Customs Clearance Specialist Complete Review Guide 2026–2027

4. For a general licence the firm adds one or more activities and meets the conditions of each (Art. 3(1)(c)).
5. Added activities are renewed for a period that does not go beyond the licence's validity date (Art. 4(3)).
6. The Authority may refuse renewal based on the firm's performance measurement results (Art. 4(2)).
7. Special representative: licence of one year, renewable for the same period; he submits a release letter if he previously worked at another clearance firm (Art. 7).
8. When adding an activity the firm specifies the customs offices or deposit zones and provides a documentary guarantee for the activity's financial obligations (Art. 9(1)).
9. At least one clearance specialist and one classification specialist are required per activity, for one office or several (Art. 9(1)(c)).
10. A transit firm recovers the extra guarantee given to cover a shortfall after proving the goods left the office complete and intact, and cooperates with the Authority if transit goods overstay (Art. 9(2)).
11. An express firm keeps records proving clients paid the actual value of goods for five years and meets express warehouse operating requirements inside the customs area (Art. 9(3)).
12. Firm obligations: obtain the client's electronic authorisation before clearance (10(1)), keep system login data confidential and never let others use it (10(3)), and provide electronic payment means (10(6)).
13. After clearance the firm gives the owner its fee invoice, a copy of the declaration and receipts (Art. 10(10)).
14. The firm may agree with the client to provide transport with clearance (10(11)) and must cooperate with Authority staff on inspection and provide documents (10(12)).
15. The firm may delegate work to an outsider only with the goods owner's consent (10(13)); after lab results for restricted goods it settles its undertakings within 15 working days of notifying the owner (10(16)).
16. Authority obligations: grant specialists and representatives system login details and permissions (Art. 13(1)); it may run periodic tests, courses and workshops for them (Art. 8).
17. An employee's transfer request is filed through the Authority's approved channels (Art. 12(3)).
18. Grounds for suspension include skipping Authority-mandated training (15(2)) and repeated violations of the Law or Rules (15(7)).
19. A clearance employee must report any suspected client violation (Art. 11(5)).
20. The Authority may impose fines and disciplinary penalties for breaching the Rules, the Law or its Regulations (Art. 18(1)); notice goes through approved channels with a right to object (Art. 19).
21. If a firm refuses without reason to finish clearance, the Authority may, at the owner's request, transfer the authorisation to another firm (Art. 17(1)).

Common mistakes in this chapter

• ✕ Mixing up cancellation (Art. 14: 180 consecutive days of non-practice, or the firm's own request) with strike-off (Art. 16: final custodial sentence, renting or covering for the licence, two years' suspension without correcting the position).
• ✕ "A university degree is the minimum" is wrong; the minimum is secondary school or equivalent, with no degree required.
• ✕ A non-Saudi resident cannot be a classification or clearance specialist whatever the qualification; a 17-year-old Saudi fails the age condition.
• ✕ Customs consulting is not an activity under the general clearance licence; it needs a separate customs consulting licence.
• ✕ A specialist works for his own firm only; clearing a client's goods personally outside the firm is not allowed (Art. 11).
• ✕ A special representative acts only for the authorising entity and must not own a licensed clearance firm.