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Comprehensive Guide

Ivory Coast BSC Certificate — The Complete Guide

Last updated: August 4, 2026

The BSC (Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons) is required for sea shipments to Ivory Coast, discharging at Abidjan and San Pedro. This guide covers the documents you need, how the filing runs, and the country-specific rules that decide whether the certificate validates on the first attempt.

Start your certificateSee the country rules

Overview

The BSC — Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons — is the electronic cargo tracking note required for sea shipments to Ivory Coast, which discharge at Abidjan and San Pedro. It ties the shipper, consignee, cargo and freight values on your Bill of Lading to a single reference that customs can reconcile before the cargo is worked. Filing deadlines differ by destination — some require the certificate before the vessel sails, others later — so we confirm the exact cut-off for your route before anything is filed. Cargo that only passes through on its way to a landlocked neighbour is treated as in-transit and still needs a certificate, so the routing has to be documented from the start.

Discharge ports

AbidjanSan Pedro

Required documents

Bill of Lading
Draft or final; weights, seals and discharge port must match the cargo.
Commercial Invoice
Goods and declared values as shipped.
Freight Invoice
Required when freight is not shown on the commercial invoice.
Export Customs Declaration
Local insurance certificate
FDI Document

Application process

  1. 1
    Submit
    Send your Bill of Lading and Commercial Invoice, with the Freight Invoice if freight is not shown on the commercial invoice.
  2. 2
    Draft & invoice
    We prepare a draft certificate and a fixed-price invoice within 3–6 hours.
  3. 3
    Approve
    You review the draft and confirm every detail before anything is filed.
  4. 4
    Payment
    The fixed-price invoice is settled so the file can go forward for validation.
  5. 5
    Validate
    The certificate is validated and the final BSC number is confirmed.

Timeline

StepDuration
Submit documentsYour action
Draft & invoice3–6 hours
Approve draftYour action
PaymentYour action

Special rules & HS codes

Rule 1

The BSC number can be supplied before validation.

Rule 2

The consignee must be registered on the Ivory Coast website before the BSC can be validated.

Rule 3

The FDI number must match between the FDI and Certificate of Insurance.

Rule 4

Printing the BSC number on the Master Bill of Lading is not required by the authority, but individual carriers may ask for it.

Frequently asked questions

The BSC — Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons — is the electronic cargo tracking note required for sea shipments to Ivory Coast, discharging at Abidjan and San Pedro.

Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Freight Invoice, Export Customs Declaration, Local insurance certificate and FDI Document.

Filing deadlines differ by destination — some require the certificate before the vessel sails, others later. We confirm the exact cut-off for your route before anything is filed.

A draft certificate and a fixed-price invoice come back within 3–6 hours of receiving your documents.

Yes. Cargo moving onward to a landlocked neighbour still needs a certificate, and the transit routing must be documented.

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