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Trade Resources
Forms to start a clearance, guides to prepare a shipment, and plain explanations of the regulators, documents and terms that govern cargo in Tanzania.
Documents & forms
These are the forms that open a file with us. Request a copy and we will send it the same working day, already filled in with your company details where we hold them.
Cargo Intake & Clearing InstructionConsignee details, incoterm, HS indication, delivery point and the contact for queries.
Request copy
FORM · 2 PAGES
Agency Appointment LetterAuthorises Bridgelight to declare and act on your behalf before TRA and TASAC.
Request copy
FORM · 1 PAGE
Transit Cargo InstructionAdditional detail required for consignments moving to a border of exit under bond.
Request copy
FORM · 2 PAGES
Required Document ChecklistThe minimum document set, plus the sector permits regulated goods attract.
Request copy
PDF · CHECKLIST
Corporate documents are released on verification. Our licence, tax clearance and bond confirmation are provided to named counterparties for tender and onboarding purposes — ask from a company address and tell us who is requesting them.
Guides & explainers
Written for people who import occasionally and for finance teams who need to understand what they are being charged. Ask for any of them and we will send the current version.
Guide
How to import goods into Tanzania
A step-by-step walk through procedure, timing, cost components and the decisions that must be made before shipment.
Guide
Documents required before cargo arrival
What each document proves, who issues it, and what happens when it is missing or inconsistent.
Guide
Understanding duties, VAT and other taxes
How the customs value is built, what is charged on top of duty, and how to estimate a landed cost.
Guide
Transit cargo through Tanzania
Routes, border posts, bond requirements and the handover controls that keep a corridor movement on schedule.
Guide
Avoiding demurrage and storage
Where the clocks start, what they cost, and the three documents that most often cause delay.
Guide
Classification and HS codes
Why the tariff code decides the duty rate, and how a defensible classification is built and evidenced.
Regulators & portals
Clearance is rarely a single-agency process. These are the bodies whose approval, licence or assessment can hold a consignment, and what each of them controls.
| Body | Name | Mandate over your cargo |
|---|---|---|
| TRA | Tanzania Revenue Authority | Customs administration; assessment and collection of duty, VAT and levies. Issues the Customs Agent’s Licence. |
| TASAC | Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation | Licenses and regulates clearing, forwarding and shipping agency services, including service charges. |
| TANCIS | Tanzania Customs Integrated System | The electronic single window through which declarations are lodged, assessed and released. |
| EACCMA | East African Community Customs Management Act | The regional legal framework governing customs procedure, transit and bonds. |
| TBS | Tanzania Bureau of Standards | Conformity assessment and standards approval for regulated products entering the market. |
| TPA | Tanzania Ports Authority | Port operations, terminal handling and storage at the Port of Dar es Salaam. |
Statutory rates, published tariffs and licence conditions change. Confirm current requirements with the issuing authority at the time of shipment — we will do that with you as part of the regulatory check.
Trade glossary
The vocabulary that appears on quotations, invoices and customs documents, in plain language.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bill of lading | The transport document issued by the carrier, evidencing receipt of goods and title to them. |
| HS code | The Harmonised System tariff classification that determines the duty rate applicable to a product. |
| Incoterm | The trade term (EXW, FOB, CIF and others) that fixes where risk and cost pass between seller and buyer. |
| Customs value | The value on which duty is assessed, built from the transaction value plus the additions the law requires. |
| Demurrage | Charges payable to the shipping line for holding their container beyond the agreed free time. |
| Storage | Charges payable to the terminal for cargo remaining in the port beyond its free period. |
| Transit / T1 | A movement of goods under customs control through a country to a destination beyond its borders. |
| Bond acquittal | The formal discharge of a customs bond once the goods have been properly accounted for. |
Cannot find what you need?
Tell the desk what you are trying to establish and we will send the right document, or explain which authority issues it.