What is South Sudan ECTN?
The South Sudan ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note) is required by the South Sudan Revenue Authority for every shipment entering or leaving the country, exports included. The SSRA runs the application on its portal, ectnssra.com: individuals and companies register, upload the documents, pay by prepayment or cash on delivery, and follow the application online. The requirement started on 1 April 2019, and a 2022 customs circular set a penalty of USD 5,000 per infringement, according to the notices published by ANTASER, the authority’s partner at the launch.
New to the ECTN? Read what an ECTN is, and CTN meaning in shipping for the cargo tracking note that 30 African and Middle East destinations ask for in one form or another.
Which ports need the South Sudan ECTN?
South Sudan has no seaport. Its sea cargo is discharged at Mombasa (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) or Port Sudan (Sudan) and continues overland to Juba. The South Sudan ECTN is required for every Bill of Lading with final destination South Sudan, whichever port is used. Through Port Sudan, the Sudan ACD is also required, because Sudan’s ACD covers transit cargo as well.
Official South Sudan ECTN sources
The South Sudan ECTN is run by the South Sudan Revenue Authority on its own portal.
- South Sudan Revenue Authority: ECTN portal (ectnssra.com)
- ANTASER notices: 1 April 2019 launch and the 2022 customs circular
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When must the South Sudan ECTN be issued?
The South Sudan ECTN has to be validated before the vessel reaches the port of discharge. File as soon as the booking is confirmed: the number is issued only at validation, and a pre-validated certificate that is not completed in time is cancelled.
Who files the South Sudan ECTN?
The shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder at origin files the ECTN for an import into South Sudan. For an export out of South Sudan the shipper there needs one too, because the SSRA requires the ECTN for cargo leaving the country as well.
How to get the South Sudan ECTN, step by step
According to the customs regulations of South Sudan, 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, the commercial invoice (with the country of origin of the goods), the freight invoice and the export declaration, with the port of discharge and the final destination in South Sudan.
- ▪We check that parties, addresses, weights and values match across the documents and send you the draft.
- ▪The ECTN number is issued at validation. A pre-validated ECTN has to be completed within its validity window, or it is cancelled.
- ▪The validated ECTN is presented with the cargo at the port of discharge and at the South Sudan border.
South Sudan ECTN: validity and amendments
A validated ECTN 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 South Sudan ECTN?
Cargo arriving without a validated ECTN is generally not released at Mombasa (Kenya), Djibouti or Port Sudan (Sudan): 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 South Sudan ECTN 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.
South Sudan ECTN: latest notices and articles
- South Sudan ECTN Certificate Regulation · 2026-02-24
Is the South Sudan ECTN Mandatory?
Yes. All cargo entering or leaving South Sudan needs an ECTN. The South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) runs the process on its own portal, ectnssra.com.
How Long Does the South Sudan ECTN Take?
The South Sudan ECTN starts once the booking is confirmed and the Bill of Lading, the commercial invoice showing the country of origin, the freight invoice and the export declaration arrive, with the port of discharge and the final destination in South Sudan. Parties, addresses, weights and values are then compared, the draft goes to you, and the number is issued at validation.
A missing port of discharge or final destination is the usual hold. A file also waits if a required invoice stamp is absent, and a pre-validated ECTN that is not completed within its validity window is cancelled. For imports, the last point is the vessel reaching Mombasa, Dar es Salaam or Port Sudan.
Transit to South Sudan: Port of Discharge and Final Destination
A South Sudan file needs two separate places, because the country has no seaport. The port of discharge is Mombasa, Dar es Salaam or Port Sudan; the final destination is in South Sudan, for example Juba. A file that shows only the port does not show that the cargo is going to South Sudan.
Shipping to South Sudan from Turkey
Cargo from Turkey is discharged at Mombasa, Dar es Salaam or Port Sudan, because South Sudan has no port. State the route you chose when you apply; the ECTN has to be validated before the vessel reaches that port.
Who Stamps the South Sudan Invoice?
Where this is required, the South Sudan Embassy or a Chamber of Commerce stamps the commercial invoice. A missing stamp is one of the three common South Sudan ECTN problems. The invoice also has to show the country of origin of the goods. Ask us whether your cargo needs the stamp before you send the file.
Is the South Sudan ECTN the Same as the Sudan ACD?
No. The SSRA runs the South Sudan ECTN, and it follows the final destination. The Sudan ACD also covers transit cargo through Port Sudan, so cargo discharged there carries both documents in the file.
Where Is the South Sudan ECTN Presented?
The validated ECTN is presented with the cargo at two points: the port of discharge and the South Sudan border. Cargo continues overland to Juba, so the document has to be at hand at the border as well as at the port.
When Is the South Sudan ECTN Number Issued?
The number is issued only at validation, so it cannot be supplied in advance. A pre-validated South Sudan ECTN that is cancelled before completion never reaches that point.
Why File Through GetCTN
We read a South Sudan file for the problems listed on this page: the Mombasa, Dar es Salaam or Port Sudan discharge port, the final destination, and the invoice stamp where required. We compare parties, addresses, weights and values across the Bill of Lading, the invoice and the export declaration before you see the draft. On a Port Sudan route we flag that the Sudan ACD is needed alongside the SSRA ECTN.
South Sudan ECTN questions
What is the South Sudan ECTN?
The ECTN is a compulsory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for shipments to South Sudan. 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 ECTN?
The core documents are: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, 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 ECTN be issued?
For South Sudan the ECTN has to be validated before the vessel arrives at the port of discharge. File as early as possible; our desk confirms the exact cut-off against your Bill of Lading.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid ECTN?
Shipments arriving without a validated ECTN generally face customs clearance delays, storage and demurrage charges, and regulatory fines until a valid certificate is presented.
Can a validated ECTN 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.
Who issues the South Sudan ECTN?
The South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA), on its ECTN portal ectnssra.com. Individuals and companies register on the portal, upload the documents, pay by prepayment or cash on delivery, and follow the application status online.
Do exports from South Sudan need an ECTN?
Yes. The SSRA describes the ECTN as mandatory for all cargo entering or exiting South Sudan, so outbound cargo needs one as well as imports.
My cargo for Juba is discharged at Port Sudan. Which certificates do I need?
Both the South Sudan ECTN and the Sudan ACD. The South Sudan ECTN follows the final destination, and Sudan’s ACD is required for cargo passing through Port Sudan in transit as well.
What is the penalty for shipping to South Sudan without an ECTN?
According to ANTASER’s notices, a 2022 customs circular set a penalty of USD 5,000 per infringement, on top of the delay and storage while the certificate is regularised.