1 518 302 6818
kyle.hallner@getctn.com
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We’ve provided the CTN certificate for over 20 countries to clients worldwide since 2005.
What is ECTN?
The Electronic Cargo Tracking Note Certificate, commonly known as an ECTN, is a mandatory documentation requirement implemented by certain African countries to monitor and validate incoming shipments. It’s an official validation document that provides detailed information about a cargo’s content, origin, and destination. The exporter or freight forwarder must obtain this certificate. It aids customs authorities in tracking, controlling, and managing cargo, ensuring better security, and facilitating the rapid clearance of goods. Failure to provide a valid ECTN often results in fines or delays in cargo clearance.
Ghana Official Notice From The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP):
According to this law, every cargo that has been purchased from abroad and transported for commercial, business, in some cases diplomatic and personal purposes require a Loading Certificate called CTN – Cargo Tracking Note.
The shipper or the freight forwarder is responsible for acquiring the CTN waiver certificate from the authorized representative.
- Bill of Lading – an Original BL copy is mandatory.
- Commercial Invoice
- Freight Invoice – It is necessary if the freight cost isn’t on the commercial invoice.
- Export Customs Declaration – Details have to match with all documents if it is not cross-trade.
- Packing List – Reference of the doc, the date, the number of containers, the container numbers and the container type have to be mentioned.
- According to Ghana Customs regulations, all cargoes to Ghana must be accompanied by a CTN certificate.
- The CTN certificate must be validated five days before the vessel arrives at the latest.
- Shipments who arrive without CTN or with false information on the CTN gets charged twice the certificate cost plus the regulation charge determined by the Ghana National Port Officials.
FAQs related to Ghana CTN Certificate
A shipment to Burkina Faso in transit through Ghana will also need to get a Ghana ECTN certificate as well as one for Burkina Faso.
All shipments to Ghana, including those that are in transit, must get the Electronic Cargo Tracking Number/Smart Port Note (ECTN/SPN) from the ports of loading as of November 1st, 2023.
No, CTN is unique and reserved only for one shipment. Every shipment must have a validated CTN number.
Yes, Ghana Customs authorities have imposed BSC requirements for all commercial and Non-commercial shipments starting from April 2018.
Yes. Ghana CTN validation process is split into two parts. First, the certificate gets pre-validated, where the shipper is provided with the CTN number. Then we require an Original Bill of Lading copy with the CTN number so we can validate the certificate.
We need to see the Original BL copy depicting the CTN number. However, we do not require an original hard copy of any of your documents.
General FAQs
GetCTN is an independent consulting firm that helps clients obtain CTN certificates in many African countries. It is an international company with offices in the USA, UK, and UAE, and its sole business is CTN certification; it is not a freight forwarder, importer, or exporter.
The hard copy of the certificate isn’t necessary at all. Instead, the whole process is completed online.
A bill of lading (BL or BoL) is a legal document issued by a carrier to a shipper that details the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being carried.
A commercial invoice is a required document for the export and import clearance process. It is sometimes used for foreign exchange purposes. In the buyer’s country, it is the document their customs officials use to assess import duties and taxes.