What is the Ivory Coast BSC certificate (Ivory Coast ECTN)?
The Ivory Coast BSC certificate is the electronic cargo tracking note of the Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (OIC), which has run it electronically since 2005. It rests on Ministerial Order No. 0340 MT/CAB of 12 November 2001 and Customs circular No. 1297 MEMEF/DGD of 10 November 2005. The OIC platform records cargo imported by sea into Côte d’Ivoire and cargo exported from it, for calls at Abidjan (PAA) and San Pedro (PASP), so customs can value the goods before the vessel arrives.
The BSC is Ivory Coast’s form of the cargo tracking note; CTN meaning in shipping explains the document 30 African and Middle East destinations ask for in one form or another.
Other names for the Ivory Coast BSC
One instrument, several names. For Ivory Coast the filing is the BSC — Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons. The same certificate is also referred to as ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), and BESC, 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.
Ivory Coast ECTN: Abidjan and San Pedro
The Ivory Coast BSC covers sea cargo discharged at the Port of Abidjan (PAA) and the Port of San Pedro (PASP). One BSC is issued per Bill of Lading; tell us the port of discharge and the final destination when you send it.
Official Ivory Coast BSC sources
The Ivory Coast BSC is run by the Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (OIC).
- AIP (12 Sep 2025): OIC on the BSC, run electronically since 2005
- OIC BSC portal: imports and exports, Abidjan and San Pedro
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Ivory Coast BSC: 5 days before arrival
The Ivory Coast BSC must be validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives at Abidjan or San Pedro. Send the documents as soon as the booking is confirmed: the FDI and the local insurance come from the importer, so they are often the last item in the file.
Who files the Ivory Coast BSC certificate
The shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder files the Ivory Coast BSC; the importer must be registered with the OIC and provides the FDI and the local insurance certificate.
How to get the Ivory Coast BSC, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Ivory Coast, 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 and the freight invoice, together with the importer’s FDI (Fiche de Déclaration à l’Importation) and the local insurance certificate.
- ▪We check that the consignee is registered with the OIC and that the data match across the documents, then prepare the draft BSC.
- ▪You approve the draft; the BSC is validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives.
- ▪The validated Ivory Coast BSC is used by customs to value the goods before the vessel docks at Abidjan or San Pedro.
Ivory Coast BSC: validity and amendments
A validated BSC 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 Ivory Coast BSC?
Cargo arriving without a validated BSC is generally not released at Abidjan or San Pedro: 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 Ivory Coast BSC 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. How ECTN charges are calculated.
Ivory Coast BSC: latest notices and articles
Is the Ivory Coast BSC Mandatory?
Yes. Sea cargo to Abidjan and San Pedro needs a BSC, also searched as the Côte d’Ivoire BSC or the Ivory Coast ECTN, and one BSC covers one Bill of Lading. The Office Ivoirien des Chargeurs (OIC) runs it, and it must be validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives. Cargo without a validated BSC cannot be cleared in Côte d’Ivoire.
How Long Does the Ivory Coast BSC Take?
A draft Bill of Lading can start the file, but it closes only when the importer’s documents are in. The Bill of Lading, commercial invoice and freight invoice are joined by the FDI and the local insurance certificate. The consignee’s OIC registration and the data are then checked, the draft BSC is prepared, you approve it, and the BSC is validated.
The latest point is 5 days before the vessel reaches Abidjan or San Pedro. Delay often comes from the buyer’s side: the FDI and local insurance come from the importer, an unregistered consignee stops validation, and the FDI number has to agree on both documents.
Transit Through Abidjan: Mali and Burkina Faso Cargo
Abidjan and San Pedro are among the coastal ports where cargo for Mali is discharged, and Abidjan is also used for Burkina Faso. A Bill of Lading with final destination Mali needs the Mali BESC, and one with final destination Burkina Faso needs the Burkina Faso ECTN. Whether Côte d’Ivoire also asks for its own BSC on that cargo is not settled in our record: the Mali guidance says it depends on the port. For that cargo, state Abidjan or San Pedro and the final destination when you apply.
Shipping to Ivory Coast from Turkey
An Ivory Coast file depends on the buyer as well as the exporter in Turkey. Ask the importer for the FDI and the local insurance details before loading, and confirm the OIC registration on a first shipment. The exporter’s side supplies the Bill of Lading, commercial invoice, freight invoice and export customs declaration. An invoice without the exporter’s official stamp or signature is a listed rejection cause for this country.
Why File Through GetCTN
We check that the consignee is registered with the OIC and that the data match across the Ivory Coast documents before we prepare the draft BSC. That includes the FDI number on the FDI and on the certificate of insurance, the first rejection cause on this page. You approve the draft before validation, and draft corrections cost nothing. GetCTN is an independent authorized agent and is not part of the OIC.
Where Must the FDI Number Match?
On the FDI itself and on the local insurance certificate. Both documents come from the importer in Côte d’Ivoire, so put the two numbers side by side before adding them to the BSC file. A missing FDI or a number mismatch heads the rejection list on this page.
Can the BSC Be Issued Without Local Insurance?
The document table lists the local insurance certificate as mandatory alongside the FDI. The importer in Côte d’Ivoire obtains it together with the FDI, and the shipper only adds it to the file. It should be one of the first items you request from your Ivory Coast buyer.
What If the Consignee Is Not Registered With the OIC?
The BSC cannot be validated. The consignee must be registered before validation, and that registration sits with the buyer, yet any delay still counts against the 5-day limit at Abidjan or San Pedro. On a first Ivory Coast shipment, ask about it before loading.
Does the BSC Number Go on the Master Bill of Lading?
The authority does not require it, but individual carriers may ask for it. In Côte d’Ivoire the BSC number can be supplied before validation, so if your line asks for it at booking, it can reach the carrier before the Master Bill of Lading is issued. A BSC with a number is not yet a validated BSC: customs at Abidjan or San Pedro values the goods on the validated one.
Does Cargo Exported From Ivory Coast Need a BSC?
The OIC platform records cargo exported from Côte d’Ivoire as well as cargo imported by sea, and the OIC BSC portal shows imports and exports for Abidjan and San Pedro. Our sources do not list the documents for the export direction, so state the direction of the cargo when you open the file.
Ivory Coast BSC and Côte d’Ivoire BSC questions
What is the Ivory Coast BSC?
The BSC is a compulsory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for shipments to Ivory Coast. 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 BSC?
The core documents are: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, FDI Document, Freight Invoice, Export Customs Declaration, and Local insurance certificate. Additional destination-specific paperwork may be requested during validation — our desk confirms the exact list for your shipment.
When must the BSC be issued?
At least 5 days before the vessel arrives at Abidjan or San Pedro, so that customs can value the goods before arrival.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid BSC?
Cargo without a validated BSC cannot be cleared in Côte d’Ivoire; it can be held at the port with storage and demurrage, or returned.
Can a validated BSC 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 Côte d’Ivoire BSC the same as the Ivory Coast ECTN?
Yes. The Côte d’Ivoire BSC, the Ivory Coast BSC certificate and the Ivory Coast ECTN all mean the Bordereau de Suivi des Cargaisons issued through the OIC; BSC is the name printed on the certificate.
What is the FDI for an Ivory Coast BSC?
The FDI (Fiche de Déclaration à l’Importation) is the importer’s import declaration form in Côte d’Ivoire. The importer obtains it, together with a local insurance certificate, and both are part of the BSC file.