What is Sudan ACD?
The ACD (Advance Cargo Declaration) is Sudan's mandatory pre-loading customs requirement for every sea shipment discharging at Port Sudan. Announced by the Sudan Customs Authority and effective from 1 January 2026, the ACD applies to all cargo types — general cargo, machinery, spare parts and vehicles — regardless of country of origin. The ACD number must be obtained by the shipper, exporter or freight forwarder before the cargo is loaded, and then referenced on the final Bill of Lading. Shipments loaded without a valid ACD reference face amendment refusals from carriers, customs clearance delays and demurrage at Port Sudan.
New to the ACD? Read ACD meaning in shipping, and CTN meaning in shipping for the cargo tracking note that 30 African and Middle East destinations ask for in one form or another.
Other names for the Sudan ACD
One instrument, several names. For Sudan the filing is the ACD — Advance Cargo Declaration. The same certificate is also referred to as ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), cargo tracking note, and advance cargo declaration, 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 Sudan ACD?
The Sudan ACD is required for every shipment unloaded in Sudan, regardless of its final destination, so cargo transiting Port Sudan to another country needs it too; the official tariff has separate transit rates. It covers containers, LCL, vehicles and RoRo, heavy machinery, general and bulk cargo.
Official Sudan ACD sources
The Sudan ACD is issued on the official ACD Sudan platform for the Sudan Customs Authority. Support: info@acdsudan.com, operations@acdsudan.com.
- ACD Sudan official platform: acdsudan.com
- ACD Sudan: About ACD (documents, responsibility, Bill of Lading)
- ACD Sudan: fees and payments (tariff updated May 2026)
- Maersk advisory: ACD requirements for shipments to Sudan (11 December 2025)
accessed
When must the Sudan ACD be issued?
A Sudan ACD must be obtained no later than 24 hours before the vessel arrives at the port of destination. The application and issuance process must therefore be completed before the 24-hour pre-arrival cut-off. After this deadline a new application cannot be submitted and an ACD cannot be issued. Cargo arriving without a valid ACD issued within the required timeframe is flagged as non-compliant on arrival in Sudan, so applying early leaves enough processing time.
Who files the Sudan ACD?
The shipper, the exporter, or the freight forwarder acting for them — the party at origin that holds the Bill of Lading and the commercial invoice. The consignee usually cannot fix a missing certificate from the destination side once the vessel has sailed. Where the sales terms put the cost on the buyer, that settles who pays; it does not move the obligation to file.
How to get the Sudan ACD, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Sudan, every cargo shipment purchased from abroad and transported for commercial, business, diplomatic, or personal purposes requires a validated Loading Certificate:
- ▪The shipper, exporter or freight forwarder applies for the ACD number before the cargo is loaded at origin.
- ▪Prepare the freighted (rated) draft Bill of Lading and the Commercial Invoice for validation.
- ▪Our compliance desk cross-checks the shipper, consignee, cargo description and declared values, then issues the ACD number.
- ▪Provide the ACD reference to your carrier so it is annotated on the final Bill of Lading.
- ▪File early — because enforcement is at loading, a missing ACD can stop the cargo from being shipped, not just delay it at destination.
Sudan ACD: validity and amendments
A validated ACD 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 Sudan ACD?
Cargo arriving without a validated ACD is generally not released at Port 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 Sudan ACD costs
The ACD Sudan platform publishes its own tariff (updated May 2026): USD 150 per container (20 or 40 ft), USD 150 per LCL shipment, USD 150 per truck, USD 100 per vehicle or heavy-machinery unit (RoRo), and USD 0.80 per ton (minimum USD 600) for general and bulk cargo and fuel; transit rates are USD 100 per container and USD 75 per vehicle or truck. The platform is paid from a prepaid account balance (bank transfer or card). Our service fee is separate and shown before anything is filed. Fees can change without notice; check acdsudan.com/acd-fees.
Sudan ACD: latest notices and articles
Is the Sudan ACD Mandatory?
Yes. Since 1 January 2026 every shipment unloaded in Sudan needs an ACD (Advance Cargo Declaration), whatever its final destination or country of origin. That covers containers, LCL, vehicles and RoRo, heavy machinery, general and bulk cargo. The shipper, exporter or freight forwarder obtains it, and the ACD number goes on the final Bill of Lading.
How Long Does the Sudan ACD Take?
The work starts with an account on the official ACD Sudan platform. The account is funded with a prepaid balance, the Bill of Lading, commercial invoice, freight invoice, certificate of origin and packing list are uploaded, the ACD number is issued, and it goes to the carrier for the final Bill of Lading.
Two timing points apply. The ACD is checked at the load port, where a missing number can stop the cargo from being shipped. Our record also holds a cut-off of 24 hours before the vessel arrives at the destination port, after which no application can be submitted. Applying before loading clears both.
Registration can delay the start: uploading anything other than the business licence gets the account rejected and registration starts again. An empty prepaid balance holds up the payment step.
Transit Through Port Sudan: South Sudan Cargo
Sudan’s ACD covers transit cargo as well, so cargo discharged at Port Sudan for another country needs one. Port Sudan is also one of the discharge ports for South Sudan, and that cargo needs the South Sudan ECTN for its final destination plus the Sudan ACD for the Port Sudan route. Transit rates on the official tariff are USD 100 per container and USD 75 per vehicle or truck.
Shipping to Sudan from Turkey
The shipper, exporter or forwarder in Turkey applies on acdsudan.com at the port of loading. Have all five documents ready before you start: Bill of Lading (a draft is accepted), commercial invoice, freight invoice, certificate of origin and packing list. A missing certificate of origin or an incorrect chamber of commerce stamp is a listed Sudan rejection cause, so check that stamp first. Once issued, the ACD number goes to your carrier for the final Bill of Lading.
Why File Through GetCTN
You can use acdsudan.com directly, or we can prepare and file the ACD for you. Our compliance desk cross-checks the shipper, consignee, cargo description and declared values against your Sudan documents before the ACD number is issued. Our service fee is separate from the ACD Sudan tariff and is shown before anything is filed. GetCTN is an independent authorized agent and is not part of the Sudan Customs Authority.
Can I Apply for the Sudan ACD Myself?
Yes. The shipper, exporter or forwarder can apply on acdsudan.com without an agent. Registration takes the business licence only, and the fee is paid from the account balance by bank transfer or card. Platform support is at info@acdsudan.com and operations@acdsudan.com.
Where Does the ACD Number Go on the Bill of Lading?
Carriers such as Maersk ask for the ACD number in the cargo description field of the final Bill of Lading. Our sources do not give the field for other carriers, so ask yours when you pass the number on. The reference has to appear on the Bill of Lading for all shipments to Sudan.
Draft vs Final Bill of Lading for the Sudan ACD
The application uses the freighted (rated) draft Bill of Lading. The final Bill of Lading comes afterwards and carries the ACD number. So the Sudan application does not wait for the final document: the number has to exist before there is anything to print on it.
Can an ACD Number Be Added After Loading?
Not always. Carriers may refuse Bill of Lading amendments on a Sudan shipment loaded without an ACD reference. Sudan Customs can hold the cargo at Port Sudan until a valid ACD is provided, and once the pre-arrival cut-off has passed, a new application cannot be submitted.
Who Pays the Sudan ACD Fee and How?
The platform takes the fee from the prepaid balance of the applying account, and that balance is topped up by bank transfer or card. The tariff is set per unit: container, LCL shipment, truck, RoRo unit or ton. A Bill of Lading with several containers is therefore charged by the number of containers.
Sudan ACD questions
What is the ACD certificate for Sudan?
The ACD (Advance Cargo Declaration) is a mandatory Sudan Customs requirement, effective 1 January 2026, that must be obtained before cargo is loaded for any shipment arriving at Port Sudan.
Which documents are needed to get an ACD number for Sudan?
The core documents are the freighted (rated) draft Bill of Lading and the Commercial Invoice. Our desk confirms any additional details required for your specific cargo.
When must the Sudan ACD be obtained?
Before the cargo is loaded at the port of origin. The ACD reference then has to appear on the final Bill of Lading.
Does the ACD apply to vehicles and used machinery?
Yes. The Sudan ACD applies to all cargo types shipped to Sudan, including passenger vehicles, general cargo, machinery and spare parts, from any origin.
What happens if I ship to Sudan without an ACD?
Carriers may refuse Bill of Lading amendments and Sudan Customs can hold the cargo, leading to clearance delays and demurrage charges at Port Sudan until a valid ACD is provided.
Does the Sudan ACD cover land shipments by truck and transit cargo?
Yes. The official ACD Sudan tariff has separate lines for land freight by truck and for cargo transiting Sudanese territory by sea or by truck, so trucks and transit cargo need an ACD as well as cargo discharged at Port Sudan.
How do I get the ACD for Sudan?
On the official ACD Sudan platform, acdsudan.com, at the port of loading: the shipper, exporter or freight forwarder uploads the Bill of Lading (a draft is accepted), commercial invoice, freight invoice, certificate of origin and packing list. The issued ACD number must be shown on the final Bill of Lading. We can prepare and file it for you.
How much does the Sudan ACD cost?
Under the official tariff updated in May 2026: USD 150 per container, USD 150 per LCL shipment, USD 100 per vehicle or RoRo unit, and USD 0.80 per ton (minimum USD 600) for bulk; transit cargo has lower rates. Our service fee is separate.
Is the Sudan ACD needed for transit cargo?
Yes. The ACD is mandatory for every shipment unloaded in Sudan regardless of its final destination; the official tariff lists separate transit rates.
Must the ACD number be on the Bill of Lading?
Yes. Including the ACD reference number on the Bill of Lading is mandatory for all shipments to Sudan; carriers such as Maersk ask for it in the cargo description field.
What is needed to open an ACD Sudan account?
The official site asks applicants to upload only their business licence when registering; uploading other documents gets the account rejected and the registration has to start again.