Ok, now this particular process describes the process for my specific scenario – the fact that I am driving the car out of the country. If you are shipping / transporting the car through an agent, the process may be slightly different.

NB – When an expat leaves Saudi Arabia permanently, this is known as a Final Exit or Exit Only. Here , the individual has to relinquish any official residency documentation. Before we can leave the country, we must not have any vehicle registered against my name. Most people therefore sell their car prior to the Final Exit.

Step 1 – Make sure the car has all the required minimum documentation:

Registration Card ( Istemara) is valid.

MVPI is valid ( Annual MoT equivalent)

Iqama is valid ( Residency Permit)

Insurance is valid ( Third party minimum ) .

Step 2  – Company Support

Here, you will need your employer ( or sponsor ) to prepare a Letter of No Objection. This is a simple one page letter, in which the sponsor sates they have no objection to you exporting your car. This is essential, without this letter, the Traffic Police ( Muroor ) will not process anything. The Letter must be attested by the Chamber of Commerce with an official stamp.

Step 3 – Online Payment

Go to your online banking service, and make an online payment ( through the SADAD system) for exporting a vehicle. The cost is 100 SR. You will need your vehicle sequence number ( it is printed on the Istemara, an eight digit number ) .

When you make the payment, insert an extra ‘0’ in front of the vehicle sequence number, so that it becomes a nine digit number. Make the payment for 100SR.

Step 4 – Visit Traffic Police

In Riyadh, there is one main office that I know of –  Information and Documents Centre (IDC) , Riyadh  . Take copies of the following documents

1 – Iqama ( Residency Permit )

2 – Saudi Driving Licence

3 – Vehicle Registration ( Istemara )

4 – MVPI certificate

5 – Passport

6 – Driving Licence for any other country or if you have an International Driving Licence

7 – Third Party Insurance evidence

Step 5 – Export Licence

1 – Go with your company / sponsor advisor to the IDC, and as far as I know, go before 10am. Here, the Traffic Police will carry out a technical inspection of your vehicle.

2 – Remove the original number plates from your vehicle and hand them over with the paperwork. The Traffic Police then give you a new set of plates that you have to fit.

NOTE – The Export Plates look at first glance very similar to the normal plates, with the following observations:

A – The side panel is a silver / grey colour as opposed to the usual white.

B – The Large black circle is replaced with a black triangle

C – It’s a totally different number, which is used in the Export Papers

3 – The car will still be registered to  your name, so you must export it. It will not be de-registered until it has left the country.

4 – You have 14 days to export the vehicle.

5 – The Traffic Police will issue you with an Export Licence which you will need to keep with you. This is essentially a print out from their system.

6- You relinquish the Istemara ( registration card ) and keep the export papers with you at all times.

7 – You will then need to arrange to take the car out of the country, or arrange for a shipping company to do that for you.

If for any reason, you decide to cancel the import ( which is what we had to do), basically, it’s a reverse of the process, with some small changes.

Cancelling Export Plates:

Go to the IDC and inform them you have to cancel

Go to a the local Moroor / Traffic Police

Make a payment ( through ATM or online ) for 400 SR for a new Istemara

Return the Export Plates and collect a new set of plates and new Istemara. This will be a new number plate to the original ones and different again to the Export Plate Number.