Al Mellah International Shipping (0580402747) is a shipping company from Madinah to Tunisia moving students’ and expatriates’ belongings, libraries, household furniture, cars and dates from Madinah, Yanbu and AlUla to Tunis, Sfax, Sousse and Kairouan, by road to Jeddah Islamic Port and then by sea through the Suez Canal to Rades Port in 3 to 5 weeks. Prices start from SAR 270 per box, SAR 3,950 for a room of furniture by shared shipping and SAR 10,100 for a 20 ft container.
Many Tunisian students study at Madinah’s universities and institutes, and Tunisians work there in education, health and services. When studies or contracts end, the shipment is usually a large library and household items, and sometimes a car. Because the route to Tunisia is by sea, shipments go from Madinah by road to Jeddah port, then sail north through the Red Sea and Suez Canal to Rades. This guide focuses on what matters to students and expatriates in Madinah: shipping books, the right size, and the exemption file.
📚 Shipping a student’s library to Tunisia
Books are the heaviest and most treasured part of a student’s shipment. We pack them for a sea voyage lasting weeks:
| Step | Reason |
|---|---|
| Small boxes of no more than 20 kg | Large boxes full of books tear |
| A plastic bag inside every box | Protection from sea humidity |
| Boxes numbered by shelf and subject | Quick library setup in Tunisia |
| Manuscripts and rare editions in wooden crates | Protection from pressure and humidity |
| Book titles on the packing list | Easier clearance and proof they’re personal effects |
📦 Shared shipping or a full container?
| Shipment size | Best method | Starts from |
|---|---|---|
| Book boxes and suitcases (up to 5 m³) | Shared shipping by box | SAR 270 per box |
| One to two rooms (6–15 m³) | Shared LCL shipping | SAR 3,950 per room |
| A 2–3 bedroom flat (18–30 m³) | Dedicated 20 ft FCL container | SAR 10,100 |
| A large house or a car with furniture | 40 ft FCL container | SAR 14,700 |
Most students only need shared box shipping, and a group of Tunisian students returning at the same time can combine their shipments in one container, splitting the cost while each gets a separate list for their own boxes.
🚗 Shipping your car from Madinah to Tunisia
The car goes from Madinah to Jeddah port on an enclosed carrier, then ships on a RoRo vessel or inside a container with furniture. Tunisians returning for good get a privilege on one car under conditions, mainly the car’s age and length of residence abroad, so we review your car’s details before shipping. Export plates and an export certificate are issued by Madinah traffic after settling fines and releasing any lien.
| Method | When it suits you | Price |
|---|---|---|
| RoRo | A car on its own | Request a quote |
| Inside a 40 ft container with furniture | A family returning with their car and furniture | Request a quote |
| A 20 ft container for the car alone | A luxury or classic car | Request a quote |
🛣️ From Madinah to Jeddah port and on to Rades
| Stage | Approx. duration |
|---|---|
| Loading in Madinah and filing the declaration on Fasah | One day |
| Road transport to Jeddah port (≈ 420 km) | One day |
| Waiting for the vessel and sailing via Suez | Two to three weeks |
| Clearance at Rades | 3–5 days |
| Delivery in your governorate | One to three days |
Services from Yanbu port are sometimes available depending on vessel schedules, so we choose whichever port has the nearest sailing on your date.
🧳 The final-return file and exemption
Tunisian regulations give residents abroad privileges on final return, chiefly an exemption for used furniture and belongings under conditions on length of residence and consular registration. A returning student needs the university letter proving how long they studied, along with:
🛋️ Sea packing for furniture
| Item | Sea packing |
|---|---|
| Wooden furniture | Dismantled and numbered, blankets then sealed film |
| Kitchens and IKEA kitchens | Orderly dismantling with fittings kept |
| Air conditioners | Gas recovered by a technician |
| Carpets | Rolled with absorbent bags |
| Glass and antiques | Wooden crates fixed in place |
| Electronics | Double-wall boxes and silica gel |
🌴 Madinah dates to Tunisia
Tunisia is the land of Deglet Nour dates, yet Madinah’s Ajwa holds a special place for returnees and their families. We ship it in boxes within belongings in personal quantities; commercial quantities travel in a reefer container with an invoice and Arab certificate of origin, subject to Tunisian requirements for imported food.
📦 Cargo and online stores
For traders we ship containers with an invoice and Arab certificate of origin to benefit from the Greater Arab Free Trade Area. Online stores get periodic consolidated shipping, and urgent documents go by air to Tunis-Carthage.
💰 Price summary from Madinah to Tunisia
Room and 20 ft container from the main article’s table, box and 40 ft at Jeddah prices, excluding Tunisian duties on non-exempt goods.
How to get the cheapest price from Madinah to Tunisia
Send your Madinah district, your governorate in Tunisia and the number of boxes or furniture volume, and we’ll suggest the best-value method.
📄 Documents and clearance at Rades
We file the export declaration via Fasah, issue the sea bill of lading, and send the documents to the clearing agent at Rades who files the exemption request.
| Document | Student’s or returnee’s belongings | Car | Cargo |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID or iqama | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Packing list with book titles and items | ✔ | — | ✔ |
| Fasah authorisation and bill of lading | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tunisian passport, consular registration and university letter | ✔ for exemption | ✔ | — |
| Export plates and certificate | — | ✔ | — |
| Invoice and Arab certificate of origin | — | — | ✔ |
Prohibited items include flammables, gas and loose batteries, weapons, controlled medicines without a permit, and fresh food in ordinary containers.
🏙️ Delivery in Tunisia
| Governorate | Note |
|---|---|
| Greater Tunis | Closest to Rades |
| Nabeul and Bizerte | Short inland transport |
| Sousse, Monastir and Mahdia | Via Rades or Sousse port |
| Sfax and Gabes | Via Rades or Sfax port |
| Kairouan, Gafsa and Tozeur | Longer inland transport |
🏢 Moving an office or centre from Madinah to Tunisia
For owners of offices and educational centres moving their work to Tunisia, we move furniture, equipment and libraries numbered by section in a dedicated container, with an invoice for equipment treated as goods.
📆 Shipping seasons from Madinah to Tunisia
| Period | Situation | Our advice |
|---|---|---|
| End of the academic year | Students returning | Book a month ahead and combine shipments |
| Summer | Peak expatriate returns | Book early |
| Ramadan and the visiting season | Crowding around the central area | Load from outer districts |
| Autumn and winter | Moderate traffic | A good time |
⚠️ Common mistakes
⚖️ How to choose a shipping company from Madinah to Tunisia
🗓️ Steps for shipping from Madinah to Tunisia
🧳 Suitcases and boxes for students
If your shipment is just suitcases and boxes, we collect from your university housing or home and add them to shared shipping from SAR 270 per box. Each box carries your name and number, and you get a separate list even if you share a container with classmates.
🛡️ Insurance and compensation
We recommend marine insurance for rare libraries, valuable furniture and cars. We record the boxes’ condition and the container’s seal number and photograph it before closing; on delivery you check the boxes before signing.
🔁 From Tunisia to Madinah
We also move shipments from Tunisia to Madinah for new students and people coming to work, taking into account SABER platform requirements for regulated products, 15% VAT and the Kingdom’s used-car import rules.
❓ FAQ: shipping from Madinah to Tunisia
❓ How much does shipping from Madinah to Tunisia cost?
A box from SAR 270, a room by shared shipping from SAR 3,950 and a 20 ft container from SAR 10,100.
❓ How long does shipping from Madinah to Tunisia take?
3 to 5 weeks door to door via Jeddah port and Rades.
❓ How do I ship my library to Tunisia?
In small plastic-lined numbered boxes, by shared shipping or in a container.
❓ Can several students share a container?
Yes, with a separate list for each student’s boxes.
❓ Are a returning student’s belongings exempt?
Usually yes, with the university letter, consular registration and a clear list.
❓ How is a car shipped?
RoRo or inside a container; request a quote with its details.
Libraries, belongings and furniture by sea to Rades, with the final-return file.
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