Shipping Refurbished iPhones to the Middle East & Russia

Buying a refurbished iPhone from the UK is one of the most cost-effective ways to get a premium device in the Gulf and in Russia — but shipping, customs and duties confuse a lot of buyers. This guide walks through what to expect.

Delivery times from the UK

• UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman: typically 3–6 working days via DHL / FedEx Express.
• Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk): 7–14 working days depending on the corridor and current customs processing.

Tracked express couriers are strongly recommended over standard post — a lost iPhone is expensive, and express services clear customs on your behalf.

Customs duties and VAT

Rules change, but as a rule of thumb for personal imports of a used / refurbished smartphone:

• UAE: 5% customs duty + 5% VAT on the CIF value.
• Saudi Arabia: 15% VAT and up to 5% duty.
• Qatar / Kuwait / Bahrain / Oman: 5% duty typical, VAT varies by country.
• Russia: personal imports up to €1,000 and 31 kg per month are duty-free by air; above the threshold, 15% duty applies on the excess, minimum €2/kg.

Ask your courier to declare the item honestly as a "refurbished mobile phone" with the invoice value — under-declaring risks seizure.

IMEI registration

• UAE (TDRA): phones brought in by travellers or shipped in must be registered on the TDRA portal within a grace period, otherwise the device is blocked from local SIMs after ~60 days.
• Saudi Arabia (CITC): similar rule — register the IMEI to keep it working on STC / Mobily / Zain.
• Russia: no mandatory IMEI whitelist for personal imports (as of 2026), though this has been discussed for years.

What we do at Furbishmarket

Every order ships fully insured, tracked, and with a commercial invoice suitable for customs. If a courier requests documents on arrival, contact us and we'll send them within the hour.

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