Customs and clearing
How customs clearance works in Tanzania
Short answer
- Law
- East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004 1
- Customs system
- TANCIS, for Mainland and Zanzibar 1
- Who lodges
- A licensed clearing and forwarding agent 1
- When to lodge
- At least 7 days before arrival, as TRA urges 1
- Legal entry deadline
- 21 days after discharge starts, under section 34(1) 3
- Free port storage, local import containers
- First 5 days after discharge and posting in the TRA system 4
- Free port storage, transit import containers
- First 15 days after the ship completes discharge 4
Step by step for sea imports
TRA and the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) publish the steps below. The customs steps come from TRA 1. The port steps come from TPA 2.
- Appoint a clearing and forwarding agent from the TRA list for the year and give the agent the bill of lading 2.
- Get any import permits needed from bodies such as TMDA, TBS or TASAC 1.
- The agent lodges the declaration and documents in TANCIS. TRA urges lodging at least 7 days before arrival 1.
- The Integrated Query System in TANCIS rejects incomplete declarations 1.
- The agent pays the customs charges and gets a Release Order from the shipping agent 2.
- The agent gets a Delivery Order from the shipping agent and uploads the bill of lading, Delivery Order and Release Order to the TPA Electronic Payment Portal (TePP) 2.
- TPA issues a port charges invoice with a control number. It can be paid at a bank or by mobile money 2.
- The agent announces the truck and driver in the cargo system to get a Gate-in-Ticket 2.
- Cargo goes through physical checks at the port gate and is released to the agent, who hands it to the customer 2.
Documents TRA lists
- Final invoice 1
- Agent's authorization letter from the importer 1
- Import permits from TMDA, TBS, TASAC and other bodies where they apply 1
- Exemption documents, if any 1
- Packing list 1
- Transport document: bill of lading, airway bill or road consignment note 1
- Cross Border Declaration of Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments 1
Time limits in the law and at the port
Under section 34(1) of the EAC Customs Management Act, cargo must be entered within twenty one days after discharge begins. The proper officer may extend this time. Under section 34(5), entered goods not removed from the first point of entry within fourteen days of entry become liable to customs warehouse rent 3.
The TPA Deep Sea Tariff Book of January 2026 sets storage charges for containers after the free period 4.
| Container | Free period | Next period, per day | After that, per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local import, 20 ft or less 4 | 5 days 4 | US$20 for days 6 to 15 4 | US$40 4 |
| Local import, over 20 ft 4 | 5 days 4 | US$40 for days 6 to 15 4 | US$80 4 |
| Transit import, 20 ft or less 4 | 15 days 4 | US$20 for days 16 to 21 4 | US$40 4 |
| Transit import, over 20 ft 4 | 15 days 4 | US$40 for days 16 to 21 4 | US$80 4 |
Road borders
TRA lists working One Stop Border Posts with Kenya at Holili, Sirari, Namanga and Horohoro, with Uganda at Mutukula, with Burundi at Kabanga, with Rwanda at Rusumo and with Zambia at Tunduma. TRA says all of them use the juxtaposed model 5.
Recent changes to the law
The EAC Customs Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 came into force on 26 September 2025. It replaces section 124 so that no duty applies to imported goods valued at fifty dollars or less. It allows information to be given in electronic form where the law asks for writing 6.
Common questions
Do I need a clearing agent to import into Tanzania?
Yes. TRA says the importer must appoint a licensed clearing and forwarding agent 1.
How early should documents be lodged?
TRA urges agents to lodge documents at least 7 days before the goods arrive 1.
How long can a container stay at Dar es Salaam port for free?
5 days for local import containers and 15 days for transit import containers, under the January 2026 tariff book 4.
How are port charges paid?
TPA issues an invoice on TePP with a control number, payable at a bank or by mobile money 2.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@tanzaniatradesystems.com.
Sources
- Tanzania Revenue Authority: Import procedures (accessed 24 October 2026)
- Tanzania Ports Authority: Import process (accessed 24 October 2026)
- East African Community: East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004, Revised Edition 2011, copy hosted by Rwanda Revenue Authority (June 2011)
- Tanzania Ports Authority: Deep Sea Tariff Book (January 2026)
- Tanzania Revenue Authority: One Stop Border Post (OSBP) (accessed 24 October 2026)
- East African Community, copy in the Ministry of Finance Tanzania repository: The East African Community Customs Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 (26 September 2025)
Related
- TANCIS: the Tanzania Customs Integrated System
What TANCIS does, who runs it, when it started, what it replaced, which systems it links to and what the CAG found about its integration.
- Customs agent licence for clearing and forwarding in Tanzania
TRA requirements, fees and bond for a customs clearing agent licence in Tanzania, with renewal rules, the interview and the licence period.
- Cargo release at Dar es Salaam port
How imported cargo leaves Dar es Salaam port: Release Order, Delivery Order, TePP invoice, Gate-in-Ticket, storage charges and operators.
- The EAC Customs Management Act, 2004 and Tanzania
The East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004 as used by TRA: key sections, editions, and the 2019 and 2025 amendments.
- GePG control numbers and government payments in Tanzania
How the Government e-Payment Gateway works, how to pay a bill with a control number by bank or mobile money, the legal basis and audit findings.