How to Import Cardamom from India to Saudi Arabia (2026): SFDA, Duty, and Documents

Saudi Arabia is the world's largest cardamom importer, and almost none of it is grown there. Cardamom is central to Saudi life through gahwa, the cardamom-scented coffee served in every home and majlis, and the Kingdom relies on imports, mainly from India and Guatemala, to meet that demand. If you are a buyer, distributor, or trading house planning to import Indian green cardamom into Saudi Arabia, this guide walks through what it actually takes: the HS code, what you will pay in duty and VAT, the SFDA registration and Certificate of Conformity that food consignments need, the lab test report that Indian spice shipments specifically require, and how the cargo clears customs.

Saudi Arabia runs one of the stricter food-import regimes in the Gulf, so getting the documentation right before you ship is the difference between a clean release and cargo held at the port.

Why import cardamom from India?

India is the origin Gulf buyers associate with the finest green cardamom, and within India, the Idukki district of Kerala is its heart. Idukki produces the large majority of the country's small cardamom, grown high in the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats. The altitude, dual-monsoon rainfall, and forest-shade cultivation give the pods the deep green colour, high essential-oil content, and clean aroma that Saudi buyers look for in gahwa-grade cardamom, and the Alleppey Green type carries a GI tag.

India also has the practical advantages of established shipping routes to Jeddah and Dammam from ports such as Cochin, and long familiarity with the documentation Saudi customs and the SFDA expect.

The correct HS code for cardamom

Cardamom falls under HS heading 0908, the international code covering cardamom, nutmeg, and mace. Whole (neither crushed nor ground) cardamom sits under sub-heading 090831, and for whole small green cardamom exported from India the common 8-digit code is 0908 31 20 (Alleppey green). Crushed or ground cardamom falls under 0908 32.

The six-digit code is internationally standard, so it is the same in India and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia extends it under its Integrated Customs Tariff for the import declaration. Classification determines your duty rate, so if you are unsure of the exact sub-heading for your product form, confirm it with your customs broker against ZATCA's current tariff.

What you will pay: duty and VAT

Two separate charges apply, and the second one is where Saudi Arabia differs sharply from the UAE.

Customs duty. Saudi Arabia applies the GCC Common External Tariff, a standard rate of 5 percent on the CIF value for most goods, administered by the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA). Some basic food items sit on the GCC exemption list and enter duty-free, but whether whole cardamom qualifies should be verified against the current tariff rather than assumed. Note that there is no India-Saudi free trade agreement, so unlike shipments into the UAE (which can claim preferential duty under the India-UAE CEPA), Indian cardamom entering Saudi Arabia has no origin-based tariff discount to claim. It is assessed at the standard GCC rate.

VAT. This is the big one. Saudi Arabia charges VAT at 15 percent on imports, calculated on the CIF value plus any customs duty, and it applies even to goods that are exempt from duty. VAT was raised from 5 percent to 15 percent in July 2020. For a VAT-registered importer this is recoverable as input tax on the ZATCA return, but it is a large cash-flow item to plan for, and it makes the Saudi landed cost meaningfully higher than the equivalent UAE shipment.

SFDA: the heart of a Saudi food import

Food entering Saudi Arabia is regulated by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), and its requirements sit on top of ordinary customs clearance. For cardamom, the key steps are:

• Importer account and product registration. The Saudi importer must hold an SFDA account and register the food item, obtaining a Product Registration Number (PRN). The importer must also have a Commercial Register that includes food trading.
• Foreign establishment registration. The SFDA requires the exporting establishment abroad to be registered, typically supported by quality certificates such as ISO 22000, ISO 9001, GMP, or HACCP. In practice the Saudi importer usually drives these registrations, and the Indian exporter supplies the supporting documents.
• Certificate of Conformity (CoC). A CoC is mandatory for food consignments and is what lets the importer clear the shipment at Saudi customs. It is issued under the SFDA's Food Consignment Certification Programme after the consignment's documents and testing are evaluated.
• The test report for Indian spices. This is specific and important. Since 29 October 2019, the SFDA has required agricultural and spice shipments from India to arrive with a test report from an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory for clearance at Saudi ports. A cardamom consignment from India that arrives without an acceptable lab report is liable to be held. This is the Saudi parallel to the heightened residue scrutiny cardamom faces in Europe, and it is the single documentary requirement most worth getting right before you ship.

When a compliant consignment arrives, the SFDA evaluates the documents and may sample the goods; if nothing needs correction, it releases the item and refers it to customs for final clearance, often the same day.

Does cardamom need SABER or SASO certification?

This is a common point of confusion. SABER (the SASO conformity platform) is for non-food products. Food is regulated by the SFDA, not by SASO, so whole cardamom is handled through the SFDA food-import process described above rather than through a SABER conformity certificate. Raw agricultural food is typically SFDA-only. Processed or branded retail formats can bring additional requirements depending on HS classification and packaging, so if you are importing consumer packs rather than bulk, confirm the exact registration path with your customs broker.

Documents your Indian supplier must provide

A smooth Saudi clearance depends heavily on the paperwork your exporter hands over. Confirm your supplier can provide:

• Commercial invoice, with the original certified by the competent authority in the country of origin, as the SFDA requires.
• Packing list with carton counts, weights, and batch or lot numbers.
• Certificate of Origin.
• Phytosanitary certificate, issued in India, for this agricultural product. Plant quarantine on the Saudi side sits with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
• Laboratory test report from an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab, covering the parameters the SFDA screens for. As above, this is mandatory for Indian spice shipments.
• Bill of lading or airway bill.

Ask your supplier to confirm in writing, before the consignment ships, that each of these will accompany it — and check that the test report covers the specific parameters the SFDA screens for, not just a generic quality panel.

Labelling requirements

For cardamom sold in retail or consumer packs, Saudi labelling rules are strictly enforced:

• Arabic labelling is mandatory, following GSO labelling standards (such as GSO 9).
• Sufficient remaining shelf life on arrival, with the product conforming to its declared specification.
• Any organic claim must be backed by certification recognised in Saudi Arabia.

Cardamom is a plant product, so a halal certificate is not required the way it is for meat and animal-origin foods. Bulk cardamom for re-processing has different practical requirements from retail-ready packs, so clarify your end use with your clearing agent early.

The clearance process, step by step

1. Register and contract. Ensure SFDA importer and product registration are in place, agree Incoterms and specs, and confirm your supplier will issue the certified invoice, phytosanitary certificate, and the accredited-lab test report.
2. Supplier ships and couriers originals. Document originals should travel ahead of, or with, the cargo.
3. File the customs declaration. A licensed customs broker (Mukhallas) files via the Fasah/Bayan system under the correct HS code.
4. SFDA evaluation and Certificate of Conformity. Documents and testing are assessed; samples may be drawn. A compliant consignment receives its CoC.
5. Duty and VAT. ZATCA calculates the 5 percent duty (if applicable) and 15 percent VAT on the CIF-plus-duty value; payment is made electronically.
6. Release. On a clear result the SFDA releases the goods and refers them to customs for final clearance.

Common reasons shipments get held

Most delays trace back to documentation and testing:

• Missing or non-compliant lab test report on an Indian spice shipment.
• No SFDA product registration or Certificate of Conformity.
• Incorrect or missing Arabic labelling.
• HS code misdeclaration.
• Insufficient remaining shelf life.
• Test results exceeding Saudi limits for pesticide residues or contaminants, which is why sourcing from a supplier who can produce a clean, credible lab report matters so much.

Non-compliant consignments can be held, re-exported at the importer's cost, or destroyed, so the paperwork is not a formality.

A note on payment terms

For a first transaction between parties who have not traded before, payment structure protects both sides. Established norms range from advance TT and Letters of Credit (LC at sight) to documents-against-payment terms. A Letter of Credit is often the most balanced first-deal instrument: the exporter is assured of payment on presenting compliant documents, and you as the buyer pay only once the shipping and quality documents are in order.

Frequently asked questions

What is the HS code for cardamom imported into Saudi Arabia? Cardamom falls under HS heading 0908. For whole small green cardamom from India the common 8-digit code is 0908 31 20 (Alleppey green), and crushed or ground cardamom falls under 0908 32. Saudi Arabia extends the international 6-digit code under its Integrated Customs Tariff.

How much duty and VAT will I pay? The standard GCC customs duty is 5 percent of CIF value, with some basic foods exempt (confirm your line). On top of that, Saudi Arabia charges 15 percent VAT on the CIF-plus-duty value, and VAT applies even to duty-exempt goods. VAT is recoverable for VAT-registered importers.

Does Indian cardamom get a tariff discount in Saudi Arabia? No. There is no India-Saudi free trade agreement, so unlike the India-UAE CEPA, there is no preferential origin duty to claim. Indian cardamom is assessed at the standard GCC rate.

Do Indian spice shipments really need a lab test report? Yes. Since 29 October 2019 the SFDA has required agricultural and spice consignments from India to arrive with a test report from an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory for clearance at Saudi ports.

Does cardamom need SABER certification? No. SABER covers non-food products under SASO. Food, including cardamom, is regulated by the SFDA and cleared through its food-import process. Processed or branded retail packs may carry extra requirements, so confirm with your broker.

What documents must my Indian supplier provide? A certified commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, an accredited-lab test report, and the transport document.

Sourcing Indian green cardamom for the Saudi market? Get in touch to discuss grades, specifications, and terms, or view our export cardamom offering for AGEB and AGB grades, bold sizes (7mm, 8mm+), and lab-tested, export-quality Njallani green cardamom from the Idukki Zone A belt in Kerala.