Step by step · 48 entries

Step-by-step trade workflows in Tanzania

These workflows set out the steps official bodies publish for six common processes in Tanzania. Customs steps come from TRA and the Tanzania Ports Authority ^1,2. Export steps come from the government business portal and TPA ^4,5. Cashew steps come from the Cashew Board, TMX and the 2016 Warehouse Receipts Regulations ^6,7 ⁸. GePG steps come from the Ministry of Finance gateway site ^10,11. Each step names the party responsible. PVoC steps come from TBS ¹³. Single Customs Territory steps come from TRA ¹⁵.

Last checked 24 October 2026

01 Import clearance

Appoint a licensed agent
The importer appoints a licensed clearing and forwarding agent to clear the goods ¹. TPA says to pick one from TRA's list of registered agents for the year and hand over the bill of lading ².
Who: Importer
Gather documents
Documents include the final invoice, the agent's authorisation letter, import permits such as from TMDA, TBS or TASAC, any exemption papers, the packing list, the transport document and the currency declaration ¹.
Who: Importer and clearing agent
Lodge the declaration in TANCIS
The agent lodges the declaration and all supporting documents in TANCIS. TRA urges lodging at least 7 days before the goods arrive ¹.
Who: Clearing agent
System checks
TANCIS automatically rejects incomplete declarations or those with weak descriptions ¹.
Who: TRA (TANCIS)
Permits through the single window
Regulatory authorities handle permits through the TeSWS portal inside the enhanced TANCIS, launched in January 2025. Tanzania told the WTO that 40 authorities were onboarded ³.
Who: Regulatory authorities
Pay customs charges and get a release order
The agent pays applicable customs charges and obtains a release order from the shipping agent ².
Who: Clearing agent and shipping agent
Generate the port charges invoice
The agent gets the delivery order from the shipping agent and uploads the bill of lading, delivery order and release order to TePP ².
Who: Clearing agent
Pay TPA charges
The TPA invoice on TePP shows a control number, bill of lading number and TANSAD number. Payment is made through banks or mobile money using the control number ².
Who: Clearing agent
Book the truck
The agent announces the delivery truck and driver in the cargo system and receives a gate-in ticket ².
Who: Clearing agent
Release at the gate
Cargo goes through physical checks at the port gates and is released to the agent. The customer collects it from the agent ².
Who: TPA, clearing agent and customer

02 Export clearance

Appoint an agent
The exporter appoints a clearing and forwarding agent and hands over the invoice, packing list, TIN certificate, authorisation letter and any export certificates ⁴.
Who: Exporter
Upload documents to TANCIS
The agent uploads the documents and permits from other government departments to TANCIS ⁴.
Who: Clearing agent
Permit checks
Other government departments approve or reject the permits in TANCIS ⁴.
Who: Other government departments
Assess export duties
TRA assesses export taxes and duties, if any ⁴.
Who: TRA
Book and stuff containers
The agent books containers with the shipping line. Stuffing takes place under TRA and agency supervision ⁴.
Who: Clearing agent, shipping line, TRA
Release order
TRA approves the documents and issues a release order ⁵.
Who: TRA
Pay port charges
The agent submits the shipping order, release order and loading permission to the TPA Main Export Office, which issues an invoice for port charges ⁵.
Who: Clearing agent and TPA
Truck announcement
The agent announces the truck in the cargo system and gets a gate-in ticket ⁵.
Who: Clearing agent
Gate and loading reports
The TRA terminal gate confirms check-in. The terminal sends TRA a carry-in report and a loading result report, and TRA confirms loading ⁴.
Who: TRA and terminal operator
Export manifest
The shipping line submits the export manifest and TRA approves it, which strikes the cargo off the terminal inventory ⁴.
Who: Shipping line and TRA

03 Cashew sale to farmer payment

Deliver to the AMCOS
Farmers bring cashew to their primary cooperative, where it is received, dried to cut moisture, checked for quality and stored ⁶.
Who: Farmer and AMCOS
Warehouse receipt
The licensed warehouse weighs, grades and stores the produce under WRRB oversight. Each deposit becomes an electronic receipt, and receipts are grouped into auction lots ⁷.
Who: Warehouse operator, WRRB
Buyer bond
Licensed buyers fund a security bond before bidding. The system blocks bids the bond cannot cover ⁷.
Who: Licensed buyer
Online auction
TMX runs timed auctions with fixed bid steps. The seller must consent to each sale ⁷.
Who: TMX and seller
Buyer pays
The winning buyer is invoiced and pays through the banking system ⁷. CBT rules say buyers must pay for cashew and levies before collecting it ⁹.
Who: Buyer
Seller is paid
After payment is confirmed, sellers are paid ⁷. All payments must go through a financial institution, and depositors give buyers their account details ⁸.
Who: TMX and banks
Release and collection
The buyer receives a release order to collect the cashew from the warehouse ⁷.
Who: Buyer and warehouse operator
Payment check
Supervision committees must see that depositors are paid according to the quality and quantity sold ⁸.
Who: Supervision committee

04 Paying a government bill with a GePG control number

Bill is created
The government service provider creates the bill through a billing system, POS, the SP portal, the GePG portal or SMS and USSD. GePG returns the control number ^10,12.
Who: Government institution (service provider)
Check the bill
The payer can verify the bill through the GePG mobile app or website ¹².
Who: Payer
Pay through a channel
The payer pays with the control number through a bank, mobile money such as M-Pesa, Tigopesa or Airtel Money, a Visa or Mastercard card, or a TISS or SWIFT transfer ¹⁰.
Who: Payer and payment service provider
Amount rules
A partial bill accepts instalments up to the total. An exact bill accepts only the billed amount. A full bill accepts the billed amount or more ¹⁰.
Who: GePG
Confirmation
GePG sends payment confirmation and reconciliation to service providers and payment providers ¹².
Who: GePG
Fix a wrong amount by mobile money
The payer asks the mobile operator for a refund. The bank seeks reversal approval from the service provider and notifies GePG ¹⁰.
Who: Payer, mobile operator, bank
Fix a wrong control number
The payer files a claim with the service provider with a statement, SMS or bank slip. The provider moves the payment to the correct bill ¹⁰.
Who: Payer and service provider

05 TBS PVoC certificate for regulated imports

Request a certificate
The supplier or importer sends a Request for Certificate for each shipment under the PVoC programme ¹³.
Who: Supplier or importer
Inspection notice
The TBS service provider asks the exporter when and where the goods will be ready for inspection ¹³.
Who: PVoC service provider and exporter
Document check
The provider checks the documents. Weak proof of conformity leads to lab testing or a Non-Conformity Report ¹³.
Who: PVoC service provider
Physical check
Inspectors check the goods against the documents and standards. Critical faults lead to rejection of the shipment ¹³.
Who: PVoC service provider
Certificate issued and collected
If the goods comply, the provider issues a Certificate of Conformity and the exporter or importer collects it ¹³.
Who: PVoC service provider, exporter or importer
Authenticate at TBS
The importer submits the original CoC with shipping and customs documents to the TBS Imports Office ¹³.
Who: Importer and TBS
Clear at the port
The importer or clearing agent clears the goods with the authenticated CoC. Food and cosmetics need a TBS registration certificate from oas.tbs.go.tz ¹³.
Who: Importer or clearing agent
No certificate on arrival
Regulated goods without a CoC go to destination inspection with a penalty of 15% of invoice value as assessed by TRA. Failed goods are returned or destroyed at the importer's cost ¹⁴.
Who: TBS and importer

06 Single Customs Territory clearance

EAC-made goods: one declaration
For goods made in the EAC, the importer's agent lodges one declaration in Tanzania and taxes are paid or a bond guarantee is given ¹⁵.
Who: Clearing agent
EAC-made goods: release at destination
The declaration and an exit note go to the destination state for release ¹⁵.
Who: TRA and destination customs
Goods from outside the EAC
Goods for Rwanda, Burundi or Uganda are handled as direct imports. One declaration is processed in the destination country, with manifest data, tax confirmation and release orders exchanged electronically ¹⁵.
Who: Destination customs and TRA
Moving the cargo
Warehoused goods move under the Electronic Cargo Tracking System or a Regional Bond Guarantee ¹⁵.
Who: TRA and transporter
EAC exports through Tanzania
One declaration is processed in the exporting country and sent to the transit country. The inland border officer confirms exit on arrival. TRA says this is not yet fully applied in all countries ¹⁵.
Who: Exporting country customs and TRA

Notes

The Public Finance Act 2001, as amended in 2017, requires all public money to be collected electronically through GePG ¹¹.
Treasury Circular No. 3 of 4 September 2017 told Permanent Secretaries to collect all government revenue through GePG ¹¹.
The business portal export page names ASYCUDA++ for the lodgement step and TANCIS for the rest. This guide follows the TANCIS steps ⁴.
Fees are not listed here. TRA and TPA pages read on 24 October 2026 gave no clearance fee amounts ^1,2.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@tanzaniatradesystems.com.

01 Import clearance

Appoint a licensed agent

Gather documents

Lodge the declaration in TANCIS

System checks

Permits through the single window

Pay customs charges and get a release order

Generate the port charges invoice

Pay TPA charges

Book the truck

Release at the gate

02 Export clearance

Appoint an agent

Upload documents to TANCIS

Permit checks

Assess export duties

Book and stuff containers

Release order

Pay port charges

Truck announcement

Gate and loading reports

Export manifest

03 Cashew sale to farmer payment

Deliver to the AMCOS

Warehouse receipt

Buyer bond

Online auction

Buyer pays

Seller is paid

Release and collection

Payment check

04 Paying a government bill with a GePG control number

Bill is created

Check the bill

Pay through a channel

Amount rules

Confirmation

Fix a wrong amount by mobile money

Fix a wrong control number

05 TBS PVoC certificate for regulated imports

Request a certificate

Inspection notice

Document check

Physical check

Certificate issued and collected

Authenticate at TBS

Clear at the port

No certificate on arrival

06 Single Customs Territory clearance

EAC-made goods: one declaration

EAC-made goods: release at destination

Goods from outside the EAC

Moving the cargo

EAC exports through Tanzania

Notes

Sources