What is the Burundi ECTN (BESC)?
The Burundi BESC is the electronic cargo tracking note required by Burundi’s Ministry of Finance under Ministerial Ordinance 540/409 of 18 March 2014, for cargo with a Bill of Lading dated 1 April 2014 or later. It must be issued at the port of loading; it cannot be regularised at destination. Its number goes on the Bill of Lading and on the cargo manifest.
New to the BESC? Read BESC meaning, and CTN meaning in shipping for the cargo tracking note that 30 African and Middle East destinations ask for in one form or another.
Other names for the Burundi BESC
One instrument, several names. For Burundi the filing is the BESC — Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons. The same certificate is also referred to as ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), and a request for one is a request for the other. If your importer or your carrier has asked for a name that is not on this page, send it to us with the Bill of Lading and we will confirm which filing they mean.
Burundi ECTN: Dar es Salaam, Mombasa and Bujumbura
Burundi has no seaport. Its sea cargo is discharged at Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) or Mombasa (Kenya) and continues by road to Bujumbura, or by rail to Kigoma and across Lake Tanganyika to the port of Bujumbura. The Burundi BESC is required for every Bill of Lading with final destination Burundi, whichever route is used. Kenya’s ACD does not apply to cargo in transit to Burundi when the Bill of Lading destination and the consignee are outside Kenya.
Official Burundi ECTN (BESC) sources
The Burundi BESC is required by Burundi’s Ministry of Finance under Ministerial Ordinance 540/409 of 18 March 2014.
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When to file the Burundi ECTN
The Burundi BESC is issued at the port of loading and cannot be regularised at destination, so file as soon as the booking is confirmed. A draft Bill of Lading is enough for pre-validation; the final Bill of Lading has to follow within 5 working days, otherwise the BESC is cancelled.
Who files the Burundi ECTN
The shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder at the port of loading files the Burundi BESC. The importer in Burundi does not file it, but cargo that arrives without one is blocked until it is regularised, and penalties set by Burundi’s Ministry of Finance apply to shippers, importers and carriers.
How to get the Burundi BESC, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Burundi, every cargo shipment purchased from abroad and transported for commercial, business, diplomatic, or personal purposes requires a validated Loading Certificate:
- ▪Send the Bill of Lading (a draft is enough to start), the commercial invoice in USD or EUR, the freight invoice and the export customs declaration.
- ▪We check that parties, packages, weights and values match across the documents and pre-validate the Burundi BESC (ECTN).
- ▪Within 5 working days of pre-validation, send the final Bill of Lading; otherwise the BESC is cancelled.
- ▪The validated Burundi BESC travels with the cargo through Dar es Salaam or Mombasa to Bujumbura.
Burundi BESC: validity and amendments
A validated BESC is issued against one shipment: one Bill of Lading, one vessel, one voyage, one consignee. It does not carry over to your next shipment and it carries no renewal date. If the shipment changes, the certificate has to change with it — and what can be amended after validation, and at what cost, is set by the destination authority. Corrections to the draft before filing cost nothing, which is why we send you the draft first.
What happens without a valid Burundi BESC?
Cargo arriving without a validated BESC is generally not released at Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya) or Matadi (DR Congo): customs clearance delays, storage and demurrage accruing daily, and regulatory fines until a valid certificate is presented. The demurrage is often the larger of the two numbers, and it is the one that grows while the paperwork is corrected.
What the Burundi BESC costs
Two lines, quoted separately. The first is the statutory charge the destination authority sets for registering the certificate — it belongs to the authority, not to us, and it varies by destination and shipment profile. The second is our service fee for preparing the file, checking it against the published requirements, filing it and handling any query. Neither is a percentage of your cargo value. Both are fixed and shown before anything is filed, so the invoice you approve is the invoice you pay.
Burundi BESC: latest notices and articles
Burundi ECTN and BESC questions
What is the Burundi BESC?
The BESC is a compulsory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for shipments to Burundi. It records loading and invoice details so customs can verify compliance ahead of the destination's filing deadline.
Which documents are required to obtain the BESC?
The core documents are: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Freight Invoice, and Export Customs Declaration. Additional destination-specific paperwork may be requested during validation — our desk confirms the exact list for your shipment.
When must the BESC be issued?
At the port of loading, before the cargo sails: it cannot be regularised at destination. A draft Bill of Lading is enough for pre-validation, and the final Bill of Lading must follow within 5 working days or the BESC is cancelled.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid BESC?
It is blocked in transit until it is regularised, and penalties set by Burundi’s Ministry of Finance apply to the shipper, the importer and the carrier, on top of storage and demurrage.
Can a validated BESC be modified after issuance?
Once validated, changes are generally restricted. Ensure all weights, values and party details match your cargo manifests and Bill of Lading exactly before submitting.
Is the Burundi ECTN the same as the Burundi BESC?
Yes. Searches for the Burundi ECTN mean the BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons), the name printed on the certificate. It is one certificate per Bill of Lading.
Since when is the Burundi ECTN mandatory?
Since 1 April 2014, counted from the Bill of Lading date, under Ministerial Ordinance 540/409 of 18 March 2014 of Burundi’s Ministry of Finance.
Does cargo for Burundi through Mombasa also need a Kenya ACD?
Not when it is in transit: Kenya’s ACD does not apply when both the Bill of Lading destination and the consignee are outside Kenya. The Burundi BESC is still required.