Benin BESC
Mandatory document for all ports in Benin.
All cargo to Benin must be accompanied by a BESC certificate. Make sure you comply with customs regulations with our hassle-free BESC application service.
Our expert team is here to help you secure your mandatory BESC loading document for all shipments to Benin, ensuring a smooth and efficient process. Don’t risk facing substantial charges or severe consequences.
What is Benin BESC Certificate?
The BESC certificate, also known as an ECTN, is a document that is necessary for all exports to Benin and permits tracking of all cargo movements within Benin. It also aids in regulating the flow of products and preventing smuggling. It has been required for goods unloaded at the Port of Cotonou or any other port since 2006, according to Benin Customs authorities.
Without the ECTN, goods will not be permitted to enter Benin since it is a legal requirement.
Certificate Requirements
Which documents are required for Benin Besc?
The following documents are required to issue a Besc certificate:
- Bill of Lading (Applications can be made with a draft copy.)
- Commercial Invoice
- Freight Invoice (It is not necessary If the freight value is indicated on the commercial invoice)
- Export Declaration
- Packing List
To start the certification process, send PDF versions of the required documents to info@globalctn.com. For the issuance of ECTN certifications, hard copies are not required. Please make sure you send the final documents that don’t require revisions. After the certificates have been validated, a penalty cost will be applied for revisions.
General FAQs
All shipments to Benin must have the BESC also known as an ECTN, which allows for the declaration of goods and authorization while the shipment is still at the port of loading. Since 2006, Benin Customs officials have mandated it for commodities discharged at the Port of Cotonou or any other port.
‘Bordereau électronique de Suivi de Cargaison’, or ‘Electronic Cargo Tracking Note’ (ECTN) in English, is abbreviated as ‘BESC’ in French.
Once you have submitted all the necessary paperwork, you will receive a draft of the BESC certificate. Following that, we require your approval of the draft and payment. The certificate will then be presented to the Benin authorities for approval. Normally, this procedure takes a few days, but when planning, a week should be considered.
You must get a BESC certificate for both Benin and the country to which your cargo is in transit, such as Burkina Faso or Niger, if it is traveling via Cotonou port. For instance, both the Benin and Niger certifications would be necessary for a shipment that was transported from Benin to Niger.
Benin has only one port, which is at Cotonou. This port, a crucial crossing point for Burkina Faso and Niger, manages all of Benin’s marine commerce. In light of this, you must provide an ECTN certificate for Benin if the port of discharge on the bill of lading is listed as Cotonou.
According to a recent announcement by Benin’s government, if the automobiles (chassis) are carried in containers, the shipping type shall be listed as a container. In this situation, the bill of lading should be properly tagged with container references. If not, ECTN certificates should be issued as RO/RO shipments.
A valid BESC certificate is required for every shipment being unloaded at the Port of Cotonou in Benin. Your items cannot be cleared at any port without the BESC certification.
For the cargo to proceed via Benin and into Niger, two different certifications are needed. You need to acquire both Niger and Benin BSC and BESC certifications.
No, BESC is exclusive and only available with a single shipment. Every shipment must have a unique, validated BESC number.