Buying a Car in Saudi Arabia: Transfer, Inspection and Insurance

Most used cars in Saudi Arabia change hands through the Absher Vehicle Ownership Transfer service. It costs SAR 150 in government fees plus a SAR 230 service fee, and the car must have valid registration, a valid technical inspection and valid insurance. A resident can own up to two private cars. This guide covers the used-car route, which is the one Absher documents.

Before you buy: what you need

• An active Absher account. Both buyer and seller must be registered (Absher).
• A way to drive it legally. Absher does not list a licence as a transfer condition, but you need one to use the car. See the driving licence guide.
• A Saudi National Address and a Saudi IBAN. CarSwitch lists both as requirements for the buyer and seller (CarSwitch, Nov 2025).
• Room under the ownership limit. Absher states that a resident may own up to two private cars, each with a maximum of eight seats.

What the car must have

Absher's conditions for an online transfer:

• The vehicle is private or private transport type, in good running order, and is not missing, wanted or held in custody.
• The registration (istimara) is valid.
• The periodic technical inspection certificate is valid.
• The insurance policy is valid.
• No traffic violations are recorded against the buyer or the vehicle.
• The price is between SAR 500 and SAR 1,000,000.

Ask the seller to show the vehicle's fines and registration status in Absher before you agree on a price. Check the traffic fine guide for how to look up violations.

Fees

• Government fee: SAR 150, paid through SADAD.
• Absher sale service fee: SAR 230 including VAT. The buyer pays it, it is added to the vehicle price, and it is refundable if the sale is cancelled before delivery.

How the transfer works

Absher holds the buyer's payment in an intermediate account until the car is handed over. CarSwitch describes the sequence, which you should confirm in the Absher flow itself because Absher's page gives no deadlines:

1. The seller creates the sale request, entering the price, the buyer's details, the seller's IBAN and the region of sale.
2. The buyer accepts within a short window (CarSwitch reports 2 hours) and adds an IBAN for any refund.
3. The buyer pays the displayed amount to the Absher-provided account (CarSwitch reports 72 hours, in banking hours).
4. The buyer takes the car and keys. An SMS code goes to the buyer, who gives it to the seller to enter in Absher. The payment is then released to the seller.
5. The new istimara can be delivered by post or collected at a traffic (Muroor) office after booking through Absher.

The sale can be cancelled at any time before the delivery step, with all amounts refunded electronically.

Periodic inspection (Fahas)

A valid inspection is a condition of the sale, so check its expiry date. Reports of a statement from the traffic authority say a new private vehicle needs its first technical inspection three years after it is first licensed (Ajel, Sept 2026). Gulf News reported in 2023 that inspections must be booked online in advance through the MVPI platform at vi.vsafety.sa, and that vehicles are subject to yearly inspections (Gulf News). Confirm the interval for your vehicle type on the booking platform.

Insurance

Motor insurance is compulsory. The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) issues the Unified Compulsory Motor Insurance Policy, which covers liability to third parties. SAMA updated it in January 2023 so that a third party can choose cash compensation or repair of the damaged vehicle (Argaam). Compulsory cover is the minimum. Comprehensive cover for your own car is a separate product, and you can compare quotes with the car insurance tool.

After an accident

Insurers work with Najm for accident reports (najm.sa). Ask your insurer which channel to use and what to do when someone is injured, because the rules differ between minor and serious accidents and we could not confirm the current Najm procedure from an official page.

New cars

We could not confirm from an official page how a dealer registers a new car and what the plate and registration fees are. Ask the dealer to put in writing who handles registration, the total on-the-road price in SAR, and when you will receive the istimara, then check the registration in Absher after delivery.

Checklist

• Seller's Fahas and insurance are valid, with dates noted.
• No fines on the car in Absher.
• You are under the two-car limit.
• You pay only through the Absher flow, never by direct transfer to the seller before handover.
• You have booked your own insurance and know how to report an accident.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked on 22 October 2026 against these pages. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the official page before you pay or apply.

• Absher: Vehicle Ownership Transfer (conditions and fees)
• CarSwitch KSA: How to transfer vehicle ownership in Saudi Arabia (4 Nov 2025)
• Ajel: new private vehicles need inspection three years after first licensing (Sept 2026)
• Gulf News: Online appointments mandatory for periodic technical inspections (updated 2 Oct 2023)
• Argaam: SAMA updates the unified compulsory motor insurance policy (17 Jan 2023)
• Najm