No Saudi parcel leaves without a valid short address
DHL Express says the short address is mandatory on every Saudi shipment and enforced by the Transport General Authority, and press reports say the National Address has been required on parcels since 1 January 2026. Shortcode Ready adds it to your checkout, checks it, holds orders that lack it and hands it to your carrier in the right field.
Updated
- Checkout field for Saudi orders only, with an instant format check (4 letters + 4 digits)
- Orders without a valid short address are tagged and held, and the customer gets a fix link by email or WhatsApp
- The short address is written to the label field your carrier expects, such as Address Line 3 for DHL Express
A Saudi parcel without a short address is a parcel that may not move
The Saudi National Address short code is eight characters, four letters and four digits, and identifies a specific address. Most checkout forms outside the Kingdom never ask for it, so the label prints without it and the problem shows up days later at the carrier.
According to Saudi press reports citing the Saudi Press Agency, the Transport General Authority has required the National Address on parcel shipments since 1 January 2026. DHL Express lists the short address as mandatory for every Saudi shipment, and the delivery platform Quiqup says carriers will not accept shipments without it. Each rejected parcel means support emails, a second attempt or a refund.
Shopify stores have apps for this. Stores on WooCommerce, Magento or a custom checkout mostly have a free-text address line. Shortcode Ready fixes the gap before the order is packed.
- Citing the Saudi Press Agency, MediaOne reported on 19 April 2025 that the Transport General Authority requires parcel delivery firms to include the National Address on every shipment from 1 January 2026, and that individuals can get their address through Absher, Tawakkalna, Sehhaty and SPL. Source: mediaoneonline.com
- DHL Express Saudi Arabia's shipping FAQ says the short address is mandatory for all shipments where Saudi Arabia is the shipper, receiver or pickup location, is enforced by the TGA, goes in Address Line 3 and has the format four letters followed by four digits, e.g. RUKN2929 (checked 7 November 2026). Source: mydhl.express.dhl
- Quiqup's help centre (updated 16 December 2025) cites TGA Decision No. 1/46/196, says all last-mile shipments to Saudi Arabia must include a valid National Address from 1 January 2026 and that carriers reject shipments where it is missing. Source: support.quiqup.com
- Saudi Post's National Address API portal lists a Development plan (100 calls a month, no approval needed) and Business and Unlimited plans (4 and 6 million calls a month) that need administrator approval, plus a lookup API by short address (checked 7 November 2026). Source: api.address.gov.sa
Without it
- Enwany (Shopify app): A Shopify app that converts Saudi addresses to short addresses and recovers missing ones over WhatsApp. Its listing…
- Saudi Address Pro: Short address autocomplete with Saudi Post verification for WooCommerce, Magento, Shopify and custom sites. Its site…
- A free-text address line: Costs nothing until a carrier rejects the booking. Customers rarely add the code unless a checked field asks for it by…
With Shortcode Ready
- Checkout field for Saudi orders only, with an instant format check (4 letters + 4 digits)
- Orders without a valid short address are tagged and held, and the customer gets a fix link by email or WhatsApp
- The short address is written to the label field your carrier expects, such as Address Line 3 for DHL Express
- Saudi-only checkout field
- Format and completeness check
How it works
- 1
Tell us your stack
Your platform, checkout, carriers and how labels are made. We confirm scope by email within one business day.
- 2
We add the field and the checks
With a staff account, we add a short address field that appears only when the country is Saudi Arabia, with a live format check and a short help line in English and Arabic. Done within 3 business days.
- 3
Orders are checked as they arrive
Every Saudi order is checked for a valid short code, city and postal code. Where you connect a National Address API key, the code is also looked up and compared with the city entered. Failing orders are tagged and held, and the customer gets a fix link.
- 4
The code reaches the label
We map the short address to the field your carrier or shipping plugin uses, so it prints on the label and travels in the electronic data, then run test orders end to end.
Features
Saudi-only checkout field
Customers elsewhere never see it. For Saudi addresses it is required, tolerates lowercase and spaces, and saves a clean code such as RUKN2929.
Format and completeness check
Checks the 4 letters + 4 digits pattern, flags codes that are pasted into the wrong field and flags missing city or postal code, which carriers still ask for alongside the short code.
Optional Saudi Post lookup
Connect a key from Saudi Post's National Address API portal, in your name, and each code is looked up. Its Development plan allows 100 calls a month without approval; the larger plans need Saudi Post's approval.
Hold and fix link
Orders without a valid code are tagged "needs short address" and kept out of your pick list. The customer gets a link to add the code; the order releases itself when a valid one arrives.
Carrier field mapping
Written into the carrier field or export column you use, for example Address Line 3 for DHL Express, or a dedicated column in CSV uploads for SMSA or Aramex.
Weekly report
Saudi orders checked, held, fixed and still open, so you see what the rule costs you.
A look inside
What you see day to day: the working view and the monthly summary.
Illustration of the layout, built from this page's own feature list. It shows no real results.
Who it's for
WooCommerce and Magento stores selling into the Gulf
You ship to Saudi Arabia from the UAE, Europe or elsewhere and need the code on every order without a developer project.
Brands with a custom or headless checkout
We add the field and a small validation script, and check orders through a webhook or a daily order export.
Cross-border sellers on express carriers
DHL Express, Aramex or SMSA labels made from your own system.
Works with
- WooCommerce
- Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce
- Custom checkouts via script and webhook
- Saudi Post National Address API (your key)
- DHL Express (Address Line 3)
- SMSA and Aramex CSV uploads
- Email and WhatsApp fix links (your provider)
- Google Sheets weekly report
Pricing
Billed monthly in USD, cancel any time. Order counts are Saudi orders checked per month; other orders are ignored and never counted. Setup is included in every plan. WhatsApp messages go through your own provider and are billed by them. A National Address API key, if you use one, is registered by you with Saudi Post. Founding customer pricing stays fixed while you remain subscribed.
Orders are subject to the Shortcode Ready terms.
Lite
$9 per month
Small stores testing the Saudi market
- Up to 50 Saudi orders a month
- Checkout field with format check
- Hold tag for orders without a valid code
- Email fix link
- One store
Starter
$19 per month
Stores with steady Saudi orders
- Up to 500 Saudi orders a month
- Everything in Lite
- Saudi Post lookup with your own National Address API key
- WhatsApp fix link through your provider
- Carrier field mapping for one carrier
- Weekly report
Growth
$49 per month
Larger stores and several carriers
- Up to 3,000 Saudi orders a month
- Everything in Starter
- Up to 3 stores
- Mapping for up to 3 carriers
- Custom hold rules by carrier and order value
- Email support within one business day
Compared with the alternatives
- Enwany (Shopify app)
- A Shopify app that converts Saudi addresses to short addresses and recovers missing ones over WhatsApp. Its listing shows Free (25 orders), Starter $30 (500 orders), Growth $79 (2,000 orders) and Enterprise $149 a month (checked 7 November 2026). It suits Shopify stores; it does not run on WooCommerce or Magento.
- Saudi Address Pro
- Short address autocomplete with Saudi Post verification for WooCommerce, Magento, Shopify and custom sites. Its site lists one Professional plan at SAR 999 a year for 100,000 validations, advertised as a limited-time offer, with a 60-day free trial (checked 7 November 2026). It is a self-install plugin; holds, fix links and carrier mapping are up to you.
- A free-text address line
- Costs nothing until a carrier rejects the booking. Customers rarely add the code unless a checked field asks for it by name.
Your first week
We set up new stores within 3 business days of receiving staff access, including test orders.
- Day 1: You send platform, carriers and label method; we confirm scope.
- Day 2: Checkout field and format check go live for Saudi addresses.
- Day 3: Hold rule, fix link and carrier mapping configured, test orders placed.
- Day 7: First weekly report on Saudi orders checked, held and fixed.
Security and data
- We read only Saudi orders: name, address, phone and order number, to check and fix the short address.
- Order data is processed in the EU, encrypted in transit and at rest, and kept for 30 days for the weekly report.
- Your National Address API key stays in your store settings or our encrypted vault, never in emails or tickets.
- We work in your store through a staff account you create and can remove at any time.
Questions
Is the short address really required for parcels to Saudi Arabia?
As far as we can verify, yes. DHL Express lists the short address as mandatory for all shipments to, from or within Saudi Arabia and says the Transport General Authority enforces it, and press reports describe a TGA rule requiring the National Address on parcels from 1 January 2026. We could not open the TGA's own website to read the decision, so check your own carrier's current wording too.
What does a valid short address look like?
Four letters followed by four digits, such as RUKN2929. It identifies a specific address; carriers still want the city and postal code with it, so we check those as well.
Can you verify that the code is real, not just well formed?
Yes, if you connect a key from Saudi Post's National Address API portal. Its Development plan allows 100 calls a month without approval; the Business and Unlimited plans need Saudi Post's approval, and the portal publishes no prices. Without a key we check format and completeness and the customer confirms.
What happens to an order with no code?
It is tagged and held, and the customer gets a link asking for the code. When a valid code comes back, the order goes to your pick list.
Do you work with Salla or Zid stores?
Not in early access. We support WooCommerce, Magento 2 and custom checkouts; tell us your platform and we will say honestly whether we can help.
Is this legal advice?
No. Shortcode Ready is a checkout and order-checking service, not legal or customs advice, and it does not guarantee that a carrier accepts a parcel. Confirm requirements with your carrier and, where needed, with the Transport General Authority.
Ask for the code before you print the label
$9 a month for up to 50 Saudi orders; $19 a month for up to 500, with official lookups and fix links.
Request service