FAQ

To ensure seamless land freight transit across the King Fahd Causeway into KSA, commercial shipments require:

A valid Commercial Registration (CR) with appropriate import/export activities.

An international Land Waybill (CMR).

An Original Commercial Invoice (attested by the Chamber of Commerce).

A detailed Packing List.

A Certificate of Origin.

Note: The importer must be registered on the Saudi Fasah Platform, and all regulated goods must possess the necessary compliance certifications before reaching the border to avoid costly causeway hold-ups.

No, thanks to the GCC Customs Union agreement. If your cargo landed in another GCC country (e.g., UAE or KSA) and standard duties were cleared there, it can enter Bahrain duty-exempt. However, you must provide the Original Statistical Customs Declaration (Statistical Bayan) stamped by the first GCC point of entry customs office to waive double duty charges. 

The standard customs duty rate for most commercial goods entering the Kingdom of Bahrain is 5% of the CIF value. Some items, such as basic food products, medical equipment, and select electronics, are duty-exempt, while luxury or specific protective items (like paper or aluminum products) may carry higher rates. Additionally, a standard 10% Value Added Tax (VAT) is levied on imports, calculated on the total value of the goods plus customs duties and transport costs. 

Delivery Order (from the Shipping/Air Line).

Original Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB).

Attested Commercial Invoice showing exact unit prices and total values.

Detailed Packing List showing weights, volumes, and HS Codes.

Certificate of Origin (mandatory for commercial goods valued above BHD 500).

Transiting goods entering Bahrain via sea, air, or land are permitted to remain in the country under bonded status for a maximum of 30 days from the date of arrival. If your supply chain requires longer storage buffers, Maxlink Logistics can arrange dedicated warehousing solutions or transitions into specialized free zones. 

Foodstuffs & Medicines: Require Ministry of Health / NHRA approval.

Telecommunications Equipment: Requires Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) approval.

Chemicals & Hazardous Cargo: Require Supreme Council for Environment clearance.

Auto Spare Parts & Electrical Appliances: Require Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) verification.

A customs declaration is an official document that lists and gives details of goods that are passing a customs border, being imported or exported. In today’s world, this document is submitted electronically. 

Demurrage is charged inside the port.
It applies when a full container stays at the terminal beyond the free time allowed after discharge. Think of it as a parking fee for not picking up your cargo on time.

Detention is charged outside the port.
It kicks in when you’ve picked up the container but haven’t returned it empty within the agreed time. It’s like a rental fee for holding onto the container too long.

A Switch Bill of Lading is essentially a second set of bills of lading issued by the carrier or their agent to replace the original set. It’s not a different type of bill, but rather a substitute that reflects updated shipment details while the cargo is still in transit.