| Country | Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Main ports | Dar es SalaamTZDAR |
| Required documents | 11 documents, listed below |
As of 1 Nov 2026
The documents usually required for a commercial import, who normally provides each one, and points to watch. Your coordinator confirms the exact list for your goods.
| Document | Provided by | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) | Importer | Must match the consignee on the bill of lading. |
| Commercial invoice | Supplier | Itemised with HS codes, values and origin. |
| Packing list | Supplier | Packages and weights matching the invoice. |
| Bill of lading | Carrier / Nil Ocean | Consignee name and TIN must match the importer. |
| Certificate of origin | Supplier (chamber of commerce or authorised body) | Needed to claim any preferential rate. |
| TBS Certificate of Conformity | Supplier, through a TBS-appointed inspection company | For regulated products; issued before shipment. |
| Sector permits | Importer | For example TMDA for medicines and medical devices, plant-health permits for plant products. |
| Customs declaration in TANCIS | Licensed clearing and forwarding agent | Lodged through the TeSWS single window. |
| Power of attorney for the clearing agent | Importer | Authorises the agent to act. |
| Delivery order | Carrier's agent in Dar es Salaam | Issued after local charges are paid. |
| Insurance certificate | Seller (CIF/CIP) or buyer | Only if the cargo is insured. |
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
Provided by: Importer
Must match the consignee on the bill of lading.
Commercial invoice
Provided by: Supplier
Itemised with HS codes, values and origin.
Packing list
Provided by: Supplier
Packages and weights matching the invoice.
Bill of lading
Provided by: Carrier / Nil Ocean
Consignee name and TIN must match the importer.
Certificate of origin
Provided by: Supplier (chamber of commerce or authorised body)
Needed to claim any preferential rate.
TBS Certificate of Conformity
Provided by: Supplier, through a TBS-appointed inspection company
For regulated products; issued before shipment.
Sector permits
Provided by: Importer
For example TMDA for medicines and medical devices, plant-health permits for plant products.
Customs declaration in TANCIS
Provided by: Licensed clearing and forwarding agent
Lodged through the TeSWS single window.
Power of attorney for the clearing agent
Provided by: Importer
Authorises the agent to act.
Delivery order
Provided by: Carrier's agent in Dar es Salaam
Issued after local charges are paid.
Insurance certificate
Provided by: Seller (CIF/CIP) or buyer
Only if the cargo is insured.
As of 1 Nov 2026
Facts as of 1 November 2026. Levies and procedures change with Tanzania's Finance Acts and EAC decisions. Confirm the current position with your coordinator and the official sources on this page before you ship.
| Item | Detail (as of 1 Nov 2026) |
|---|---|
| Main port | Dar es Salaam (TZDAR) |
| Customs authority and system | Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), TANCIS customs system |
| Single window | Tanzania Electronic Single Window System (TeSWS) |
| Import duty | East African Community Common External Tariff by HS code |
| VAT | 18% on mainland imports |
| Other levies | Charges such as a railway development levy and customs processing fee, as a percentage of customs value |
| Conformity | Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) certificate for regulated products |
| Transit | Central Corridor to Rwanda, Burundi, eastern DR Congo and Uganda; Dar es Salaam corridor to Zambia and Malawi |
Importers need a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) from the Tanzania Revenue Authority, and a licensed clearing and forwarding agent lodges the customs declaration for them.
The consignee on the bill of lading must match the importer's registered name and TIN. Businesses importing regulated products, such as medicines, food or agricultural inputs, also need to be registered with the sector regulator before the goods arrive.
Products on the Tanzania Bureau of Standards' regulated list need a Certificate of Conformity under its Pre-shipment Verification of Conformity programme, issued in the exporting country before loading.
Goods that arrive without a required certificate face destination inspection, testing fees, penalties and possible rejection. Check your HS codes against the TBS list before production finishes so the inspection can happen in time. Medicines, medical devices and some cosmetics are regulated by the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA), and plant products and pesticides by the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority.
Import duty is set by the East African Community Common External Tariff according to the HS code, and VAT of 18% is charged on mainland imports on the customs value plus duty and any excise.
Further levies, such as a railway development levy and a customs processing fee, are calculated on the customs value, and excise duty applies to certain goods. Rates change with Finance Acts and EAC decisions, so confirm them for your HS code with your clearing agent or the TRA before you price the goods.
Plan for possible system outages and hand-off delays between agencies, and keep a buffer between the expected release date and the end of free time.
Importers have faced delays when the customs and single-window systems were unavailable, including an outage of more than a week reported in April 2024, after which some importers disputed the extra waiting charges (The Citizen). Release messages have also been reported to reach the port community system late. When an outage affects your cargo, your case shows it as an external blocker linked to an advisory, and the delay cause is recorded in case a charge has to be disputed.
Yes. Dar es Salaam is a major gateway for landlocked neighbours, and transit cargo moves under customs control along the Central Corridor and the Dar es Salaam corridor.
Transit cargo needs a transit declaration and, in many cases, a customs bond and tracked trucks, and the destination country's import rules apply on arrival. Ask your coordinator which inland destinations we currently cover before booking.
We coordinate shipments to Dar es Salaam from Jebel Ali and JAFZA, including consolidation of goods bought in China or Dubai, and each case follows one visible checklist.
The stages are: TIN and permits confirmed → TBS certificate where required → booking and loading → arrival at Dar es Salaam → TANCIS declaration and duty payment → release → delivery or onward transit. See UAE to Tanzania and transit and re-export.
VAT on mainland imports is 18%, charged on the customs value plus import duty and any excise. Other levies are calculated separately on the customs value.
No, only products on the Tanzania Bureau of Standards' regulated list. For those, the Certificate of Conformity should be issued in the exporting country before shipment.
Yes, transit cargo can move under customs control along the Dar es Salaam and Central corridors, with the destination country's rules applying on arrival. Ask your coordinator which destinations we currently cover.
Terminals and carriers usually still bill storage and demurrage, and disputes depend on their terms. We record the outage as the delay cause on your case, which supports any request for a waiver.
Official and primary sources used for this page. Rules change, so check the source for the latest version.
General information, not legal or customs advice. Requirements depend on the goods, their HS code and current regulations; confirm them with your coordinator or the relevant authority before shipping.
United Arab EmiratestoTanzania
FCL and LCL sea freight and re-export from Jebel Ali and JAFZA to Dar es Salaam, with the TIN, TBS certificate and TANCIS documents aligned before loading, and onward transit to inland markets where we can cover it.
Next step
Send your cargo, origin and timing. A coordinator confirms the documents and sends an itemised quote.
To import into Tanzania you need a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin, a TBS Certificate of Conformity for regulated products and any sector permits, such as TMDA approval for medicines. A licensed clearing agent files the declaration in TRA's TANCIS system through the TeSWS single window. Duty follows the East African Community Common External Tariff and VAT on mainland imports is 18%.
