What is the Sierra Leone CTN certificate (Sierra Leone ECTN)?
The Sierra Leone CTN certificate is the cargo tracking note required for sea cargo to Sierra Leone, mainly through the Port of Freetown. It is also known as the Sierra Leone ECTN and, in parts of the trade, the ENS; all three names mean the same document. The requirement rests on Ministry of Finance memorandum Ref. MF-Rev 62/100/05/11-22, and carriers enforce it at loading: the ECTN goes on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest, and without the final ECTN the Bill of Lading or waybill is put on hold.
The CTN is Sierra Leone’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 Sierra Leone CTN
One instrument, several names. For Sierra Leone the filing is the CTN — Cargo Tracking Note. The same certificate is also referred to as ECTN (Electronic Cargo Tracking Note), and ENS, 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.
Sierra Leone CTN: the Port of Freetown
The Sierra Leone CTN covers sea cargo discharged in Sierra Leone, mainly at the Port of Freetown. Every Bill of Lading needs its own CTN.
Sierra Leone CTN sources
The Sierra Leone CTN rests on a Ministry of Finance memorandum (Ref. MF-Rev 62/100/05/11-22) and is enforced through an accredited agency.
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When to file the Sierra Leone CTN
File the Sierra Leone CTN before the cargo is loaded: carriers apply “No ECTN, No Load”, the ECTN has to be shown on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest, and the final ECTN must be submitted before the Bill of Lading is released, otherwise the Bill of Lading or waybill is put on hold.
Who files the Sierra Leone CTN
The shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder at the port of loading files the Sierra Leone CTN; it remains the shipper’s responsibility to submit the final ECTN before the Bill of Lading is released.
How to get the Sierra Leone CTN, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Sierra Leone, 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 and the freight invoice if freight is not on the invoice.
- ▪We check that parties, packages, weights and values match across the documents and prepare the draft with the CTN number.
- ▪You approve the draft; the CTN number goes on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest.
- ▪The final CTN is submitted before the Bill of Lading is released, and travels with the cargo for clearance at Freetown.
Sierra Leone CTN: validity and amendments
A validated CTN 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 Sierra Leone CTN?
Cargo arriving without a validated CTN is generally not released at Freetown: 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 Sierra Leone CTN 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.
Sierra Leone CTN: latest notices and articles
- The 4 Most Important Facts About Sierra Leone CTN · 2026-02-24
Is the Sierra Leone CTN Mandatory?
Yes. Sierra Leone requires a CTN for sea shipments, also called the Sierra Leone ECTN or ENS, under Ministry of Finance memorandum Ref. MF-Rev 62/100/05/11-22. Since 1 January 2023 shipping lines have been mandated to enforce it, and they apply "No ECTN, No Load".
How Long Does the Sierra Leone CTN Take?
The file starts when we have the Bill of Lading and the commercial invoice. Parties, packages, weights and values are then checked, the draft is prepared, you approve it, the number goes on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest, and the final CTN is submitted before the Bill of Lading is released.
What delays a Freetown file is specific: no Incoterm on the commercial invoice, no chassis number on the Bill of Lading for vehicles, a vessel departure date missing from the Bill of Lading, or the customs declaration and certificate of origin missing from the file. A late draft approval also holds back the final CTN.
Two events set the limits: the carrier's loading under "No ECTN, No Load", and the release of the Bill of Lading.
Which Documents Carry the Sierra Leone CTN Number?
Carriers look for the number on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest, as the CMA CGM advisory for Sierra Leone sets out. Printing it on the Master Bill of Lading is not required by the authority, but individual carriers may ask for it. Your carrier's practice decides, so ask at booking which Bill of Lading it wants the number on.
Bill of Lading on Hold: Draft CTN and Final CTN
The draft is the version that reaches you for approval after the documents are checked. The final CTN is what the carrier waits for before releasing the Bill of Lading, and it travels with the cargo for clearance at Freetown.
Without the final ECTN, the Bill of Lading or waybill is put on hold. Clearing that hold is the shipper's job, since submitting the final ECTN remains its responsibility. If you are on hold, first check whether the final CTN has been issued, then get it to the carrier.
Invoice and Added Documents for the Sierra Leone CTN
The incoterm must be mentioned on the commercial invoice, and a freight invoice is added when freight is not shown there. The Sierra Leone document table also carries two rows dated 24 October 2026: the customs declaration and the certificate of origin. Prepare both alongside the Bill of Lading and invoices for a file opened after that date, and our desk confirms the exact list for your shipment.
Vehicles and RO-RO Cargo for Sierra Leone
The chassis number must be on the Bill of Lading when shipping vehicles to Sierra Leone. On RO-RO shipments each chassis number is charged separately, and the RO-RO surcharge for trucks is calculated on maximum loadable weight. Have the chassis list and each truck's maximum loadable weight ready before asking for a quote.
When the $1000 Sierra Leone Penalty Applies
Under the Sierra Leone rules on this page, a shipment not accompanied by a valid CTN prior to vessel arrival gets a $1000 penalty, settled at the destination port and not on the loading side. "No ECTN, No Load" is meant to stop that from happening, but the penalty still stands for cargo that arrives without one.
ENS and EXS: What Is the Difference?
The two names follow the direction of the cargo. ENS is the trade name for the CTN on cargo going to Sierra Leone. EXS is the number for cargo leaving Sierra Leone. Both go to the shipping line before loading, ENS at the port of loading and EXS at Freetown, so that the line can print the number on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest.
Shipping to Sierra Leone from Turkey
For cargo loaded in Turkey, the shipper, exporter or forwarder at the port of loading files the CTN. Carriers will not load cargo for Freetown without the ECTN, so the file has to be under way before the Turkish loading date. Ask the carrier whether it wants the number on the Master Bill of Lading, and collect the customs declaration and certificate of origin listed in the Sierra Leone table along with the Bill of Lading and invoices.
Why File Through GetCTN
We check that parties, packages, weights and values match across the documents, and we look for the items that stop a Freetown file: the Incoterm on the invoice, the vessel departure date and, for vehicles, the chassis number on the Bill of Lading. You approve the draft before the number goes on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest, and our desk confirms the current document list for your Sierra Leone shipment.
Sierra Leone CTN questions
What is the Sierra Leone CTN?
The CTN (Cargo Tracking Note) is Sierra Leone’s compulsory cargo tracking certificate for sea shipments, also called the Sierra Leone ECTN or ENS. It records loading and invoice details so the authorities can verify the shipment before it arrives at Freetown.
Which documents are required to obtain the CTN?
The core documents are: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, and Freight Invoice. Additional destination-specific paperwork may be requested during validation — our desk confirms the exact list for your shipment.
When must the CTN be issued?
Before the cargo is loaded: carriers apply “No ECTN, No Load”, and the final ECTN must be submitted before the Bill of Lading is released, otherwise the Bill of Lading is put on hold.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid CTN?
Carriers do not load cargo for Sierra Leone without an ECTN and hold the Bill of Lading until the final ECTN is submitted. Cargo that still arrives without one faces clearance delays, storage and demurrage at Freetown.
Can a validated CTN 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 ECTN Sierra Leone the same as the Sierra Leone CTN?
Yes. ECTN Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone ECTN and the Sierra Leone CTN all mean the same certificate; searches for the ECTN Sierra Leone requirement lead to the CTN printed on the certificate.
Since when do carriers enforce the Sierra Leone ECTN?
Since 1 January 2023 shipping lines have been mandated to enforce the Sierra Leone ECTN under the Ministry of Finance memorandum. The ENS/CTN number has to be given to the shipping line before loading at the port of loading so it can be printed on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest.
Do exports from Freetown need a number too?
Yes. For cargo leaving Sierra Leone, the EXS number has to be given to the shipping line before loading at Freetown so it can be printed on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest.
Is the Sierra Leone CTN the same as the ECTN or ENS?
Yes. CTN is the name printed on Sierra Leone’s certificate; the trade also calls it the Sierra Leone ECTN or ENS. All three mean the same document, one per Bill of Lading.
What does “No ECTN, No Load” mean for Sierra Leone?
Carriers do not load cargo for Sierra Leone without an ECTN. The ECTN must be shown on the Bill of Lading and the cargo manifest, and the final ECTN must be submitted before the Bill of Lading is released.