What is the Egypt ACID number (ACID Egypt)?
The Egypt ACID (Advance Cargo Information Declaration) number is Egypt's mandatory pre-arrival customs requirement for sea cargo to Alexandria, Port Said, Damietta and the other Egyptian ports and, since 1 January 2026, for air cargo. Introduced under Customs Law No. 207/2020 and enforced through the government NAFEZA single-window platform (ACI system) since 1 October 2021, it is a unique 19-digit number that the Egyptian importer obtains on NAFEZA before the cargo is shipped. The foreign exporter then sends the ACI filing through CargoX and quotes the ACID number on the Bill of Lading, the commercial invoice and the other export documents. Cargo that arrives without a valid, matched ACID is refused customs release and returned to origin at the shipper's expense.
Other names for the Egypt ACID
One instrument, several names. For Egypt the filing is the ACID — Advance Cargo Information Declaration. The same certificate is also referred to as ACI filing, ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), and 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.
Which ports need the Egypt ACID?
The Egypt ACID applies to sea cargo imported into Egypt, including Alexandria, Port Said and Damietta, and since 1 January 2026 to air cargo. CargoX lists the air shipments that are exempt: single-parcel express shipments up to 50 kg, direct transit, the repatriation of deceased persons, the return of smuggled antiquities and passengers’ personal items shipped separately.
When must the Egypt ACID be issued?
Two deadlines apply to the Egypt ACID. The number comes first: according to the Turkish Ministry of Trade, NAFEZA asks for the shipment data at least 48 hours and at most 3 months before the cargo leaves the export country. The ACI filing (the documents) follows once the documents are issued. For sea freight CargoX states there is no hard deadline or penalty for late filing, but an envelope sent only hours before arrival costs the importer the fast release. For air freight the ACID is also entered in the OCI segment of the electronic Air Waybill.
Who files the Egypt ACID?
The Egyptian importer, or its licensed customs broker, obtains the Egypt ACID number: it opens the request from its NAFEZA company account and submits it with an e-signature. The exporter works on CargoX: it opens and verifies the company account, prints the ACID on the export documents and sends them to the importer. For sea freight the freight forwarder registers and verifies on CargoX but does not send documents; for air freight it may file for the exporter when the exporter has delegated this to it. The sales terms decide who pays, not who does what.
How the Egypt ACID process works
The Egypt ACID process runs on two platforms: NAFEZA, where the Egyptian importer obtains the number, and CargoX, where the exporter sends the documents.
- ▪The Egyptian importer registers the shipment on the NAFEZA platform and obtains the 19-digit ACID number before loading.
- ▪The importer shares the ACID number, plus their and the exporter's registration details, with the foreign exporter.
- ▪The exporter (or our compliance desk) composes the ACI envelope on CargoX and uploads the Bill of Lading copy, the packing list, the commercial invoice (PDF and NAFEZA Excel template) and the certificate of origin against that ACID.
- ▪The ACID number must be printed on the final Bill of Lading and Commercial Invoice so customs can match the documents to the incoming shipment.
- ▪Obtain the ACID before loading (NAFEZA asks for the shipment data at least 48 hours before departure) and send the ACI filing as soon as the documents are issued, so the importer gets the fast release at arrival.
Egypt ACID: validity and amendments
One Egypt ACID number covers one shipment: one Bill of Lading or Air Waybill and its documents. The next shipment needs a new number. A filing already sent to NAFEZA cannot be recalled or deleted; to correct it, you send a new ACI envelope under the same ACID number with the corrected documents, and CargoX does not charge the filing fee again.
What happens without a valid Egypt ACID?
Cargo arriving without a validated ACID is generally not released at Alexandria, Port Said or Damietta: 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 Egypt ACID 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.
Egypt ACID: latest notices and articles
- New ACID Certificate Implemented in Egypt · 2026-02-24
Is the Egypt ACID Mandatory?
Yes. The Egypt ACID has been mandatory for sea cargo since 1 October 2021 and for air cargo since 1 January 2026. It was introduced under Customs Law No. 207/2020 and is enforced through NAFEZA. CargoX lists exempt air shipments, among them single-parcel express shipments up to 50 kg and direct transit.
How Long Does the Egypt ACID Take?
The clock starts on the importer's side. The ACID number exists only after the Egyptian importer opens the request on NAFEZA and customs accepts it.
The order is: the exporter verifies on CargoX, sends its CargoX details to the importer, the importer opens the request, customs accepts, NAFEZA generates the number and notifies both sides, the number goes on the documents, and the ACI envelope goes out on CargoX.
According to the Turkish Ministry of Trade, NAFEZA asks for the shipment data at least 48 hours before the cargo leaves the export country. An unverified CargoX company delays the file, because ACI filing is open only to fully verified companies. So does an invoice that differs from what the importer entered on NAFEZA.
For sea freight, CargoX states there is no hard deadline or penalty for late filing, but an envelope sent only hours before arrival costs the importer the fast release. The exporter causes that delay and the importer carries the result, so agree the ACI timing when the order is placed.
What the Importer Enters on NAFEZA and How CargoX Connects
The importer opens the ACID request from its NAFEZA company account and submits it with an e-signature. The request holds two sets of data: your CargoX details (registration number, company e-mail, platform name and the employee handling the file) and the order, invoice and port details of the shipment.
CargoX is NAFEZA's document gateway. NAFEZA generates the number, and the foreign exporter sends the ACI filing to Egyptian customs through CargoX. If what you gave the importer differs from your invoice, the file runs into one of the most frequent Egypt rejections.
What to Do If the ACID Number Does Not Reach You
When customs accepts the request, NAFEZA notifies both the importer and the exporter. If no notice has arrived, first ask the importer whether the request was accepted, since no number is generated before that. Then check together the CargoX details you gave. If the problem continues, NAFEZA support answers on 15460 and at nafeza@mts-egy.com.
How the NAFEZA Excel Template Invoice Is Checked
An Egypt file carries the commercial invoice twice: as a PDF and in the NAFEZA Excel template. The HS codes and values must match what the importer entered on NAFEZA, and an invoice outside the template is a named cause of rejection. You add the ACID number to the invoice yourself, typed and not handwritten.
Draft and Original Bill of Lading on CargoX
The carrier adds the ACID number to the draft Bill of Lading, so pass the number on as soon as you have it. The ACI envelope carries the Bill of Lading copy, and the original is uploaded the same way once it is issued. A correction follows a different route: a new ACI envelope under the same ACID number.
What a Forwarder Can Do on an Egypt ACID File
For sea freight, the forwarder registers and verifies on CargoX but does not send documents; the exporter sends them. For air freight, the forwarder may file for the exporter when the exporter has delegated this. On a sea shipment, an exporter whose CargoX verification is unfinished cannot hand the sending over to its forwarder.
Egypt ACID for Sea Cargo and Air Cargo: What Changes
The importer obtains the number from NAFEZA in both cases. The difference comes after that. A sea file carries the Bill of Lading copy, and an air file carries the Air Waybill copy. For air freight, the ACID also goes in the OCI segment of the electronic Air Waybill.
Shipping to Egypt from Turkey
The Turkish Ministry of Trade's Cairo and Alexandria offices have published notes on the ACID, and the exporter's steps on this page draw on them. The Egyptian importer obtains the number; the exporter in Turkey completes the company verification on CargoX and sends the documents from there. Register with a company e-mail address, not gmail or hotmail, and with a company registration number such as your trade registry or tax number. The chamber of commerce adds the ACID to the certificate of origin, so have the number ready when you apply for it.
Why File Through GetCTN
GetCTN is a private company and is not part of Egyptian customs: the number is generated by NAFEZA when the importer registers the shipment. Our work is the file around that number. We check that the HS codes and values on the invoice match what the importer entered on NAFEZA, that the packing list carries the ACID and agrees with the invoice, and that the certificate of origin carries the ACID, before the ACI filing goes out.
Egypt ACID questions
What is the Egypt ACID number?
The ACID is a unique 19-digit Advance Cargo Information Declaration number issued through Egypt's NAFEZA platform. It links the shipment to a registered Egyptian importer and must be obtained before the cargo is shipped.
Who obtains the ACID number, the exporter or the importer?
The Egyptian importer registers the shipment on NAFEZA and generates the ACID number, then shares it with the exporter. The exporter sends the ACI filing through CargoX against that number once the documents are issued.
Does the ACID number need to appear on the Bill of Lading?
Yes. The 19-digit ACID number must be quoted on both the Bill of Lading and the Commercial Invoice so Egyptian customs can match your documents to the correct shipment.
When must the Egypt ACI declaration be filed?
The ACID number must exist before the cargo is shipped: NAFEZA asks for the shipment data at least 48 hours before departure. The ACI filing itself follows once the documents are issued; for sea freight CargoX sets no hard deadline, but a late filing costs the importer the fast release at arrival.
What happens if cargo arrives in Egypt without a valid ACID?
Shipments without a valid, matched ACID are rejected at the Egyptian port, cannot be cleared, and are typically returned to the origin country at the shipper's cost.
How do I check an Egypt ACID number?
Use NAFEZA’s ACI request validator at nafeza.gov.eg/en/aci/validate. Enter the ACID number, the importer’s tax ID, the exporter registry type and number, and the exporter’s country. Air shipments can also be checked in bulk.
Is CargoX available in Egypt?
Yes. CargoX is integrated with NAFEZA as the document gateway for the Egypt ACI system: foreign exporters send their ACI filings to Egyptian customs through the CargoX platform, after completing the company verification.
Is the Egypt ACID required for air cargo?
Yes. ACI has been mandatory for sea cargo to Egypt since 1 October 2021 and for air cargo since 1 January 2026. For air freight the ACID is entered in the OCI segment of the electronic Air Waybill. Single-parcel express shipments up to 50 kg and direct transit are among the exemptions.
Which documents does an Egypt ACI filing need?
Usually the Bill of Lading copy (Air Waybill copy for air), the packing list, the commercial invoice as PDF and in the NAFEZA Excel template, and the certificate of origin. The invoice must match the data the importer entered on NAFEZA; some cargo needs additional documents.
Can an Egypt ACI filing be changed after it is sent?
It cannot be recalled or deleted. Send a new ACI envelope under the same ACID number with the corrected documents; CargoX does not charge the filing fee again.