SABER Product
Conformity Certificate vs Shipment Certificate
Introduction
One of the
most common areas of confusion for importers using SABER is the difference
between a Product Conformity Certificate and a Shipment Certificate. The names
are related, but each certificate serves a different stage of the compliance
process.
Product
Conformity Certificate
This
certificate relates to the product itself and its compliance with the
applicable technical regulation and standards. SABER states that the process
requires product registration, model numbers and the relevant technical file.
The published validity period is one year.
Shipment
Certificate
The
Shipment Certificate relates to a specific imported consignment. The importer
selects the products, provides shipment information and submits the request for
technical review. A registered product and either a Product Conformity
Certificate or self-declaration, depending on the case, are required.
Practical
difference
The
product certificate addresses the conformity status of the product. The
shipment certificate addresses the specific consignment entering Saudi Arabia.
A product certificate may remain valid while each shipment still requires its
own shipment process.
Published fees
and timing
SABER
currently lists SAR 500 before VAT and 5–6 working days for the Product
Conformity Certificate, and SAR 350 before VAT and 1–2 working days for the
commercial Shipment Certificate. These published service fees do not
necessarily represent every possible cost in a particular case.
Where delays
usually happen
Problems
often arise when goods are shipped before the product certificate is completed,
when invoice, model or manufacturer data differs from the registered data, or
when an importer assumes a previous certificate can be reused for a different
factory or product without verification.
How to save
time
Standardize
product, model and manufacturer details before filing, begin the conformity
process before the shipping date, prepare technical documents early and review
the commercial invoice before it is finalized.
Golden Phase
service
Golden
Phase Commercial reviews SABER files for importers, verifies product,
manufacturer and model data, helps identify the appropriate route and follows
the product and shipment certificate procedures according to the case.
Official source
SABER
official platform: https://saber.sa/
