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Comprehensive Guide

Kenya ACD Certificate — The Complete Guide

Last updated: October 21, 2026

The ACD (Advance Cargo Declaration) is required for sea shipments to Kenya, discharging at Mombasa. 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.

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Overview

The ACD — Advance Cargo Declaration — is the electronic cargo tracking note required for sea shipments to Kenya, which discharge at Mombasa. 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. It is obtained at the point of loading: the KRA platform generates the code once the four documents are uploaded, and the code must be on the Bill of Lading before the shipment proceeds to a Kenyan port.

Discharge ports

Mombasa

Required documents

Bill of Lading
Carrier-issued draft; a draft is enough to file. Weights, seals and discharge port must match the cargo.
Commercial Invoice
The final commercial invoice for the sale to the Kenyan importer; a proforma is not accepted.
Freight Invoice
The freight invoice or other shipment-specific freight evidence.
Export Customs Declaration
The official final customs export declaration; a draft is not accepted.

Official ACD Document Sample

Verify the layout, stamps, and ACD customs format of a validated Kenya loading certificate:

Official Kenya ACD sample document
Sample Draft

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 1 hour on average.
  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 ACD number is confirmed.

Timeline

StepDuration
Submit documentsYour action
Draft & invoice1 hour on average
Approve draftYour action
PaymentYour action

Special rules & HS codes

Transit cargo

Transit: according to KRA, no ACD is needed when the Bill of Lading shows both a final destination and a consignee outside Kenya and clearly identifies the transit movement. If the consignee is in Kenya or Kenya is the final destination, the ACD is required even if the cargo moves on.

Who files

The shipper or exporter shown on the Bill of Lading obtains the ACD reference code through its own registered account on acd.kra.go.ke. A freight forwarder cannot file from its own account; it is added as a sub-user to the exporter’s account and files from there.

Where the code goes

In the Goods Description (Cargo Description) section of the Bill of Lading. No separate stamp or attachment is needed; the shipping line adds the code there before issuing the final Bill of Lading.

Scope and start date

All containerised cargo destined for Kenyan ports: FCL, LCL, consolidated and groupage. For LCL each House Bill of Lading needs its own ACD. The requirement applies by the Bill of Lading’s issue date: a Bill of Lading issued on or after 3 August 2026 needs the code.

Fees

KRA charges nothing for the ACD at present: no registration, application, validation, certificate or amendment fee. KRA has said it may introduce a tariff later. Our service fee for preparing and filing the declaration is separate and is shown before anything is filed.

Checking an ACD number

KRA’s verification page, acd.kra.go.ke/verify, checks the ACD status by Bill of Lading number. Carriers use it to confirm a shipment is covered before loading.

Official sources

Official Kenya ACD sources

The Kenya ACD is run by the Kenya Revenue Authority (Commissioner for Customs and Border Control).

accessed

Top 3 causes of Kenya ACD problems

  • One of the four documents is missing: the KRA platform generates the code only after the draft Bill of Lading, commercial invoice, freight invoice and export declaration are all uploaded.
  • Parties, cargo, weights or values differ between the documents; the shipper, consignee, HS codes and freight amount must read the same on all four.
  • The ACD code is not endorsed on the Bill of Lading before the shipment proceeds to Kenya.

Frequently asked questions

The ACD — Advance Cargo Declaration — is the electronic cargo tracking note required for sea shipments to Kenya, discharging at Mombasa.

Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Freight Invoice and Export Customs Declaration.

At the point of loading. The KRA platform generates the reference code once the draft Bill of Lading, commercial invoice, freight invoice and export declaration are uploaded, and the code must be endorsed on the Bill of Lading before the shipment proceeds to a Kenyan port. Start as soon as the draft Bill of Lading exists.

A draft certificate and a fixed-price invoice come back within 1 hour on average of receiving your documents.

Not from its own account. The exporter registers on acd.kra.go.ke and adds the forwarder as a sub-user, who then files from the exporter’s account.

On KRA’s verification page, acd.kra.go.ke/verify, using the Bill of Lading number.

Only when the Bill of Lading shows both a final destination and a consignee outside Kenya and clearly identifies the transit movement. If the consignee is in Kenya or Kenya is the final destination, the ACD is required.

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