The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI) is the umbrella body of the private sector in Kenya. The Chamber is an autonomous, non-profit, membership-based & private sector lobby institution. Membership to the Chamber is not mandatory however, membership is diverse and has benefits such as networking opportunities, training consultancy, customer referrals & credibility in your business to mention a few. For more information on how to register with KNCCI, click the link.
The Agriculture & Food Authority (AFA) is mandated to promote best practices and regulate the production, processing, marketing, grading, storage, collection, transportation, & warehousing of agricultural products, excluding livestock products, as well as documenting & monitoring agriculture through registration of players as provided for in the Crops Act. Registration is done on the AFA Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), an automated platform that facilitates traders importing and exporting crops to acquire regulatory documents from AFA Directorates. For more information on how to register on the AFA IMIS Portal, click the link.
The Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) is a State Corporation mandated to establish, implement & manage the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP), and to facilitate trade. The TFP is an online platform that serves as a single entry point for parties involved in international trade & transport logistics to lodge documents electronically, for processing, approvals and to make payments electronically for fees, levies, duties & taxes due to the Government, on imported or exported goods. Training is mandatory for new users of the system prior to registration on the system; this includes new staff from organizations already registered on the TFP. For more information on how to register on the TFP, click the link.
This procedure applies to first-time traders who require to obtain a preferential certificate of origin during export. Traders are required to register with the Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA) Rules of Origin Section to obtain a registration letter. The letter confirms the country of origin of the goods to be exported and is a requirement when applying for the preferential certificate of origin. For more information on how to register with the KRA Rules of Origin Section, click the link.
A food hygiene licence is required for all facilities that process and package products that are for human consumption, e.g packhouses. The licence is issued by Port Health Services Kenya (PHS) or by Public Health Officers, from the respective County Governments where the premises are located. The licence is valid for one (1) calendar year. For more information on how to obtain a food hygiene licence from either the County Government or County Public Health Office, select from the options below.
An export certificate is issued by AFA Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) to an exporter of horticultural produce (fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers) as an indication that AFA HCD has cleared the consignment for export. For more information on how to obtain the certificate, click the link.
The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) is mandated to exercise general supervision and control over the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms with a view to ensuring safety of human and animal health and provision of an adequate level of protection of the environment. The Authority issues a licence for export of produce that are globally known/suspected to be of possible Genetically modified organism e.g., maize (add more commodities), for each consignment. The market requirements in the country of destination will determine the need for the GMO certificate. For more information on how to obtain the certificate, click on the link.
The Certificate of Origin (COO) is an international trade document which certifies that, a certain product being exported is wholly manufactured, produced, processed or obtained from the exporting country. For more information on how to obtain the COO, please select from the options below.
A non-preferential certificate of origin is an export document issued by the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) that confirms the country of origin of goods being exported. The AfCFTA certificate of origin is issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Rules of Origin Section. For more information on how to obtain a non-preferential certificate of origin, select from the options below.
The AfCFTA certificate of origin is an international trade document which certifies that a certain product being exported is wholly manufactured, produced, processed or obtained from the exporting country. COO is issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Rules of Origin Section. For more information on how to obtain the certificate, click the link.
The EAC certificate of origin is required for goods obtained, manufactured, produced or processed in Kenya, and are to be exported within the East African Community (EAC) region. The certificate is issued per consignment. For more information on how to obtain the certificate, click the link.
The Agriculture & Food Authority (AFA) is mandated to promote best practices & regulate the production, processing, marketing, grading, storage, collection, transportation, & warehousing of agricultural products, excluding livestock products, as well as documenting & monitoring agriculture through registration of players as provided for in the Crops Act. Registration is done on the AFA Integrated Management Information System (IMIS); an automated platform that facilitates traders importing & exporting crops to acquire regulatory documents from AFA Directorates. For more information on how to register on the AFA IMIS Portal, click the link.
The AFA Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) is charged with the mandate of regulation of horticultural nurseries, production, post-harvest handling & marketing of horticultural crops & produce in compliance with local & international standards. Importers of horticultural produce are required to register with AFA HCD who issue an import licence that is valid for one (1) financial year. For more information on how to register with AFA HCD, click the link.
The regulation of plant & plant materials is under the mandate of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), who is responsible for the assurance of plant health, seed, plant variety, & agro-inputs quality issues in Kenya, to prevent adverse impact on the economy, the environment and human health. Importers of plant & plant materials are required to obtain a Plant Import Permit (PIP) per consignment, which is processed through KEPHIS’ Integrated Export Import Certification System (IEICS). For more information on how to register on IEICS, click the link.
The Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) is a State Corporation mandated to establish, implement & manage the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP), and to facilitate trade. The TFP is an online platform that serves as a single entry point for parties involved in international trade & transport logistics to lodge documents electronically, for processing, approvals and to make payments electronically for fees, levies, duties & taxes due to the Government, on imported or exported goods. Training is mandatory for new users of the system prior to registration on the system; this includes new staff from organizations already registered on the TFP. For more information on how to register on the TFP, click the link.
The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) is mandated to exercise general supervision and control over the transfer, handling and use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) with a view to ensuring both safety of human and animal health, as well as provision of an adequate level of protection of the environment. For more information on how to obtain a letter of no objection from NBA, click the link.
The Import Declaration Form (IDF) is a declaration of the customs value of a consignment, and is issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA), Customs Services Department. Importers are required to complete an IDF and sign it to show that they have declared the true & accurate value of the imported goods before they leave the country of origin. IDFs that remain unutilized after three (3) months from the date of issuance will automatically attract the appropriate sanctions. For more information on how to obtain an IDF, click the link.
Import of plant & plant materials is regulated by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) who issue a Plant Import Permit (PIP) per consignment, which ascertains that the consignment has met the requirements outlined on the permit as per the type of species, and ensure that foreign injurious pests, diseases & noxious weeds which are non-existent in Kenya are not introduced or spread when importing plant material into the country. The PIP is valid for six (6) months from the date of issue. For more information on how to obtain the PIP, click the link.
A Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is a certified document issued by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), which assures that commodities have met the required standards & specifications. When a consignment arrives in Kenya without a CoC, indicating that the consignment was inspected at the country of origin, an importer is required to obtain a local CoC. The certificate is only issued after successful inspection & verification of the consignment is carried out by KEBS. For more information on how to obtain a local CoC, click the link.
The Import Standardization Mark (ISM) is a mandatory requirement for all imported products intended for sale in the local market. The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is the competent Authority that regulates issuance of the ISM stickers. Traders are advised to apply for the ISM sticker once the goods have arrived, and the customs entry has been verified and passed by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
The following products are exempted from the ISM sticker; medicines, medical devices, pest control products, seeds (plant materials), printed materials, for example, books, newspaper, magazines etc., precious stones, jewellery etc., illuminated signs and name plates etc., motor vehicles & bikes (covered under a different inspection regime), artificial flowers, walking sticks, antiques etc., products manufactured in an East African Community (EAC) Partner State, and bears a quality mark of that Partner State.
In accordance with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), goods for importation shall be entered (declared) within twenty-one (21) days after the commencement of discharge or in the case of vehicles, on arrival. Importers are required to acquire the services of a licensed customs clearing agent, who is mandated to process the importation documents in the Customs system and assist in clearing goods on the importer’s behalf. For more information on how to import a consignment of vegetables through the Lunga Lunga OSBP, click the link.
In accordance with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), goods for importation shall be entered (declared) within twenty-one (21) days after the commencement of discharge or in the case of vehicles, on arrival. Importers are required to acquire the services of a licensed customs clearing agent, who is mandated to process the importation documents in the Customs system and assist in clearing goods on the importer’s behalf. For more information on how to import a consignment of vegetables through the Taveta-Holili OSBP, click the link.
In accordance with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), goods for importation shall be entered (declared) within twenty-one (21) days after the commencement of discharge or in the case of vehicles, on arrival. Importers are required to acquire the services of a licensed customs clearing agent, who is mandated to process the importation documents in the Customs system and assist in clearing goods on the importer’s behalf. For more information on how to import a consignment of vegetables through JKIA, click the link.
In accordance with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), goods for importation shall be entered (declared) within twenty-one (21) days after the commencement of discharge or in the case of vehicles, on arrival. Importers are required to acquire the services of a licensed customs clearing agent, who is mandated to process the importation documents in the Customs system and assist in clearing goods on the importer’s behalf. For more information on how to import a consignment of vegetables through the Isebania OSBP, click the link.
In accordance with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), goods for importation shall be entered (declared) within twenty-one (21) days after the commencement of discharge or in the case of vehicles, on arrival. Importers are required to acquire the services of a licensed customs clearing agent, who is mandated to process the importation documents in the Customs system and assist in clearing goods on the importer’s behalf. For more information on how to import a consignment of vegetables through the Malaba OSBP, click the link.
In accordance with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), goods for importation shall be entered (declared) within twenty-one (21) days after the commencement of discharge or in the case of vehicles, on arrival. Importers are required to acquire the services of a licensed customs clearing agent, who is mandated to process the importation documents in the Customs system and assist in clearing goods on the importer’s behalf. For more information on how to import a consignment of vegetables through EIA, click the link.
In accordance with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), goods for importation shall be entered (declared) within twenty-one (21) days after the commencement of discharge or in the case of vehicles, on arrival. Importers are required to acquire the services of a licensed customs clearing agent, who is mandated to process the importation documents in the Customs system and assist in clearing goods on the importer’s behalf. For more information on how to import a consignment of vegetables through MIA, click the link.
In accordance with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), goods for importation shall be entered (declared) within twenty-one (21) days after the commencement of discharge or in the case of vehicles, on arrival. Importers are required to acquire the services of a licensed customs clearing agent, who is mandated to process the importation documents in the Customs system and assist in clearing goods on the importer’s behalf. For more information on how to import a consignment of vegetables through the Port of Mombasa, click the link.