What is the Guinea BESC (Guinea ECTN, Guinea Conakry ECTN)?
The Guinea Conakry BESC is the pre-loading cargo declaration of the Republic of Guinea, run for the Conseil Guinéen des Chargeurs (CGC), which entrusted its management to Catalyst Business Solutions. According to shipping documentation providers, it has been required since 9 October 2018 under Executive Order 2018/10/1/2/2/MT. It serves as a clearance document for international sea transport and records the cargo and its movement between ports. Since 1 March 2025 imported goods also need local insurance.
New to the BESC? Read BESC meaning, 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 Guinea Conakry BESC
One instrument, several names. For Guinea Conakry the filing is the BESC — Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons. The same certificate is also referred to as ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), and ICTN, 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 Conakry ECTN: Conakry and Kamsar
The Guinea BESC covers sea imports to the Republic of Guinea, mainly through the Port of Conakry and Kamsar. Guinea Conakry is a different country from Guinea-Bissau (CEE) and Equatorial Guinea (ECTN); check the destination on the Bill of Lading.
Guinea Conakry BESC sources
The Guinea BESC procedure is run for the Conseil Guinéen des Chargeurs (CGC).
- CIO Mag: Catalyst manages the BESC procedure for the Conseil Guinéen des Chargeurs
- Shippersdoc: Guinea BESC, Executive Order 2018/10/1/2/2/MT of 9 October 2018
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Guinea BESC: 5 days before arrival
The Guinea Conakry BESC, the document searched as the Guinea Conakry ECTN, must be validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives. Approval runs through Conakry, so open the file as soon as the Bill of Lading details are settled rather than counting back from arrival.
Who files the Guinea BESC
The shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder at the port of loading files the Guinea BESC; the importer provides the NIF and the local insurance certificate.
How to get the Guinea Conakry BESC, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Guinea Conakry, 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 opens the file; the original validates it), the commercial invoice, the freight invoice and the export customs declaration, with the importer’s NIF (tax number) and the local insurance certificate.
- ▪We check that the data match across the documents and prepare the draft Guinea BESC; the BESC number is passed to the shipping line for the original Bill of Lading.
- ▪You approve the draft; the BESC is validated with the original Bill of Lading.
- ▪Validation must be complete at least 5 days before the vessel arrives at Conakry or Kamsar.
Guinea Conakry BESC: validity and amendments
A validated BESC 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 Conakry BESC?
Cargo arriving without a validated BESC is generally not released at Conakry: 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 Guinea Conakry BESC 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.
Is the Guinea Conakry BESC Mandatory?
Yes. Every sea import to the Republic of Guinea, mainly through Conakry and Kamsar, needs a Guinea Conakry BESC. It must be validated at least 5 days before the vessel arrives.
How Long Does the Guinea Conakry BESC Take?
The draft Bill of Lading starts the clock: it opens the file, together with the commercial invoice, freight invoice, export customs declaration, the importer's NIF and the local insurance certificate. The data are then checked across the documents, the draft Guinea Conakry BESC is prepared, and its number goes to the shipping line for the original Bill of Lading. Once you approve the draft, the BESC is validated with the original. All of this must finish at least 5 days before the vessel reaches Conakry or Kamsar. Two steps sit outside the file and can hold it up: the NIF and insurance certificate from the importer in Guinea, and the original Bill of Lading from the shipping line.
Mali Cargo Discharged at the Port of Conakry
Conakry is one of the coastal ports used by Mali cargo. A Bill of Lading with final destination Mali needs the Mali BESC even when the cargo is discharged at Conakry, while the Guinea Conakry BESC covers sea imports to the Republic of Guinea. If your cargo continues from Conakry to another country, send the final destination with the Bill of Lading and confirm with us before filing whether Guinea asks for a document as well.
How the Guinea Conakry BESC Number Reaches the Shipping Line
The number appears on the draft Guinea Conakry BESC, so you do not wait for validation to see it. At that stage it is passed to the shipping line for the original Bill of Lading. On cargo for Conakry or Kamsar this step comes before validation.
Draft and Original Bill of Lading on a Guinea Conakry BESC
The two documents do different jobs. A draft opens the file and is enough to prepare the draft BESC. Final validation needs the master Bill of Lading. So a draft alone does not meet the 5-day limit: validation with the original has to finish at least 5 days before the vessel arrives.
NIF and Local Insurance for the Guinea Conakry BESC
Both come from the importer in Guinea. The NIF is the importer's tax number, and local insurance has been required for imported goods since 1 March 2025. The shipper, exporter or forwarder files at the port of loading but can only get these two items from the buyer. Because the file opens with them, ask for them before the cargo loads.
How Many Guinea Conakry BESC Certificates Does a Shipment Need?
One for each Bill of Lading, limited to one vessel, one voyage and one consignee. Two separate Bills of Lading to Conakry on the same vessel need two Guinea Conakry BESC certificates.
Who Manages the Guinea Conakry BESC: CGC and Catalyst
The procedure is run for the Conseil Guinéen des Chargeurs (CGC), which entrusted its management to Catalyst Business Solutions. The application starts at the port of loading, but approval runs through Conakry.
Since When Is the Guinea Conakry BESC Required?
According to shipping documentation providers, since 9 October 2018 under Executive Order 2018/10/1/2/2/MT. That date comes from Shippersdoc. Since 1 March 2025 the file also includes local insurance.
Shipping to Guinea Conakry from Turkey
Approval runs through Conakry, so open the file from Turkey as soon as the Bill of Lading details are settled instead of counting back from arrival. Ask the importer in Guinea for the NIF and the local insurance certificate at the same time.
Why File the Guinea Conakry BESC Through GetCTN
We ask for the NIF and the local insurance certificate with the first documents, and we pass the BESC number to the shipping line for the original Bill of Lading. Before the draft we check that freight is declared on the invoice or on a separate freight invoice and that the consignee address describes a physical location, two of the top three causes of Guinea Conakry BESC rejection. We also check that the Bill of Lading names Guinea Conakry, not Guinea-Bissau or Equatorial Guinea.
Guinea BESC and Guinea Conakry ECTN questions
What is the Guinea Conakry BESC?
The BESC is a compulsory Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for shipments to Guinea Conakry. 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 BESC?
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 BESC be issued?
At least 5 days before the vessel arrives at Conakry; open the file as soon as the Bill of Lading details are settled, since approval runs through Conakry.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid BESC?
Cargo without a validated BESC faces penalties and fees at the port of arrival, with storage and demurrage until it is regularised.
Can a validated BESC 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 Guinea Conakry ECTN the same as the Guinea BESC?
Yes. The Guinea Conakry ECTN, the Guinea ECTN, the Guinea BESC and the Guinea Conakry BESC all mean the BESC (Bordereau Électronique de Suivi des Cargaisons) of the Republic of Guinea; some agents also call it ICTN.
Is Guinea Conakry the same as Guinea-Bissau or Equatorial Guinea?
No. Guinea (Conakry) requires a BESC; Guinea-Bissau requires a CEE and Equatorial Guinea an ECTN. Each country has its own certificate and procedure.