Search for an "import export licence south africa" and you will not find one document with that name. South Africa's system works differently. To import or export goods commercially, you register as an importer or exporter with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) under the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964, and SARS issues you a customs client number, commonly called a customs code. That number is what allows your business to legally move goods across the South African border.
If the goods you import or export are on a controlled list, a second step applies: an import or export permit from the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC), the body that administers South Africa's import and export control regime. Most new, general goods do not need an ITAC permit. Used and second-hand goods, waste and scrap, and a defined list of sensitive tariff lines generally do.
This page explains what "import export licence" actually means in South Africa: how to register as an importer or exporter, how the customs code works, when you need an ITAC permit, how VAT fits in, what a freight forwarder or clearing agent does, and how cross-border trade into the rest of the SADC region works. If you would rather Insika manage the registration, we can take care of it from start to finish.
Is there an import export licence in South Africa?
Not as a single certificate. What South African law requires is registration, not a licence you sit an exam for. Under the Customs and Excise Act, any person or company that imports or exports goods commercially must register with SARS Customs before the first shipment. Once registered, SARS allocates a unique customs client number that identifies your business on every customs declaration you or your clearing agent submit.
People search "import export licence" because that describes what they want: legal permission to trade goods across the border. In practice there are two possible layers:
- SARS Customs registration (always required). Register as an importer, an exporter, or both, and receive your customs client number.
- ITAC import or export permit (only for controlled goods). A separate application to the International Trade Administration Commission, needed only if your specific goods are controlled.
Both take time, documents and, for ITAC, a correct tariff classification. Getting the sequence right the first time avoids delays at the border later.
SARS customs registration: importers code and exporters registration
SARS customs registration is the foundation of any import or export business in South Africa. You register through the Registration, Licensing and Accreditation (RLA) system on SARS eFiling, or in person at a SARS Customs branch. Before you apply, your business generally needs to be a registered company with CIPC and already hold a SARS tax number, since the customs application links to your existing tax profile.
Who must register
Any person, company or trust that imports or exports goods commercially must register with SARS Customs, whether a first-time importer or an established exporter shipping regularly. Foreign importers and exporters without a South African presence must nominate a registered agent based in South Africa.
How to register for import and export
- Log in to (or register on) SARS eFiling and link your organisation profile to your individual profile.
- Assign the correct RLA user roles, then complete the RLA client application, selecting importer, exporter, or both.
- Attach the required supporting documents (below) and submit.
- Monitor status through your eFiling inbox, and respond quickly to any SARS query.
Documents SARS asks for
The customs client number (customs code)
Once SARS approves your registration, you receive a customs client number, also called a customs code, importers code or exporters code. This number must appear on every customs declaration, invoice and shipping document connected to your trade, and your clearing agent or freight forwarder will ask for it before clearing a shipment on your behalf.
- One customs client number covers both import and export activity for the same registered entity.
- SARS may require a security deposit or bond in certain risk categories, decided case by case.
- If your business details change (address, directors, bank account), you must update your customs registration directly, not just CIPC or SARS tax records, or your customs code can be suspended.
- A dormant customs code with no activity for an extended period can be deregistered by SARS.
Without a valid, active customs client number, your goods cannot be cleared through a South African port, airport or land border, regardless of a company, a tax number or a supplier ready to ship.
When do you need an ITAC import or export permit?
The International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) administers South Africa's import and export control regime under the International Trade Administration Act 71 of 2002. Import and export control exists to enforce health, environmental, security, safety and technical standards, not to block ordinary trade, so most new general merchandise moves in and out of South Africa without an ITAC permit at all.
Goods that typically need an import permit
- Used, second-hand or refurbished goods, including used vehicles, machinery, electronics and clothing.
- Waste, scrap and recyclable materials.
- Radioactive materials and certain chemicals covered by international conventions.
- Firearms, ammunition and related items.
- New pneumatic tyres and a defined list of other sensitive tariff lines.
Goods that typically need an export permit
- Certain agricultural products, precious metals and scrap metal.
- Goods subject to international sanctions or export control agreements.
- A shorter, defined list of sensitive tariff lines set out in ITAC's export control schedule.
Out of roughly 6,650 tariff lines in South Africa's tariff book, only a few hundred are subject to import or export control, so confirm your product's tariff classification against ITAC's current control lists before assuming either way.
- Register with SARS Customs first
You must hold a valid SARS customs client number before ITAC will process a permit application.
- Confirm the tariff classification
Check the correct tariff heading against ITAC's import or export control list to confirm whether a permit is required.
- Apply to ITAC with supporting documents
Submit the ITAC form with documentation, which can include a proforma invoice or clearance from another regulator (NRCS, Agriculture, SAPS) depending on the goods.
- Receive the permit and quote it on your declaration
ITAC processes most complete applications in three to five working days. Quote the permit number on your customs clearance declaration.
VAT, tax clearance and your customs registration
Customs registration does not stand alone. It links directly to your business's tax position, and getting the tax side right up front avoids delays and, later, unexpected VAT bills.
- Company and tax registration first. SARS customs registration assumes you already have a registered company and an income tax number, so that has to happen first if you have not registered a company yet.
- VAT registration. Import VAT is charged on most goods entering South Africa, whether or not your business is VAT registered. If you are VAT registered, you can generally claim back the import VAT as input tax. Turnover above R1 million a year requires VAT registration regardless of whether you import.
- Tax clearance. Some customs processes, and many supplier or tender dealings, ask for a valid SARS tax compliance status, so keep your tax affairs current.
- Customs duty versus VAT. Duty is a percentage of the customs value set by the tariff heading, while import VAT is charged on top of the duty-paid value. Both are due before goods are released.
Freight forwarding and customs clearing agents
Registering as an importer or exporter gives you legal standing to trade. It does not, by itself, move your goods. Two related but distinct service providers usually do that work:
- Freight forwarders arrange the physical movement of goods, booking sea, air or road transport and coordinating with carriers from origin to the South African border or port.
- Customs clearing agents prepare and submit the customs declaration, calculate duty and VAT, and manage release from customs control. Anyone lodging a declaration for reward on another party's behalf must itself be licensed with SARS as a clearing agent under section 64B of the Customs and Excise Act, on a calendar-year licence running 1 January to 31 December.
Many logistics companies offer both services together. You hold the customs client number and the commercial responsibility, while your appointed forwarder or agent handles the paperwork using your code. Insika can help select and brief the right clearing agent as part of a compliance advisory engagement.
Cross-border trade: SADC and the Southern African Customs Union
Trade with South Africa's regional neighbours works under a different set of rules layered on top of ordinary customs registration.
- Southern African Customs Union (SACU). South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia form a customs union. Goods originating within SACU generally move between member states without import duty, though VAT and other requirements still apply.
- SADC Free Trade Area. For trade with other SADC members outside SACU, such as Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the SADC Free Trade Agreement offers preferential duty rates on qualifying goods.
- Certificate of origin. To claim a preferential rate, your shipment must carry a valid certificate of origin. Without it, customs charges the standard, non-preferential rate, often significantly higher.
- Cross-border road transport permits. Trucks moving goods by road across land borders may need separate transport permits, on top of the shipment's customs clearance.
Cross-border trade is where a registered trader most often loses money unnecessarily, usually by paying full duty because a certificate of origin was missing, or by underestimating how long a land border crossing takes at peak periods. Insika's cross-border trade facilitation service closes exactly these gaps.
How much does customs and import export registration cost
SARS and ITAC do not charge application fees. The real cost sits in preparing documents correctly, professional help where the process is unfamiliar, and ongoing freight forwarding and clearing. The table below separates the government cost (largely R0) from Insika's indicative fee for managing the registration.
| Item | Indicative cost |
|---|---|
| SARS customs registration (importer/exporter) | No application fee (security deposit only if SARS requires one for your risk category) |
| ITAC import or export permit | No fee, per permit application |
| Certificate of origin (SACU/SADC) | R0 - R500, depending on the issuing chamber of commerce |
| Customs clearing agent licence (if you clear for others) | Bond required, amount set by SARS on application |
| Insika customs registration fee (indicative) | R5 000 - R15 000 |
| Insika import or export registration fee (indicative) | R5 000 - R10 000 |
| Insika cross-border trade facilitation (indicative) | R10 000 - R50 000 |
Common compliance pitfalls
Most border delays trace back to a small number of avoidable mistakes:
- Shipping before registration is complete. Goods cannot be cleared without an active customs client number, so confirm approval, not just submission, before goods leave the supplier.
- Wrong or unclear tariff classification. The tariff heading sets both the duty rate and whether an ITAC permit applies, so a wrong classification can mean unnecessary duty, a missed permit, or both.
- Assuming new goods never need a permit. Most new goods are exempt, but exceptions such as tyres and certain chemicals catch importers who assumed otherwise.
- Missing certificate of origin. The most common reason a business pays full duty on a SADC or SACU shipment that should have qualified for a preferential rate.
- Letting the customs code go dormant. A registration with no activity for an extended period can be deregistered by SARS.
- Not updating registration details. A change of address, directors or bank account must be updated on your SARS customs profile directly, not assumed to flow through from CIPC or general tax records.
Official sources
This guide is based on the current rules published by the relevant South African authorities. Always confirm the latest fees and requirements with the office that applies to you.
