Customs Clearance at Mombasa Port

Customs Clearance at the Port of Mombasa

Mombasa is the gateway for most of Kenya's imports and for a great deal of transit cargo bound for Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and eastern DRC. Clearance is a well-defined process, but delays are expensive and largely avoidable.

What the process involves

1. Import Declaration Form lodged before shipment.
2. Entry lodgement on KRA's iCMS system, declaring tariff classification, value and origin.
3. Assessment and payment of duty, VAT, IDF and RDL.
4. Delivery Order obtained from the shipping line against the original bill of lading and payment of line charges.
5. Verification where the cargo is selected for physical examination or scanning.
6. Port charges settled with Kenya Ports Authority.
7. Release and gate-out, then transport to Nairobi or upcountry.

Where importers lose money

Demurrage and storage. The two largest avoidable costs at Mombasa. Shipping lines allow a limited number of free days on the container, and KPA allows limited free storage. Once those run out, charges accrue daily and they are not small. The single most effective thing you can do is engage your clearing agent before the vessel arrives, not after.

Late Delivery Order. Waiting for the original bill of lading to arrive by courier, or delaying payment of line charges, routinely costs importers more than the freight itself.

Undervaluation. Declaring less than the true transaction value is illegal, and KRA's valuation database makes it easy to spot. The consequences are penalties, seizure and prosecution — not a cheaper clearance.

Tariff misclassification. An incorrect HS code produces either an overpayment you will struggle to recover or an underpayment that triggers a post-clearance audit. Get the classification right at lodgement.

Transit cargo

We handle transit clearance for cargo moving through Mombasa to neighbouring countries, including bond execution and the customs escort or electronic cargo tracking requirements that apply on the northern corridor.

What we do

We are a licensed clearing and forwarding agent. We lodge entries, manage the KRA verification process, settle port and line charges on your behalf where agreed, and arrange onward transport by road or SGR. You get one point of contact and a landed cost you can plan against.