What is the Yemen ACD (Advance Cargo Declaration)?
The Yemen ACD is the advance cargo declaration required for cargo discharged at Yemeni ports, including Aden, Hodeidah, Mukalla and Mocha. It came in two steps: the Ministry of Transport made the ACD number mandatory for all shipments from 1 January 2025, and the Counter Terrorism Service-Yemen required it at the port of loading, with the number on the Bill of Lading, for all containerized shipments from 1 February 2025.
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.
Yemen ACD: Aden, Hodeidah, Mukalla and Mocha
The Yemen ACD covers shipments discharged at Yemeni ports, including Aden, Hodeidah (Al Hudaydah), Mukalla and Mocha. Tell us the port of discharge when you send the Bill of Lading.
Yemen ACD sources
The Yemen ACD was introduced by Yemen’s Ministry of Transport and enforced for containers by the Counter Terrorism Service-Yemen.
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When to obtain the Yemen ACD
Obtain the Yemen ACD at the port of loading, before the cargo is loaded: since 1 February 2025 its number has to be on the Bill of Lading, and an ACD reference that was not obtained before loading cannot be corrected afterwards.
Who obtains the Yemen ACD
Under the CTSYE directive the shipper, the exporter or the freight forwarder must obtain the Yemen ACD. The consignee in Yemen does not file it.
How to get the Yemen ACD, step by step
According to the customs regulations of Yemen, 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 certificate of origin and the freight invoice.
- ▪We check that the cargo description and the shipper and consignee details match across the documents and prepare the draft with the ACD number.
- ▪You approve the draft; the ACD number goes on the Bill of Lading before the cargo is loaded.
- ▪The validated Yemen ACD travels with the cargo for discharge and clearance at the Yemeni port.
Yemen 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 Yemen ACD?
Cargo arriving without a validated ACD is generally not released at Aden, Hodeidah or Mukalla: 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 Yemen ACD 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.
Yemen ACD: latest notices and articles
- Urgent: ACD Compliance Needed for Shipments to Yemen · 2026-02-24
- ACD Will Be Mandatory for All Shipments to Yemen · 2026-02-24
- Yemen ACD Certificate Regulation Update · 2026-02-24
Is the Yemen ACD Mandatory?
Yes. Shipments to Yemeni ports have needed an ACD since the Ministry of Transport introduced it on 1 January 2025. Since 1 February 2025 the CTSYE directive requires containerized shipments to obtain it at the port of loading, with the number on the Bill of Lading.
How Long Does the Yemen ACD Take?
Loading sets the Yemen ACD calendar, not vessel arrival, so plan back from the port of loading. The file starts when the Bill of Lading, commercial invoice, certificate of origin and freight invoice arrive. The cargo description and party details are compared, the draft is prepared, you approve it, and the ACD number goes on the Bill of Lading before loading.
Delays come from a certificate of origin that arrives late, a cargo description that differs between documents, or Bill of Lading text closed before the ACD step. The latest point is before the cargo is loaded, and an ACD reference not obtained by then cannot be corrected afterwards.
Yemen ACD: Port of Loading and Port of Discharge
Each port does a different job for the Yemen ACD. The port of loading is where a containerized shipment obtains it under the CTSYE directive. The port of discharge, such as Aden, Hodeidah, Mukalla or Mocha, is why it is needed. Give us both, and make sure the discharge port on the Bill of Lading matches the cargo.
Does Non-Containerized Cargo Need a Yemen ACD?
The Ministry of Transport introduced the ACD for all shipments, while the CTSYE directive speaks of containerized shipments. So the port-of-loading and Bill of Lading conditions are written for containers, and the ministry wording makes no such split. Our sources do not say at what stage non-containerized cargo obtains it: send the Bill of Lading to Yemen and we confirm it for your shipment.
Can the Yemen ACD Be Obtained After the Bill of Lading Is Issued?
Do not rely on it. A Yemen ACD not obtained before loading cannot be corrected afterwards, and since 1 February 2025 a containerized shipment needs the number on the Bill of Lading. Our sources show no way back for a container loaded without one. For Yemen the order stays fixed: ACD first, loading second.
Certificate of Origin for the Yemen ACD
The certificate of origin is one of the four core Yemen ACD documents and a mandatory line in our table. Complete it with the Bill of Lading, commercial invoice and freight invoice. Yemen’s limit is loading, so leaving this document until last squeezes the ACD and the loading date together.
If an Agent Asks for a Yemen Waiver
Some carriers and agents call the Yemen ACD a waiver or an ECTN. If you see those names, forward the request with the Bill of Lading before looking for a separate filing, and we confirm whether it means the ACD. The filing name is ACD, and the number goes on the Bill of Lading under that name.
Matching Cargo Description and Parties for Yemen
The Yemen ACD records loading and invoice details so the authorities can verify the shipment before it arrives, which is why our check centres on the cargo description and the shipper and consignee details. The description on the Bill of Lading has to match the commercial invoice. Both are also our top Yemen rejection causes, so settle them before you approve the draft.
Hodeidah or Al Hudaydah on the Bill of Lading?
Both names mean the same Yemeni port; our page writes Hodeidah (Al Hudaydah). Send us the spelling used on your Bill of Lading, because the discharge port there has to match the cargo. If you are unsure how the Hodeidah discharge port is written, settle it before you send the Bill of Lading.
Shipping to Yemen from Turkey
Obtain the Yemen ACD at the port of loading in Turkey, before the cargo is loaded. The certificate of origin is a core document, so have it ready with the invoices. The shipper, exporter or forwarder on the Turkish side obtains the ACD under the CTSYE directive; the consignee in Yemen does not file it.
Why File Through GetCTN
Our Yemen check goes to the three causes that stop this file: a cargo description that differs between Bill of Lading and invoice, inconsistent shipper or consignee details, and an ACD reference not obtained before loading. You approve the draft before the ACD number goes on the Bill of Lading, and we file before the Yemen cargo is loaded.
Yemen ACD questions
What is the Yemen ACD?
The ACD (Advance Cargo Declaration) is the compulsory cargo declaration for shipments to Yemen, obtained at the port of loading. It records loading and invoice details so the authorities can verify the shipment before it arrives.
Which documents are required to obtain the ACD?
The core documents are: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Certificate of Origin, and Freight Invoice. Additional destination-specific paperwork may be requested during validation — our desk confirms the exact list for your shipment.
When must the ACD be issued?
At the port of loading, before the cargo is loaded. Since 1 February 2025 the ACD number has to be on the Bill of Lading for all containerized shipments to Yemen.
What happens if cargo arrives without a valid ACD?
Cargo without a valid ACD faces significant delays at Yemeni ports, investigations and administrative holds, on top of storage and demurrage charges.
Can a validated ACD 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 ACD Yemen the same as the Yemen ACD certificate?
Yes. ACD Yemen, the Yemen ACD and the Yemen ACD certificate all mean the Advance Cargo Declaration required for shipments to Yemen. Some carriers and agents also call it a waiver or ECTN for Yemen.
Is the Yemen ACD required from 1 January or 1 February 2025?
Both dates are correct. The Ministry of Transport introduced the ACD for all shipments from 1 January 2025; the Counter Terrorism Service-Yemen directive of 1 February 2025 made it mandatory at the port of loading, with the number on the Bill of Lading, for all containerized shipments.