If you are going to Saudi Arabia or preparing to come from there, then it is very important to know the new changes made by the Saudi government. Now passengers coming to or leaving Saudi Arabia will have to give information about cash and expensive metals like gold and silver with them.
Millions of expatriates from many countries including India live in Saudi Arabia. For this reason, thousands of people travel every day from Saudi Arabia to other countries or come to Saudi Arabia from those countries. Now these people will have to go through a process in Saudi Arabia. However, this process will happen only when the passenger has more than 60 thousand Saudi Riyals (about 13 lakh Indian rupees) in cash or expensive metal items like gold and silver.
Saudi Arabia’s Customs Department has appealed to all foreign travelers that now while leaving Saudi Arabia or before entering there, if foreign travelers have more than 60 thousand riyals in cash or goods, they should inform Saudi Customs Department. Will have to give If the passengers do not do this then they may have to face heavy fine.
The Zakat, Tax and Custom Authority (ZTCA) of the Saudi Arabian government said that any passenger who does not give correct information about cash or other goods with him, while seizing his goods, he will have to pay a fine of 25 percent of its equivalent value. If someone is caught doing this for the second time, then 50 percent of the total value of your cash or goods will have to be paid as fine.
Understand simply, if someone’s goods or cash worth Rs 20 lakh is seized, then a fine of 25 percent i.e. Rs 5 lakh will be taken in the first instance. If next time also his goods worth 20 lakhs are seized, then a fine of 10 lakh rupees will be imposed as a punishment. And if the seized goods or cash is found to have a connection with any crime or money laundering, then action will be taken under the Saudi Arabian Anti Money Laundering Law.
You can enter your information like this
According to the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZTCA), all travelers can register their cash and baggage details through the ZTCA app or the official website, zatca.gov.sa, before arriving at the entry or exit points of Saudi Arabia. Apart from this, you can contact the office of the Custom Department at the airport itself.
The Saudi Arabian Zakat, Tax and Custom Authority further explained that this process is necessary for all those who have more than 60 thousand Saudi Riyals in cash, or expensive goods or foreign currency of equivalent value.
