Family relocation and car shipping from Madinah to Jordan is a journey many Jordanian families make after living years in Madinah for work, study or to be near the Prophet’s Mosque, and one Saudi families make when moving to work or study in Jordan. The road north from Madinah via Tabuk to the Jordanian border, then Amman, Irbid or Aqaba, is about 1,100 kilometres — two comfortable days with children, and a plan that brings the family, furniture, car, school papers and exemption documents into one schedule.
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What sets a family move apart from moving furniture alone is that small details make the difference: where the family sleeps on the way, when the truck arrives, which boxes are opened first, how the children are registered at new schools, and whether your car is worth shipping or selling. This article brings all of that together.
Al Basma Express plans your family’s move from Quba, Al Awali, Al Aziziyah, the University district, Shuran and every district of Madinah to Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, Ajloun, Salt, Aqaba and every governorate: a timeline, packing for each family member, a list that suits the returning Jordanian exemption, shipping the family car, and a delivery that starts with the children’s rooms.
A family move from Madinah to Jordan in brief
Al Basma Express moves families with their furniture, effects and cars from Madinah to every governorate of Jordan, by road via Tabuk and the Halat Ammar border or the Al Haditha border.
Services
- ✔A full family move: survey, timeline, packing, transport and reassembly.
- ✔Children’s and elderly relatives’ things: special packing and rooms assembled first.
- ✔Family car shipping: flatbed or covered carrier.
- ✔The exemption list: to suit the Jordanian embassy list.
Cost and duration
- ✔A box up to 10 kg: from SAR 185.
- ✔A room or studio of furniture: from SAR 1,490.
- ✔An apartment’s furniture: from SAR 2,490.
- ✔A sedan car: from SAR 1,160.
- ✔Transit time: usually 2 to 4 days.
Required documents
- ✔Copy of passport and iqama.
- ✔Detailed inventory list.
- ✔Electronic broker authorisation via the Fasah platform.
- ✔A list of effects certified by the Jordanian embassy for returning expatriates.
Madinah to Jordan in numbers
When should the family move?
| Timing | Advantages | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| End of the school year | No school disruption, and time to register the children in Jordan | Peak demand; book at least a month ahead |
| Summer holiday | Mild weather in Jordan | Heat on the Hijaz road; load at dawn |
| Winter | Lower demand and easier dates | Cold and sometimes snow on high roads in southern Jordan |
| In two stages | The father goes ahead for work, the family after the school year | A part load first, then the home, or storage in between |
School first: what you need to register the children in Jordan
The school file is the most important thing the father carries on the road, and it never goes in the truck. Prepare before travelling:
- ✔Original school certificates for each child’s last school year.
- ✔Certified certificates from the education authorities in Saudi Arabia and the Jordanian embassy, as required.
- ✔A good-conduct certificate from the school if requested.
- ✔Birth certificates and vaccination records for the children.
- ✔Recent passport photos of each child.
Children’s things: what is shipped and what travels with you
| Item | Where it goes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A two-day bag for each person | In the family car | For the overnight in Tabuk and the first night |
| Favourite toys and blankets | In the car | Calms children on a two-day trip |
| Beds and bedding | In the truck, loaded last | Unloaded and assembled first |
| Each child’s toys and books | A box in their name and colour | They open it themselves in the new home |
| School bags and supplies | A marked box | Opened first if school starts soon |
| Medicines and baby needs | With the mother | Never shipped with furniture |
| Winter clothes | A marked box | Jordan is much colder than Madinah in winter |
The first-night box
Each person gets a small box with two days of clothes, personal items, bedding and a charger. It is loaded last and unloaded first, so the family sleeps comfortably in the new home even if the other boxes stay closed.
Preparing children for the move
- 1Tell them early, with photos of the new home and school.
- 2Involve them in packing their toys and writing their names on their boxes.
- 3Keep sleep and meal routines during packing days.
- 4Their room first on arrival, so they feel the new house is home.
Older family members
If a grandparent is moving with the family, we plan the trip around their comfort: more stops on the road, an overnight in Tabuk, and their room assembled with the children’s rooms at the start. We carefully dismantle their medical beds and special chairs and reassemble them first, while their medicines and daily aids travel with them in the car.
Preparing the home’s furniture
| Item | Preparation |
|---|---|
| Bedrooms and wardrobes | Fully dismantled, numbered, with numbered screw bags |
| Majlis sets and sofas | Blanket then film, majlis pieces numbered |
| Appliances | Fridge emptied and dried the day before, washing-machine drum secured |
| Glass and curios | Padded cases and wooden crates |
| Library and books | Small boxes of no more than 20 kg each |
How many trucks does your family need?
| Home size | Approximate volume | Usually the right vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| A one- or two-bedroom apartment | 15 – 30 m³ | A small truck or a part load |
| A three-bedroom apartment | 35 – 50 m³ | A medium closed truck |
| A house or villa | 60 m³ or more | A full 15-metre trailer |
What moves and what is sold: from a Madinah home to a Jordanian one
Climate and homes in Jordan differ from Madinah, which changes what is worth shipping:
| Item | The usual decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Split air conditioners | Usually sold in Madinah | Less needed in Amman and Irbid, except in Aqaba and the Jordan Valley |
| Rugs and heavy furnishings | Shipped | Jordanian homes need them in winter |
| Winter clothes | Shipped and opened first in winter | The difference in cold is big |
| Cheap bulky furniture | Sold | May not fit up stone-building stairs |
| Large old appliances | Compare shipping cost with value | Jordan’s power runs at 50 Hz versus 60 Hz in Saudi Arabia, which can affect motors |
| Valuable family furniture | Shipped | Irreplaceable |
The furniture exemption for returning Jordanian expatriates
A Jordanian expatriate returning for good may be entitled to an exemption on used furniture and effects, under conditions set by Jordan Customs, most notably:
- ✔A Jordanian citizen who has lived outside Jordan for at least a year.
- ✔Residence in Saudi Arabia has been cancelled (final exit).
- ✔The items are used household and personal items, not commercial.
- ✔A list of the items certified by the Jordanian embassy is submitted.
For non-Jordanians moving to live or study in Jordan, the customs treatment of furniture differs, so we review your situation before shipping.
Shipping the family car: is it worth it?
Before paying to ship your car to Jordan, check three things, because some cars are not allowed in and others attract high duties:
| Condition | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Model age | Jordan has set a maximum age for car models allowed to be imported |
| Engine type | Diesel passenger cars are banned |
| Car condition | Salvage cars are banned, as are right-hand-drive vehicles |
| Duties | Duties and taxes including a 16% sales tax under the 2025 decision that cancelled earlier exemptions |
| Method | Price from | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan on a flatbed | SAR 1,160 | 2 – 4 days |
| SUV or family van | SAR 2,320 | 2 – 4 days |
| Two cars on a covered carrier | By number | By carrier schedule |
- ✔Saudi side: export plates, Absher authorisation for the driver, clearance of fines and liens, and the istimara.
- ✔Child seats: unfixed seats travel in your car or are packed with the furniture, as the shipped car is handed over empty.
The road from Madinah to Jordan via Tabuk
From Madinah north through Khaybar and Tayma to Tabuk, then to the Halat Ammar border, facing Jordan’s Mudawwara border, then Ma’an and Amman, or south to Aqaba. The alternative is the Al Haditha border via Al-Jouf, depending on the governorate and border traffic.
| Stage | Approximate distance |
|---|---|
| Madinah to Tabuk | About 670 km |
| Tabuk to the Halat Ammar border | About 100 km |
| Mudawwara to Amman | About 330 km |
| Total to Amman | About 1,100 km |
| Governorate in Jordan | Usually the better border |
|---|---|
| Aqaba, Ma’an and the south | Halat Ammar → Mudawwara |
| Amman, Zarqa and Madaba | Halat Ammar or Al Haditha |
| Irbid, Ajloun and Mafraq | Al Haditha → Al Omari |
A two-day plan for the family
| Time | The family | The truck |
|---|---|---|
| Day one, morning | Hand over the Madinah home and set off | Loaded the previous evening, early start |
| Day one, midday | A rest stop in Khaybar or Tayma | The road to Tabuk |
| Day one, evening | Overnight in Tabuk | Overnight near the border |
| Day two, morning | Crossing the border | Clearance on both sides |
| Day two, afternoon | Arrival and receiving the home | Delivery, children’s rooms assembled first |
Documents for a family move to Jordan
| Shipment | Saudi side | In Jordan |
|---|---|---|
| Household furniture and effects | Passport and iqama, inventory list, Fasah authorisation and final exit visa | Embassy exemption list and Jordanian ID |
| Car | Export plates, Absher authorisation, clearance and istimara | Conditions and duties checked |
| The children’s file | School and certified certificates, birth and vaccination records | For school registration |
More details in our guide to shipping from Saudi Arabia to Jordan.
Family relocation prices from Madinah to Jordan
| Service | Price from |
|---|---|
| A box up to 10 kg | SAR 185 |
| A room or studio of furniture | SAR 1,490 |
| An apartment’s furniture | SAR 2,490 |
| Sedan on a flatbed | SAR 1,160 |
| SUV or family van | SAR 2,320 |
| Full 15-metre trailer including clearance | SAR 6,050 |
| A full family home | After the survey |
What determines your family’s move cost?
How long does a family move to Jordan take?
| Move type | Usual duration |
|---|---|
| Dedicated truck | 2 to 3 days |
| Part load | 4 to 6 days |
| Car on a flatbed | 2 to 4 days |
Arrival day: children’s rooms first
- 1Children’s rooms: beds, bedding and toy boxes.
- 2The grandparents’ room, if any.
- 3The master bedroom.
- 4The kitchen: enough for the first dinner.
- 5The living room, majlis and remaining boxes.
| Governorate | What we plan for |
|---|---|
| Amman | Sloping streets and outdoor stairs at many homes |
| Irbid and Ajloun | Multi-storey stone buildings and mountain roads |
| Zarqa and Mafraq | Spacious homes, closer to Al Haditha |
| Aqaba | The city closest to the Mudawwara border |
The family relocation timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| A month before | Booking and survey, and start certifying school certificates |
| Three weeks before | Request the embassy exemption list and check the car’s conditions |
| Two weeks before | The car’s export plates and clearance, and sell what will not move |
| A week before | Prepare the children, and a first-night box for each person |
| The day before | Packing and evening loading |
| Travel day | Set off in the morning and stay overnight in Tabuk |
Before loading day: preparing the home
- ✔Empty the fridge and freezer the day before and leave them open to dry.
- ✔Disconnect the washing machine and dry it; we secure the drum on loading day.
- ✔Gather screws and small parts of anything you dismantled yourself in one bag.
- ✔Separate what travels with you in one room so it is not loaded by mistake.
- ✔Photograph the electricity and water meters on loading day.
Handing over the Madinah home and receiving the Jordanian one
After the crew leaves, the rented home has to be handed back to its owner: we remove waste and cardboard and leave the rooms empty, and you photograph the home after vacating to record its condition. In Jordan, arrange before you arrive for electricity, water and gas to be connected in the new home and ask for it to be cleaned before handover, so it is ready when the truck arrives.
Mistakes that disrupt a family move
- ✔Children’s certificates in the truck: they always travel with the father.
- ✔Shipping a diesel car: diesel passenger cars are banned in Jordan.
- ✔A late embassy list: delays clearance and loses the exemption.
- ✔Children’s beds at the back of the truck: they must be loaded last to come off first.
- ✔Forgetting winter clothes: Jordan is much colder than Madinah.
- ✔Pets with the furniture: they have their own travel procedures and are never shipped with household goods.
Insurance and following the trip
We recommend insuring a full-home shipment; insurance is based on the estimated values on the list. We message you at each stage: loading, leaving Madinah, reaching Tabuk, crossing the border, release in Jordan, and then the delivery time. If the truck arrives before you, we stay in touch with the receiver you name.
Moving in two stages and storage
If the father goes ahead to Jordan for work, we ship his things first as a part load and keep the rest of the home in a warehouse until the end of the school year. Details on our temporary storage page.
What is not shipped with the family’s furniture?
See our prohibited items page.
Steps for a family move from Madinah to Jordan
- 1Contact: moving date and governorate in Jordan.
- 2Survey and sorting.
- 3Timeline: loading day and the two travel days.
- 4Documents: embassy list, Fasah, car and the children’s file.
- 5Packing and first-night boxes.
- 6The trip: an overnight in Tabuk and a morning crossing.
- 7Delivery: children’s rooms first.
Examples of family moves to Jordan
Why Al Basma Express for family moves to Jordan?
For moving to Jordan from other regions: from Dammam, from Al-Ahsa and from Qassim. If your destination is the UAE, see personal effects from Madinah to the UAE.
FAQ: family moves from Madinah to Jordan
How much does moving a family’s furniture from Madinah to Jordan cost?
How much does it cost to ship a car from Madinah to Jordan?
How long does moving from Madinah to Jordan take?
What is the nearest border from Madinah to Jordan?
How far is Madinah from Amman?
What do I need to register my children at schools in Jordan?
Is a returning Jordanian expatriate’s furniture exempt?
Is my diesel car accepted in Jordan?
What is assembled first on arrival day?
Are child seats left in the shipped car?
Is the road difficult in winter?
Should I ship air conditioners to Jordan?
Can we move in two stages?
Are pets moved with the furniture?
What documents are required?
How do I find out the cost of my family’s move?
From Madinah to Jordan, with the whole family in its new home
A family move from Madinah to Jordan is a two-day journey that starts a month earlier: the children’s certificates certified and carried with you, the embassy list ready, a car that meets the conditions, boxes in the children’s names, a comfortable overnight in Tabuk and rooms assembled first on arrival. That way the family starts its life in Jordan from the very first night.
Contact Al Basma Express on +966553923364.
