What is the Guinea Bissau ECTN (CEE)?
The Guinea Bissau CEE is the electronic cargo tracking note required for cargo to and from Guinea Bissau since 28 October 2011, under the decision of 8 August 2011. It is issued at the port of loading and validated for the Guinea Bissau Shippers’ Council (CNC-GB). The authorities confirmed the requirement again in 2016 and 2021: cargo that arrives in Bissau without a validated certificate is blocked for delivery.
The CEE is Guinea Bissau’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 Guinea Bissau CEE
One instrument, several names. For Guinea Bissau the filing is the CEE — Certificado Electrónico de Embarque. The same certificate is also referred to as ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), 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.
Guinea Bissau ECTN: the port of Bissau
Guinea Bissau’s seaport is Bissau. The CEE is required for every Bill of Lading discharged there, and for cargo shipped out of Guinea Bissau. Tell us the port of discharge and the final destination when you send the Bill of Lading.
Official Guinea Bissau ECTN (CEE) sources
The Guinea Bissau CEE is validated for the Guinea Bissau Shippers’ Council (CNC-GB).
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When to file the Guinea Bissau ECTN
File the Guinea Bissau CEE at the port of loading, before the vessel sails. After pre-validation you have 5 days to send the original Bill of Lading, signed and stamped, with the place and date of issue and the shipped-on-board date; otherwise the system cancels the certificate and a penalty fee applies to recover it.
Who files the Guinea Bissau ECTN
The shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder at the port of loading files the Guinea Bissau CEE. The consignee in Bissau does not file it, but cannot take delivery of the cargo without it.
How to get the Guinea Bissau CEE, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Guinea Bissau, 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, the freight invoice and the export customs declaration.
- ▪We check that parties, packages, weights and values match across the documents and pre-validate the Guinea Bissau CEE (ECTN) at the port of loading.
- ▪Within 5 days of pre-validation, send the original Bill of Lading, signed and stamped, with the place and date of issue and the shipped-on-board date.
- ▪The validated Guinea Bissau CEE travels with the cargo for delivery in Bissau.
Guinea Bissau CEE: validity and amendments
A validated CEE 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 Guinea Bissau CEE?
Cargo arriving without a validated CEE is generally not released at Bissau: 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 a Guinea Bissau CEE 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.
Guinea Bissau ECTN and CEE questions
What is the Guinea Bissau CEE?
The CEE is a compulsory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for shipments to Guinea Bissau. 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 CEE?
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 CEE be issued?
At the port of loading, before the vessel sails. After pre-validation the signed and stamped original Bill of Lading must follow within 5 days, or the certificate is cancelled.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid CEE?
Cargo that arrives in Bissau without a validated CEE is blocked for delivery by the local authorities until it is regularised, on top of storage and demurrage charges.
Can a validated CEE be modified after issuance?
Any change to the information or documents after pre-validation incurs a penalty fee. Ensure all weights, values and party details match your cargo manifests and Bill of Lading exactly before submitting.
Is the Guinea Bissau ECTN the same as the Guinea Bissau CEE?
Yes. Searches for the Guinea Bissau ECTN mean the CEE (Certificado Eletrónico de Embarque), the name printed on the certificate. It is one certificate per Bill of Lading.
Since when is the Guinea Bissau ECTN mandatory?
Since 28 October 2011, under a decision of the State Secretary of Transports and Communication of 8 August 2011. It applies to shipments to and from Guinea Bissau.