Ivory Coast – Cote d’Ivoire BSC Waiver Certificate

The Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d’Ivoire, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The capital and largest city is Yamoussoukro, with the government and economic center being located in Abidjan. The official language is French and the population is around 25 million. The Ivory Coast has a diverse culture with influences from the indigenous tribes, European colonizers, and the African diaspora.

Every shipment to Ivory Coast must have a BSC certificate; without it, cargo will not be cleared and will be returned. Ensure your BSC is validated no later than 5 days before vessel arrival. Quickly secure your BSC certificate through SCK Representation to avoid delays.

BSC is a French shortening of ‘Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons ‘translated as ‘Cargo Tracking Note’ (CTN) in English.

How can you get Ivory Coast BSC Certificate?

You need to submit the following documents in your application for the BSC certificate:

• Bill of Lading (Application can be made with a draft copy. Original will be needed for validation)
• Invoice
• Freight invoice, if the freight value is not mentioned in the Invoice.
• Packing list
• Certificate of origin
• Customs declaration
• Certificate of insurance for Cote d’Ivoire (Local insurance document certificat d’assurance | provided by the importer in Ivory Coast.)
• FDI document (Fiche de déclaration à l’importation | provided by the importer in Ivory Coast.)

To start the certification process, you should share PDF copies of the documents through sck@scktr.com. There is no need to send hard copies for the issuance of BSC certificates. Please be sure to share the final documents, which will not have any more amendments later on in the process. A penalty fee will occur for the modifications after validating the certificates.

Are there any additional requirements for the issuance of a BSC certificate?

Importers should have registration on the platform and present their system account number and name to start the certification process.

Also, note that the certificate of insurance (certificat d’assurance) and FDI document (Fiche de déclaration à l’importation) need to be issued by the Ivory Coast’s importer and presented to complete the validation process.

For more information and document samples, please contact our team via sck@scktr.com.

How long does it take to get approval?

A draft copy of the certificate will be issued in a day if all mandatory documents are provided and coherent. The certificate will be submitted for validation once we receive your confirmation on the draft and the payment. The approval for verification is usually received in a day. However, as all the approvals are handled in the main office in Abidjan, the process may take about a week.

If your freight is in transit via Abidjan, you do not need to get a BSC certificate for Ivory Coast. BESC is only required for importing goods. For the procedure of countries that are mainly used for transit freights, you can click on the name of the country:

Mali

Burkina Faso

Which name should be indicated as a discharge port on the bill of lading?

Abidjan and San Pedro are the main ports of the Ivory Coast. These ports handle all maritime traffic of the Ivory Coast, and they are important waypoints for Burkina Faso and Mali. Therefore, if the port of discharge is indicated as Abidjan or San Pedro on the bill of lading, you need to issue a BSC certificate for Ivory Coast.

What is BSC?

BSC (Bordereau de Suivi de Cargaison), also known as ECTN, is another name for a waiver document. 

Do I need to get an ECTN if the shipment goes through Ivory Coast to Burkina Faso?

A shipment to Burkina Faso in transit through Ivory Coast only needs a Burkina Faso ECTN certificate.

What is an FDI?

Fiche de Decleration a l’importation is known as FDI in short. Its name translates to “Import Declaration Form” in English. The Ivory Coast requires an FDI certificate for every shipment.

Where do I get the FDI document?

The consignee from the customs office in the Ivory Coast may request an FDI document.

Can I use one FDI for multiple purposes?

The FDI document is produced separately for every shipment and Bill of Lading. Therefore, the names of the loading and arrival ports and the shipment’s weight, value, and term must match those on the relevant shipping documents.

Can I use the same BSC number for various shipments?

No, BSC is unique and limited to a single shipment. Every cargo needs its own BSC number that has been verified.

Responsibility

The responsibility to get the ECTN/BESC certificate is on the shipper’s side. Transports without a certificate are penalized, and the shipper will be responsible for the loss.