Saudi SASO certification introduction

       SASO is the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization.SASO is responsible for developing national standards for all commodities and products, including measurement systems, labeling, etc.In fact, many SASO standards are based on the safety standards of relevant international organizations such as the international electrotechnical commission (IEC).Like many other countries, Saudi Arabia adds special items to the standard based on its civil and industrial voltage, geographical and climatic conditions, ethnic and religious habits, and so on.To protect consumers, SASO standards apply not only to products imported from abroad, but also to products made in Saudi Arabia.

      Saudi Arabia's ministry of industry and commerce and SASO require all products covered by SASO certification standards to have SASO certification when they enter Saudi customs.Products without SASO certificate will be refused entry by Saudi port customs.

      According to the decree No.213 of the Saudi cabinet, the former SASO ICCP has been terminated. According to the decree No. 6386 of the Saudi cabinet, a new product evaluation scheme for exports to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been approved and will replace the former SASO ICCP scheme.The new assessment scheme, mandated by the Saudi ministry of               commerce and trade, aims to ensure that products exported to the kingdom meet the appropriate Saudi and international standards.

      Saudi SASO certification control scope

      Category 1: toys;

      Category 2: electrical and electronic products;

      Category 3: automobile products;

      Category 4: chemical products;

      Category 5: other products.

      The following are not consumer products: medical devices;Medical products;Food;Military products.

      The banned exports to Saudi Arabia include more than 40 varieties of weapons, alcohol, tranquilizers, pork, pornography, brewing equipment, fireworks, Christmas trees, nutmeg, masks, video phones, toys or statues of animals and people.

      Saudi SASO certification process

      Three ways to obtain saso-coc certificates

      The ICCP program provides three ways for exporters or manufacturers to obtain CoC certificates. Customers can choose the most appropriate way according to the nature of their products, the degree of compliance with the standards, and the frequency of shipment.CoC certificates are issued by SASO Country Office(SCO) authorized by SASO or PAI Country Office(PCO) authorized by PAI.

      Route 1: verification of compliance before shipment

      This method is most suitable for very few exporters or manufacturers.Apply for pre - shipment inspection (PSI) and pre - shipment test (PST) before each shipment.Both are eligible for a CoC certificate.

      Conformity/CoC - Certificate of Conformity/CoC - Conformity

     The conformity assessment certificate (COC) issued under this procedure is valid only for batches and may be used for customs clearance at the port of destination.

     Review of quality documents

     Please submit the following documents:

     Test report and laboratory qualification certificate

     (the third-party laboratory issuing the report shall be certified by CNAS 17025) or

     Manufacturer/factory system certification certificate and internal test report/quality certificate, if applicable, may submit inspection application to enter the inspection procedure;If not applicable, the test shall be conducted in designated laboratories or other qualified third-party laboratories in accordance with the relevant Saudi Arabian standards.The test fee will be quoted separately according to the actual goods and test items.

     Inspection before shipment

    (1) please submit the following application documents:

    Inspection application form, commercial invoice, packing list.

    (2) inspection scope

    In order to ensure that the goods meet the requirements of relevant marks and marks other than inspection, inspectors conduct inspection on the following items at the inspection site: visual inspection of the surface quality, quantity, packaging, marking and marks of the goods.

    (3) the payment

    According to the final INVOICE amount, the certification commissioner will issue the quotation and INVOICE so that the customer can pay in time. Please return the bank slip to relevant personnel after the payment to confirm the payment.

   (4) his

    If the inspection results are satisfactory and the certification documents are complete, the certification service center will issue the draft certificate within 2 working days. After the draft certificate is confirmed by the customer, the certification service center will issue the original certificate and mail it to the domestic customer within 2 working days.

   Route 2: registration and pre-shipment inspection

   This method is suitable for most customers, its advantage is that each shipment inspection (PSI) is necessary, but each batch of goods does not need to do pre-shipment test                (PST).Statement for Registration (SfR) can be obtained by the customer by submitting a compliance Statement and providing test reports that meet the importing country's and relevant international or domestic standards and state that the product has met the basic requirements and country differences of the importing country.

Product Registration Certificate

    If the goods are shipped frequently, you may apply for a registration certificate, which is valid for one year. The registered goods may be exempted from on-site inspection according to the actual shipment situation.

  （1） quality document review

    Please submit the following documents:

     Test report and laboratory qualification certificate

     (the third-party laboratory issuing the report shall be certified by CNAS 17025) or

     Manufacturer/factory system certification and internal test report/quality certificate or

     Factory audit report

     Application form for product registration if applicable;If not applicable, the test shall be conducted in designated laboratories or other qualified third-party laboratories in accordance with the relevant Saudi Arabian standards.The test fee will be quoted separately according to the actual goods and test items.

   （2） submission of Product Registration form

Please fill in the registration application form completely. The description of the goods must be accurate, signed and sealed.

   （3） payment

    The certification commissioner issues the quotation and INVOICE for the timely payment. Please return the bank slip to the relevant personnel after the payment to confirm that the payment has been implemented.

   （4） his

     The documents are complete, and the certification service center will issue the draft of the registration certificate within 3 working days. The draft of the registration certificate will be confirmed by the customer, and the certification service center will issue the original of the registration certificate and mail it to the domestic customer within 2 working days.If your company has not confirmed the payment on the date of mailing, the original certificate will be postponed.

     For registered goods, the batch inspection certificate (CoC) will still be issued for each batch of defective goods to meet the requirements of customs clearance.If inspection is required, the procedure is the same as the batch inspection;In case of exemption from inspection, the customer shall only submit the final commercial invoice and packing list together with the application form and conformity declaration to the service center office to apply for certification.

     Route 3: formal certification

     This kind of way can save the inspection fee or test fee before every shipment already, simplify duplicate application procedure, can assure delivery time again, reason is partial shipment more frequent or scale is bigger, pay attention to the big company place favour of quality and credit.An exporter or manufacturer can only obtain a Statement for Licence(SfL) if their products fully comply with the mandatory standards of the importing or exporting country.The certificate is valid for one year, and it can be renewed after submitting the updated factory inspection report and paying the annual fee and being examined by RLC.SfL certified products no longer require pre-shipment inspection (PSI) for each shipment, but are reduced to a few sampling tests per year (2-3 tests per year, depending on product conditions).

    Type Approval procedure

     For quality customers, in the case of the implementation of factory audit, may apply for a form of approval certificate, valid for one year.In addition to the first shipment of mandatory inspection, can be basically exempted from on-site inspection.

    (1) factory audit

    The certification of factory audit shall be carried out by the relevant departments of the certification service center, and an audit certificate shall be issued to the factory that meets the requirements, which shall be valid for one year and renewed annually.

    (2) submission of application documents

    Please submit the following documents:

   Test report and laboratory qualification certificate

   (the third-party laboratory issuing the report shall be certified by CNAS 17025) or

   Manufacturer/factory system certification and internal test report/quality certificate

   Factory audit report

   Fully completed Product Registration Form

   (3) the payment

   The certification commissioner issues the quotation and INVOICE for the timely payment. Please return the bank slip to the relevant personnel after the payment to confirm that the       payment has been implemented.

   (4) his

   The documents are complete. The certification service center will issue a draft of the formal certificate of approval within 3 working days. The draft of the formal certificate of approval will be confirmed by the customer.If your company has not confirmed the payment on the date of mailing, the original certificate will be postponed.

   Requirements for shipping marks, labels and nameplates:

   1.All information is in English or Arabic, or Arabic and English. Some products must be in Arabic.

   2.The internal and external packaging marks, product labels and nameplates shall contain the following three contents, one of which is indispensable:

   Product name, model, MADE IN CHINA.Please consult our company for specific product requirements.

  3.Other information, such as product trademarks and company names, can be reflected, but SASO's logo cannot be reflected by customs requirements.

  4.The shipping marks, labels and nameplates of electrical products should contain the following information:

  Voltage (single-phase: 220V,230V, 220/230v, three-phase: 380V,400V) frequency (60Hz) power (if any)

  If there is a plug to meet BS 1363 standards, if there is no plug, please take a picture of the specific.

    5.All information should not be easily removed by means of printing, printing, adhesive paste, etc., and the information of labels and nameplates on the inner packaging and products should not be pasted directly on ordinary paper.Large electrical appliances, motors, elevators and other best aluminum brand.Information should be legible.

    Energy consumption is required to apply for SASO products

   1.Home air conditioning

   2.Household refrigerator

   3.Domestic washing machine

   4.The motor

   5.Lamps and lanterns

   Saudi SASO certification matters needing attention

   1. Label language: English or Arabic;

   2. Instruction, warning: Arabic or Arabic + English;

   3. "MADE IN CHINA" must be printed on the product, package or label, not "MADE IN PRC";(MADE IN CHINA must be MADE IN a non-removable way on the product and packaging, and cannot be affixed with ordinary adhesive stickers);

   4. Voltage: 220v-240v or 220V;Current: 60Hz or 50/60hz;The voltage frequency must include 220V/60Hze;

   5. Plug: the plug must be British 3-pin (BS1363 plug);

   6. All hand-held power tools and household items must have instructions in Arabic;

   7. Any SASO LOGO that is not authorized by SASO registration shall not be allowed to be displayed on the product or package to avoid the goods being refused clearance by Saudi customs at the destination port.