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Customs clearance

Customs clearance at Jebel Ali (sea) and Dubai International (air) handled end to end so your cargo does not sit at the port waiting for paperwork. 12+ years of UAE customs experience across most categories sellers ship: fashion, beauty, electronics, supplements, home goods, F&B, and the regulated edges where many forwarders refuse to touch.

What is included

Section titled “What is included”
  • Entry filing on the right channel for the HS codes on your shipment.
  • Document review before submission to catch the small mistakes that get cargo held.
  • Broker representation at the port with daily presence at Jebel Ali and DXB.
  • Duties and 5% VAT paid on your behalf and passed through at cost on your invoice with the customs receipts attached.
  • Release coordination with the terminal so trucking to our Ras Al Khor warehouse starts immediately on release.
  • Holding correspondence if Customs has a question, with a same-day reply path.

How clearance works

Section titled “How clearance works”
  1. Documents land before the ship or flight. Bill of lading or airway bill, packing list, commercial invoice, certificate of origin where applicable.
  2. HS code review. We confirm the codes on your invoice against the actual goods. Wrong codes are the most common cause of held cargo.
  3. Entry filed. Submitted on the channel that fits your category and importer profile.
  4. Customs response. Most entries clear without a question. Some categories trigger documentation requests or physical inspection; we manage both.
  5. Duty and VAT paid. We pay Customs on your behalf and the actual amounts hit your monthly invoice as a pass-through line.
  6. Release issued. Cargo released to our trucks and moved to Ras Al Khor.

How UAE duties and VAT work

Section titled “How UAE duties and VAT work”
  • Standard customs duty: 5% of CIF (Cost + Insurance + Freight) value.
  • Category exceptions: 0% on most food items, certain medical equipment, and a few protected categories. Higher specific rates on tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks.
  • VAT: 5% on top of the (CIF + duty) value. Recoverable if you are VAT-registered in the UAE.
  • Pass-through: We do not mark up duty or VAT. The actual amount Customs charges shows on your invoice with the receipt attached, so your accountant has clean documentation for the VAT return.

Specialised clearance

Section titled “Specialised clearance”

Some categories need extra paperwork before Customs will release. We handle most of these in-house with category specialists.

  • Food and beverage. Dubai Municipality registration, label review, expiry dates checked.
  • Cosmetics. Ingredient declaration, registration with the relevant authority where required.
  • Medical devices and supplements. Ministry of Health registration and import permits.
  • Regulated electronics. Radios, drones, and other RF devices need TDRA approval.
  • Books and printed media. National Media Council clearance where applicable.

Specialised clearance carries a small additional handling fee for the extra paperwork and inspections.

Pricing

Section titled “Pricing”

Customs clearance fee per shipment:

Custom quote

Standard freight quotes from us include this fee already; standalone clearance (where you bring your own freight) is quoted line by line. Duties and 5% VAT are pass-through, never marked up. Full breakdown in freight pricing.

Best fit for SamVertex clearance

Section titled “Best fit for SamVertex clearance”
  • Sellers using us for freight. Clearance is bundled into the door-to-door rate; you do not see a separate broker invoice.
  • Sellers bringing their own freight but wanting one operator at the UAE entry. We clear, truck, and store as one flow.
  • Sellers with regulated SKUs where their previous broker keeps holding cargo for missing docs. We pre-screen before the ship sails so the entry is clean on arrival.

Common reasons cargo gets held

Section titled “Common reasons cargo gets held”
  • Wrong HS code on the commercial invoice. Catches up with you at risk-targeted inspection.
  • Missing commercial invoice on samples. Even zero-value samples need an invoice.
  • Mismatch between packing list and what is actually in the carton. Triggers a physical and a delay.
  • Specialised category without registration. Cosmetics or supplements without Ministry registration sit at the port until paperwork lands.
  • Underdeclaration to lower duty. The fines and delay cost more than the duty saved every time.
Section titled “Related”
Sea freight from China LCL and FCL with customs clearance at Jebel Ali included.
Air freight from China Standard and express air with customs clearance at DXB included.
Warehousing Where cleared cargo lands and goes live as your fulfilment inventory.
Restricted items What we will and will not ship, plus borderline categories that need a review.
Freight pricing Customs fee, freight rates, duties pass-through model broken out.
Freight FAQ The questions sellers ask us most about freight, customs, and duties.