SABER DESKSaber Desk · Free article
PCoC vs SCoC: the two SABER certificates, explained
What SABER is (and isn’t)
SABER is the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization’s (SASO) electronic platform for conformity certificates. It connects four parties: you as the importer, a SASO-approved Certification Body, SASO itself, and Saudi Customs. Paper certificates are gone — everything is issued and checked electronically, and the shipment certificate flows to customs through the FASAH clearance platform.
The most common misunderstanding: SABER is not a certification body. It issues nothing by itself. Certificates are issued by SASO-approved Certification Bodies working inside the platform; SABER is the channel, the registry, and the enforcement point at the border.
Every regulated product travels through two documents: a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) and a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC). They are issued in that order, they answer different questions, and one depends on the other.
The 60-second answer
PCoC certifies a product model. One per model, per importer. Valid 1 year. Platform fee 500 SAR + VAT. Official processing 5–6 working days once the technical file is complete — Certification Bodies commonly take 10–14 working days in practice.
SCoC certifies a shipment. One per shipment, every shipment. Valid 60 days. Platform fee 350 SAR + VAT. Official processing for the commercial service: 1–2 working days.
The link between them: an SCoC can only be issued against a PCoC that is still valid at that moment. Since January 2025 both must exist before the goods arrive; since October 2025 an SCoC is required on every import, including non-regulated goods through self-declaration.
Side by side
| PCoC — Product Certificate of Conformity | SCoC — Shipment Certificate of Conformity | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | One product model, for one importer | One specific shipment (the goods on one invoice / packing list) |
| How often | Once per model; renew yearly | Every shipment, without exception |
| Validity | 1 year (official) | 60 days (official) |
| Platform fee | 500 SAR + VAT (official) — Certification Body and testing fees are separate | 350 SAR + VAT (official) — Certification Body fee separate |
| Official processing | 5–6 working days once requirements and the technical file are complete | Commercial service: 1–2 working days · non-commercial service: 5 working days |
| In practice | Commonly 10–14 working days with Certification Body review (observed, not official) | Usually close to the official figure when the PCoC is valid and documents match |
| What it needs | Valid Saudi Commercial Registration, HS code, test reports to the currently required standards, prerequisite approvals where applicable (CST, IECEE via JEEM, RoHS file, energy-efficiency registration) | A PCoC valid at the time of request, plus commercial invoice and packing list that mirror the SABER registration |
| Who issues it | A SASO-approved Certification Body, inside SABER | A SASO-approved Certification Body, inside SABER |
| Where it goes | Sits in your SABER account and is referenced by every SCoC | Transmitted to Saudi Customs via FASAH — nothing to print |
What the PCoC actually certifies
The PCoC says: this product model, imported by this company, conforms to the Saudi technical regulations that apply to it. The certificate is issued per model per importer and is valid for one year. Certification Bodies and trade sources consistently describe it as usable for repeat shipments of the same model by the same importer within that year — but every one of those shipments still needs its own SCoC.
What decides the PCoC is the technical file. Issuance is conditional, not queued: the official FAQ is explicit that the certificate issues once requirements, data and the technical file are complete with the Certification Body. In electronics, “complete” usually means:
- Test reports to the standard currently required. For IT and audio/video equipment that is IEC 62368-1 — reports against the withdrawn IEC 60950-1 are no longer accepted, and a full test against the wrong standard is money burned.
- The prerequisite approvals that must exist before the PCoC. CST type approval for anything with a radio (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, IoT) — typically about 3–4 weeks. IECEE recognition through the JEEM portal for in-scope electrical and electronic products — official processing 5–21 working days, based on a valid IECEE CB test report and CB certificate. A RoHS file per IEC 63000. Energy-efficiency registration through SLS for in-scope categories such as lighting, air-conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines.
- A valid Saudi Commercial Registration behind the SABER account, and the right HS code for the model.
Creating the SABER account and entering the product are the fast parts — both are officially immediate and free. What takes time is what must exist first: the CR, the prerequisite approvals and the test reports.
What the SCoC certifies
The SCoC says: the goods in this specific shipment are covered by a valid PCoC and match the paperwork. It is requested per shipment against your commercial invoice and packing list, issued by a Certification Body inside SABER, and valid for 60 days. For commercial imports the official processing time is 1–2 working days.
Once valid, the SCoC is transmitted to Saudi Customs through FASAH automatically; customs clearance itself typically takes 3–5 working days. Two things break this step more than anything else: an invoice that does not mirror the SABER registration word for word (product names, models, quantities — the single most-cited cause of delay), and a Bill of Lading Consignee that is not the same legal entity as the Commercial Registration behind the SABER account.
The rule that connects them
An SCoC can only be issued while the PCoC is valid at that moment. A product certificate that lapses quietly stops every shipment behind it — the request simply cannot be completed until the PCoC is renewed, and the container keeps accruing storage and demurrage while that happens. Renewing the PCoC about 30 days before expiry removes the risk entirely.
The same logic applies to timing the SCoC. Because it is valid for 60 days, requesting it months ahead can leave you with an expired certificate when the vessel arrives; requesting it after departure risks the pre-arrival rule below. Time it against the sailing schedule.
How long it really takes
The fast path — when compliant test reports and prerequisites already exist: PCoC official processing 5–6 working days plus commercial SCoC 1–2 working days is roughly 6–8 working days of official service time for the two SABER certificate steps. Customs clearance sits on top of that, and the calendar around it still depends on your Certification Body and your documents. It is not an end-to-end figure.
From zero, for a wireless product — CST type approval (about 3–4 weeks, typical), IECEE recognition via JEEM (5–21 working days, official), lab testing where needed (roughly 2–4 weeks, typical), then PCoC and SCoC: planning on official service times gives realistically 6–10 weeks before the vessel; planning on practice figures for the PCoC, 7–12 weeks. Run the prerequisite tracks in parallel, not in sequence — that is where most of the calendar is saved.
What changed in 2025–2026
- January 2025: both the PCoC and the SCoC must exist before arrival. Letters of Undertaking — the old promise to certify later — are no longer accepted, and goods arriving without their certificates are treated as a violation, with re-export among the possible outcomes.
- Waves of HS-code changes (January 2025 and January 2026): certificates issued under old codes stay valid until expiry and customs remaps them at clearance, but new registrations must use the current codes — re-validate your codes each cycle.
- September 2025: a Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources declaration for a specific HS list, mostly industrial and building materials — rarely relevant to electronics, but check the list if your HS code is borderline.
- October 2025: an SCoC is required on all imports, including non-regulated goods, which go through self-declaration on the platform.
Special cases
Samples, personal-use items, manufacturing equipment and raw materials, individual construction and government projects have a separate, official non-commercial route (noncommercial.saber.sa) with its own 5-working-day SCoC service. It is limited and scrutinised; a request that does not qualify falls back to the normal route. One firm boundary: since May 2022 individuals cannot self-import private wireless devices — CST licensing applies.
Frequently asked questions
Is SABER a certification body?
No. SABER is SASO’s electronic platform. Certificates are issued by SASO-approved Certification Bodies working inside it; SABER records them and passes the shipment certificate to customs via FASAH.
Do I need a new PCoC for every shipment?
No — the PCoC is per product model per importer and valid for one year, and is described by Certification Bodies as usable for repeat shipments of the same model by the same importer within that year. What you need for every shipment, without exception, is an SCoC.
What happens if my PCoC expires while goods are on the water?
The SCoC cannot be issued against an expired PCoC, and since January 2025 the certificates must exist before arrival. The practical rule is to renew the PCoC about 30 days early and to time the SCoC against the sailing schedule.
Can I get the SCoC after the goods arrive?
Not as a plan. Since January 2025 post-arrival certification is treated as a violation, Letters of Undertaking are no longer accepted, and re-export is among the possible outcomes. If goods are already at sea without certificates, work with your Certification Body to limit the damage rather than expecting a quick clearance.
My product is not regulated — do I still need anything?
Since October 2025, yes: an SCoC is required on every import, and non-regulated goods obtain it through self-declaration on the platform. Confirm the regulated/non-regulated status from your HS code first — electronics are almost always regulated.
Go deeper, in both languages
The free sample covers the prerequisite stack, PCoC basics and 3 of the 7 traps — one English PDF and one Arabic PDF. The full Compliance Guide has the whole enforced path, every fee and timeline, all 7 traps with fixes, the invoice-matching checklist and a first-year budget worksheet.
Saber Desk is an independent reference — not a certification body, and not affiliated with SASO. We do not issue certificates. Fees and processing times are the official figures published on saber.sa unless marked as observed practice; confirm HS codes and required standards for a specific shipment with your Certification Body. Edition: August 2026.