Why verification matters
Two situations account for most problems. The first is an exporter who paid an intermediary for a “Saudi certificate” that was never raised by an approved body on the SABER platform. The second is a certificate that is genuine but does not cover the goods actually shipped — a different model, a lapsed validity date, or an SCoC belonging to an earlier consignment.
Both look fine until customs checks, and by then the goods are in Saudi Arabia accruing demurrage.
Check the certificate itself first
Before going anywhere online, read the document against the shipment. Most invalid certificates fail here:
- Certificate type. Is it a PCoC (product) or an SCoC (shipment)? A PCoC alone will not clear a container.
- Validity dates. A PCoC is typically valid one year. Confirm the shipment date falls inside it.
- Model and description. Must match the invoice and the goods exactly, character for character.
- Importer details. The Saudi importer and their Commercial Registration number should be the actual consignee.
- Issuing body. The certificate must name a conformity assessment body approved by SASO.
- Technical Regulation. The regulation cited should be the one that genuinely governs the product.
Confirming it on the platform
SABER certificates are electronic records, not just PDFs, so the authoritative check is against the platform rather than the document. In practice there are two reliable routes:
- Through the Saudi importer's SABER account. The importer can see every certificate raised against their Commercial Registration, with its live status. This is the most direct confirmation and costs nothing.
- With the issuing conformity assessment body. Quote the certificate number and ask them to confirm it was issued by them and remains valid. An approved body will answer this.
Warning signs a certificate is not what it appears
- No certificate number, or a number the issuing body cannot confirm
- The issuing organisation is not on SASO's approved list
- No Saudi importer or Commercial Registration number shown
- A single document presented as covering both the product and every shipment
- A Technical Regulation cited that has no relationship to the product
- The seller cannot say which conformity assessment body issued it
- An unusually low price and an unusually short turnaround for a product that plainly needs testing
What to do if it does not check out
If the certificate cannot be confirmed, stop and reassess before shipping — not after. Establish whether the product is genuinely regulated, whether any valid test reports exist that can be reused, and what the correct route actually is. In many cases the underlying evidence is fine and only the certification route was wrong, which is a far cheaper problem to fix on shore.
If goods are already at the border, the priority is a valid SCoC against a valid PCoC, in that order, as quickly as the product's evidence allows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I check if a SABER certificate is genuine?
The authoritative check is against the platform record, not the PDF. The Saudi importer can see every certificate raised against their Commercial Registration in their SABER account, with its live status. Alternatively, contact the conformity assessment body named on the certificate, quote the number, and ask them to confirm they issued it and that it remains valid.
Can I check a SABER certificate without the importer's login?
Not directly — the platform record sits under the importer's account. Your practical options are to ask the importer to confirm it, or to contact the issuing conformity assessment body with the certificate number. If neither is available to you, send us the certificate and we will verify it at no cost.
How do I know if a certification body is approved by SASO?
Only bodies approved by SASO can issue valid certificates on the SABER platform, and the approved list is published by SASO. If the organisation named on your certificate is not on it, the certificate will not clear customs regardless of how it looks. Our approved certification bodies page explains how this works.
My certificate looks valid but customs still held the shipment. Why?
The most common causes are a valid PCoC with no SCoC raised for that particular consignment, a model or description that does not match the invoice, an expired PCoC, or a certificate issued against a different importer. All four are visible on a careful read of the document against the shipping paperwork.
Is a test report the same as a certificate?
No. A test report is evidence produced by a laboratory. A certificate is issued by an approved conformity assessment body after reviewing that evidence. Customs needs the certificate; the test report sits behind it in the file.
How long does verification take?
Checking the document against the shipment takes minutes. Confirming the platform record through the importer is usually same-day. Confirmation from the issuing body depends on the body but is normally quick. If you send us a certificate number we will come back the same working day where we can.
Want a certificate checked?
Send us the certificate number and the shipment details and we will confirm whether it is valid, whether it covers the goods you are actually shipping, and what is missing if it does not. There is no charge for the check.