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Clear goods under the Single Customs Territory (SCT)

The EAC Single Customs Territory (SCT) allows goods destined for a landlocked member state to be cleared and have duty assessed once, at the first point of entry into the region (port or airport). Declaration is largely done against the declared final destination, with physical checks carried out at the port of entry.

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Who it is for

Importers in EAC member states, particularly the landlocked ones (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, South Sudan, eastern DR Congo)

Before you start

  • Be registered with the revenue authority of the destination member state
  • Have a licensed customs agent if not self-declaring

Steps

4 steps, in order

  1. Step 1 : Pre-arrival declaration before vessel arrival

    Institution
    Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)
    Channel
    Online
    Time
    Not communicated
    Cost
    Not communicated

    The customs declaration is submitted electronically before the cargo arrives at the port of entry (Mombasa or Dar es Salaam depending on the corridor), stating the final destination member state.

    Complete this step online (opens in a new tab)

  2. Step 2 : Valuation and duty assessment at the port of entry

    Institution
    Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)
    Channel
    At the counter
    Time
    Not communicated
    Cost
    See details

    The customs administration of the coastal country (Kenya via the Port of Mombasa, or Tanzania via the Port of Dar es Salaam) values the goods and assesses the duties and taxes due, in principle applied under the destination member state's regime.

    Cost : Per the EAC Common External Tariff and the destination country's domestic taxes

  3. Step 3 : Transit under electronic seal to destination

    Channel
    At the counter
    Time
    Not communicated
    Cost
    Not communicated

    Once duty is assessed (and a transit bond put up where required), the goods travel under the EAC transit regime, tracked by an electronic cargo tracking system, to the destination customs office.

  4. Step 4 : Release at the destination office

    Institution
    Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA)
    Channel
    At the counter
    Time
    Not communicated
    Cost
    Not communicated

    On arrival, the revenue authority of the destination member state (for example OBR in Burundi or RRA in Rwanda) checks the cargo against the original declaration and authorises release.

Process diagram

Download the BPMN file

Each lane is an institution. Steps read from left to right, in order.

Process steps

  1. Pre-arrival declaration before vessel arrival KRA · Online
  2. Valuation and duty assessment at the port of entry KRA · At the counter
  3. Transit under electronic seal to destination Operator · At the counter
  4. Release at the destination office RRA · At the counter

  • Transit goods via the Northern Corridor

    The Northern Corridor links the Port of Mombasa in Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DR Congo. Transit is coordinated by the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) and follows the EAC customs transit regime, with electronic cargo tracking.

    Transit

  • Transit goods via the Central Corridor

    The Central Corridor links the Port of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, to Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. It is coordinated by the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA) and is, together with the Northern Corridor, one of the two major logistics routes serving the East African hinterland.

    Transit

Sources and versions

Sources 2
  1. 01

    EAC Customs Union and Single Customs Territory, official pages (new tab), EAC Secretariat

    Accessed on

  2. 02

    Kenya Revenue Authority, customs services (new tab), KRA

    Accessed on

This sheet is based on the public sources cited. It does not replace the official texts or the decisions of the competent administrations.