards the RoRo vessel under its own power, and whatever does not is loaded on an open-sided flat rack or on a trailer inside the ship.

• Trucks and buses: shipped by RoRo, with freight measured on their full dimensions including mirrors and body.
• Construction equipment: excavators, loaders and forklifts, with long booms detached where needed to reduce the volume.
• Tractors and farm machinery: cleaned of earth before shipping, since soil left on them is a reason for holding them in plant quarantine.
• Motorcycles: the first means of transport in the towns of Benin, shipped in timber crates inside a container.

The ways of loading large items are on the heavy equipment shipping page.

Shipping commercial goods and spare parts to Benin

After cars come spare parts, then the Saudi products that have a market in West Africa. The trader in Cotonou imports in the name of a business with a tax number, and the documents are written in French or accompanied by a translation, because that is the language of the customs there. Anyone dealing for the first time does well to send a small part load to test the route and the clearing agent before booking a container.

Item	Usual shipping method	What to watch
Car parts and used engines	Full container or part load	Draining the oils, and listing the items with their quantities
Building materials, tiles and sanitary ware	A 20ft container because of the weight	The weight allowed for the container and for the road
Dates and tinned foods	Full container, refrigerated where needed	A health certificate and a shelf life long enough for a long voyage
Electrical appliances and air conditioners	Full container or part load	Electricity in Benin is 220 volts at 50 hertz

The service for traders is on the commercial shipping page.

The cargo tracking note and import verification: before sailing, not after

What most surprises a first-time shipper to Benin is a document not asked for at most destinations in the world, the electronic cargo tracking note, known by its French short name BESC and in English as ECTN. It is issued by the Benin shippers’ council, and no sea shipment is cleared without it. Alongside it runs an import verification programme under which many items are inspected and their classification and value reviewed.

• When it is obtained: after the final bill of lading is issued, and it is submitted within a few days of the ship sailing and in good time before it arrives.
• What it needs: the bill of lading, the commercial invoice in dollars or euros, the freight amount, the tariff heading of each item, and the country of origin.
• Without it: the shipment is stopped at the port and a fine is imposed on every bill of lading, with storage charges for each day on top.
• Our part: we prepare its data with the draft bill of lading, issue it straight after sailing, and send its number to the consignee.

The rest of the shipment’s papers are explained on the shipping documents page.

Personal effects and furniture for returnees and students

Someone returning to Benin after years of work or study in the Kingdom usually ships no more than a few cubic metres: clothes, books, small appliances and some furniture. That volume goes as a part load, and a container is booked for it only if a car travels with it. University students, among them students of the Islamic University of Madinah, ship their libraries in small strong cartons because books are heavy.

• Exemption: the practice is that used effects owned for six months or more enter free of duty with a certificate of change of residence and an undertaking not to sell. The conditions are checked before shipping.
• Inventory: in French, dated and signed, with every carton by its number and contents.
• New appliances: anything less than six months old has its invoice requested and its duty paid.
• Large furniture: dismantled and wrapped, and chipboard is protected from the coastal humidity with a tight wrap.

The furniture service is on the furniture shipping page.

Parcels, gifts and the luggage of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims

Benin has a large Muslim community that sends Hajj and Umrah pilgrims every season, and they go home with gifts beyond what the plane allows. We collect this luggage from the hotel in Makkah, Madinah or Jeddah, weigh it in front of its owner and hand over a receipt with the shipment number. What is light and urgent flies, and what is heavy is grouped with other cargo in a part-load sea shipment.

• What is usually sent: dates, prayer rugs, copies of the Quran, alcohol-free perfumes, clothes and fabrics.
• Zamzam water: we do not ship it, since its export is prohibited except for the dedicated pack the traveller carries.
• Liquid perfumes and sprays: restricted in air freight because they are flammable, and they go by sea in personal quantities.

The parcel service is on the parcel shipping page.

Packing for a voyage that ends in the Gulf of Guinea

A container bound for Cotonou is lifted by crane at least four times: in Jeddah, twice at the connecting port, and in Cotonou. It spends weeks at sea and then reaches a hot, very humid coast. Packing here is worked out for those two things: vibration during handling, and condensation inside the container.

Item	How it is packed and secured
A car inside the container	Straps on all four wheels, timber chocks nailed to the floor, and the battery terminal disconnected
Engines and heavy spare parts	On pallets, bound with steel strapping, after the oil is drained
The container itself	Desiccant bags hung from the roof, and heat-treated timber stamped ISPM 15

The materials are detailed in the packing guide, and the ways of securing cargo inside a container on the packing and lashing page.

Documents and customs clearance in Benin

Clearance in Cotonou is carried out by a licensed clearing agent in the consignee’s name, and an individual cannot complete it personally. We prepare the export file in the Kingdom and send a full copy to the clearing agent at least a week before the ship arrives. What is required differs with the type of shipment:

Type of shipment	Documents
Car or vehicle	Original registration, export certificate, purchase invoice, bill of lading with the chassis and engine details, tracking note, and the consignee’s ID and tax number
Commercial goods	The bill of lading and the tracking note, then the invoice, the packing list and the certificate of origin, plus any certificates the item calls for
Personal effects and furniture	Passport, inventory in French, certificate of change of residence, undertaking not to sell, and tracking note
Transit shipment	The above according to its type, with the final country and town written on the bill of lading
Medicines and medical supplies	An import licence from the health authority in Benin before shipping

• Tariff: Benin is a member of the Economic Community of West African States and of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, and applies their common external tariff with its graduated bands.
• Tax: value added tax is 18% at the standard rate, calculated after the customs duty is added.
• Free days: limited, and mentioned by some lines as about ten days for a dry container, with daily charges after that.

The procedure is explained on the customs clearance page.

What cannot be shipped to Benin or needs a permit

Prohibited items are of two kinds: what Benin bans on its territory, and what the export and transport rules of the Kingdom ban. The table gathers the most important, and anything you are unsure of, ask us before you put it in the carton.

Item	Ruling
Narcotics and psychotropic substances	Strictly prohibited
Weapons, ammunition and explosives	Prohibited without a prior official licence
Counterfeit goods	Confiscated, and the owner is fined
Asbestos and hazardous waste	Prohibited
Ivory and products of endangered animals	Prohibited
Medicines	With an import licence from the health authority
Scrap metal	With an inspection certificate showing it is free of radiation
Foodstuffs, plants and seeds	With health and agricultural certificates
Tobacco and perfumes in commercial quantities	Allowed, with duty paid
Zamzam water	Not shipped from the Kingdom
Lithium batteries and flammable materials	Restricted by air, and declared by sea

The full list is on the prohibited items page.

Delivery of shipments from Saudi Arabia in Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou

Once the shipment leaves the port customs it is loaded on a truck to the consignee’s address. Cotonou itself and the area next to it are delivered on the day of clearance or the one after. Porto-Novo, the official capital, is about forty kilometres to the east. Parakou, the largest town of the north, is on the main road climbing towards Niger.

Town	Distance from the port of Cotonou	Delivery time after clearance
Cotonou	Inside the city	The same day or the next
Abomey-Calavi	About 18 km	The same day or the next
Porto-Novo	About 40 km	One day
Bohicon and Abomey	About 125 km	One to two days
Parakou	About 415 km	Two to three days
Natitingou	About 540 km	Three days
Kandi and Malanville	620–735 km	Three to four days

Most traders collect cars straight from the port yard and drive or move them themselves. Goods and luggage are delivered to the door, and whatever is agreed is unloaded. How the service works is on the door-to-door shipping page, and the destination page is shipping to Benin.

Is there land freight from Saudi Arabia to Benin?

No. Between the Kingdom and Benin lie the Red Sea and the whole width of the African continent, with dozens of borders and desert tracks that no commercial truck runs regularly. Everything that reaches Benin from the Kingdom arrives by sea at the port of Cotonou or by air at its airport.

Air freight from Saudi Arabia to Benin

Air freight from Saudi Arabia to Benin is the route for parcels and urgent goods that cannot bear a month and a half at sea. The shipment leaves from King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah or King Fahd Airport in Dammam and arrives at Cotonou international airport at Cadjehoun, where the owner collects it or it is delivered. The shipment normally passes through one connecting airport, such as Addis Ababa, Istanbul or Casablanca, depending on the flight available, and the time with clearance comes to 4 to 7 days.

Air service	Price	Time	Suited to
General air freight per kilogram	Starts from SAR 28	4–7 days	Spare parts, samples and excess luggage
Express parcel of up to 5 kg	Starts from SAR 110	4–6 days	Gifts and small items
Express documents of up to one kilogram	Starts from SAR 83	3–5 days	Certificates, contracts and original bills of lading
Commercial goods above 100 kg	Set on request	5–7 days	Electronics and urgent spare parts for workshops

• Chargeable weight: the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, which you can work out with the volumetric weight calculator.
• What does not fly: flammable liquids and sprays, loose lithium batteries, and engines containing fuel or oil.
• When it is cheaper than sea: for light shipments below about 100 kg, because a sea shipment carries a minimum of fixed charges.

The details of the service are on the air freight page.

Steps for shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin

The sequence is the same whether the shipment is a container of goods or cartons of luggage; only the paperwork differs. From the first call to the consignee’s door the shipment goes through these steps:

1. Description: you send us the type of shipment, its volume, your city and the name of the town in Benin, with pictures if possible.
2. Price: it reaches you broken down by item: inland transport, sea or air freight, the tracking note, and insurance if you ask for it.
3. Booking: we fix the sailing and tell you its closing date and the expected date of arrival.
4. Collection: the team arrives on time, packs what needs it, loads, and hands you a report with the count and the condition.
5. Export: we lodge the export declaration, and the shipment enters the port yard or the airport warehouse.
6. Sailing and documents: the bill of lading is issued, then the tracking note, and we send the file to the consignee and the clearing agent.
7. Clearance: the clearing agent starts the formalities before the ship berths, and the consignee pays the charges.
8. Delivery: the car is handed over in the yard, or the goods are delivered to the address, and the consignee signs for receipt.

Tracking and insurance on a long line

A voyage of this length has a connecting port and two ships, so knowing the sailing day is not enough. We give you the container number and the bill of lading number, and with them you can see on the shipping line’s website when the container was discharged at the connecting port and when it boarded the second ship. We also send you an update on WhatsApp at every station.

As for insurance, the sea carrier’s liability for damage is capped at a low ceiling set by international conventions and does not make good the value of a car or a container of goods. We therefore advise optional insurance on a shipment of value, calculated as a small percentage of its declared value and covering it from the sender’s door to the port of arrival. Its condition is that the state of the goods is recorded in photographs before loading. The details are on the shipment tracking and cargo insurance pages.

Shipping from Benin to Saudi Arabia

Traffic in the opposite direction is lighter, and most of it is agricultural produce, trade samples and the personal effects of people moving to work in the Kingdom. Our agent collects the shipment in Cotonou, and it sails to Jeddah Islamic Port or flies to Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam. Foodstuffs and agricultural produce need the approval of the competent food authority before they are shipped, and used cars coming in have an age condition and Gulf specifications, so check with us before you buy.

Tips before shipping to Benin

• Ask whether the car is worthwhile before buying it: send the chassis number and the year of manufacture, and we give you the freight and the customs estimate together.
• Agree with the clearing agent in Cotonou before sailing, and give us the name and number so the file goes straight there.
• Match the chassis number on the registration, the export certificate and the bill of lading character by character before the final bill is issued.
• Write the packing list in French or attach its translation, and state quantities, not general descriptions.
• If the destination is Niger, ask about the state of the border first, then choose between Cotonou and Lomé.

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

Few companies in the Kingdom ship to West Africa regularly, and many accept the order and then look for someone to carry it out. The difference shows in simple questions you ask before paying, and these are the signs that separate someone who knows the line from someone trying it out on your shipment:

Sign	What it tells you
Mentions the tracking note in the first call	Has shipped to Cotonou before and knows what stops a shipment
Asks about the car’s year of manufacture and its final destination	Checks the import conditions before taking your money
Names the connecting port and the waiting time there	Books on a known line, not on the cheapest found
Has a clearing agent to work with in Cotonou	The shipment is not left at the quay
Is frank about the state of the Niger border	Does not sell you a transit that cannot be carried out

Common mistakes when shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin

• Leaving the tracking note until after the ship arrives, then paying the fine and the storage charges together.
• Buying a car for transit to Nigeria or Ivory Coast without looking at the age condition there.
• Putting spare parts and belongings inside a car travelling by RoRo.
• An error in a single digit of the chassis number on the bill of lading.
• Estimating customs on the purchase invoice, when the customs calculate on their own value.
• Sending the container in the name of a consignee with no tax number in Benin.
• Booking a transit shipment to Niger through Cotonou without asking about the crossing.

Why Home Safe for shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin?

Because the Benin line is not run on price alone. A shipment without a tracking note is stopped, a car with a wrong chassis number is held up, and a container without a clearing agent pays storage. We put these three in order before the truck moves from your door, and we stay with you until the consignee signs.

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 Riyadh to Benin
• Shipping company from Jeddah to Benin
• Shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Ivory Coast
• Shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Togo
• International sea freight from Jeddah
• Car shipping from Saudi Arabia

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Frequently asked questions about shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin

How much does shipping from Saudi Arabia to Benin cost?

A saloon car on a RoRo vessel from Jeddah port to the port of Cotonou starts from SAR 2,800. By air, a kilogram starts from SAR 28, an express parcel of up to 5 kg from SAR 110, and documents of up to one kilogram from SAR 83. A full container and a part load by the cubic metre are set on request, because they follow the sailing date and the volume of the goods.

How many days does a shipment need to reach Cotonou?

The sailing from Jeddah to Cotonou normally takes 25 to 35 days, because the ship changes at a hub port before heading down to the Gulf of Guinea. With collection from your city and clearance at both ends, the door-to-door time comes to 35 to 50 days. Air freight to Cotonou airport takes 4 to 7 days including clearance.

Can an old used car enter Benin?

The information circulated by shipping lines is that Benin sets no age limit on imported passenger cars, unlike neighbours such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The countries of the region are moving towards age restrictions, however, and the rule may change. So send us the year of manufacture and the chassis number before you pay for the car, and we confirm what applies at that time.

What is the cargo tracking note Benin asks for?

An electronic document known by the short name BESC, issued by the Benin shippers’ council for every inbound sea shipment, holding the details of the shipper, the consignee, the goods and the freight charge. It is obtained after the bill of lading is issued and within a few days of sailing. A shipment that reaches the port of Cotonou without it is stopped and carries a heavy fine, which is why we issue it ourselves as part of the shipment file.

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

A car that starts and moves and has nothing travelling with it goes RoRo, the cheapest way for a single car. A car that does not run, or a valuable one, or one you want to send spare parts and tyres with, belongs in a container.

Can I leave belongings inside the shipped car?

Not on RoRo. The car is handed to the vessel empty apart from its original kit, such as the spare wheel and the jack, and anything left inside exposes it to rejection or is lost without compensation. In a container, belongings travel beside the car, not inside it, and are written on the packing list item by item.

Do you ship from Riyadh and Dammam, or from Jeddah only?

We collect from every city in the Kingdom. The container and the car are moved by road to Jeddah Islamic Port, because it is the port of exit to West Africa, and Eastern Province containers may leave from Dammam port when a suitable sailing exists, with a longer transit.

I am a trader in Niger. Can I receive my goods through Cotonou?

Cotonou is the port nearest to Niamey, but overland transit from Benin to Niger has been interrupted at times by the closure of the border between the two countries. We therefore do not book a transit shipment before confirming the state of the crossing. If it is closed, the alternative is the port of Lomé in Togo, and we arrange the shipment to it in the same way.

How much is customs duty on a car in Benin?

Benin applies the common external tariff of the West African states, together with value added tax at 18% and other levies. The calculation rests on a value the customs estimate from the chassis number, the year of manufacture and the engine capacity, not on the purchase invoice. The figure in circulation is that the total comes close to half of that value.

What documents are needed to ship a car to Benin?

In Saudi Arabia: the car’s registration, the owner’s ID or residence permit, and the export certificate from the traffic department after the fines are paid and the plates handed in. In Benin: the original bill of lading showing the chassis number, the engine number and capacity and the year of manufacture, the purchase invoice, the cargo tracking note, and the consignee’s ID and tax number.

Are the belongings of someone returning to Benin exempt from duty?

The practice is that used household effects their owner has had for at least six months enter free of duty when accompanied by a certificate of change of residence, an inventory in French that is dated and signed, and an undertaking not to sell. Invoices are requested for new appliances and duty is charged on them.

Do you collect a Beninese Hajj or Umrah pilgrim’s luggage from the hotel?

Yes. We collect the bags and cartons from the hotel in Makkah, Madinah or Jeddah before the flight, and send them by air if they are urgent or within a part-load sea shipment if the weight is large. Zamzam water is not included in the shipment, since its export is prohibited except for the dedicated pack the traveller carries on the plane personally.

Can I ship a small quantity of goods without a full container?

Yes. A part load charges the space your goods take up, by the cubic metre, inside a shared container, and suits a few pallets and cartons of spare parts. Its price is set on request according to volume and weight.

Who pays the charges at the port of Cotonou?

The consignee in Benin, who settles them through the clearing agent when the shipment arrives. For our part we send the documents to the clearing agent at least a week before the ship arrives, so that the container does not run into storage charges.

Do you ship from Benin to Saudi Arabia?

Yes, for commercial shipments and personal effects. Our agent collects them in Cotonou, they sail to Jeddah port or fly to one of the Kingdom’s airports, and then we clear them and deliver to your address. Cars coming into the Kingdom have age and specification conditions that we go through with you before any booking.