Information on Egypt ACID

ACID, known as Advanced Cargo Information Declaration, is a loading certificate that is mandatory for all shipments sent to Egypt. It is also known as BSC or ECTN.

This waiver is going to be used from April 1st, 2021.

For now, it’s not clear if it’s going to be mandatory, but we believe it will.

WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR ACID?

You will need the following documents to apply for this waiver:

• Bill of Lading — A draft copy can be used for the draft.
• Commercial Invoice — Incoterm, reference, and the date have to be mentioned.
• Freight Invoice — It is necessary if the freight cost isn’t on the commercial invoice.

WHEN DO I NEED TO OBTAIN THIS CERTIFICATE?

You must have the ACID validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives at the destination port. Failing to present it will lead to severe consequences and fines.

You should also know that it takes an average of 2 days to get it validated since you apply (being all the documents correct) although we try our best to make it in one day.

Knowing this, you should prepare your documents and contact us as soon as you can.

If your shipment arrives without a valid ACID, you will get charged twice the certificate plus the regulation fine determined by the Egypt Port Officials. This also means delays in your shipment, as well as warehouse costs until you can clear your cargo.

HOW DO I GET THE ECTN WAIVER?

The process to get this certificate might be complicated and confusing but don’t worry, we are here to help you and make it easier.

First, you will send us the required documents by email, and after checking that everything is correct, we will issue a draft of the certificate. This is an important step because you will have to double-check all the data in the draft to confirm to us that it is correct.

After you verify that everything is right, we will validate the certificate and send you the validated copy.

As you see, it may be a simple process if you know what to do. Just contact us if you need this certificate and we will be happy to solve all of your doubts and help you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is GetCTN?

GetCTN is an independent consulting firm to help you to get the necessary CTN certificates of most African Countries. GetCTN is an international company that is based in the USA and UAE.

Do I need to present the hard-copy of the certificate?

No. The hard-copy is not necessary except for Angola. The entire process is online and you can present the validated certificate that we send you by email.

Do I need one ACID for each bill of lading?

Yes. Each bill of lading must be covered by at least one ACID and its unique number needs to be inserted in the Original Bill of Lading as well as the Cargo Manifest.

For more information and examples of the documents don’t hesitate to visit our website and contact us.