International convention and customs procedures of the Democratic Republic of Congo

International Economic Cooperation

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a member of the following organizations:

• South African Development Community (SADC)
• World Trade Organisation (WTO)
• Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (ECGLC)
• Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
• Organisation for Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA)
• African Union (AU)

Non Tariff Barriers

The Democratic Republic of Congo has several trade barriers, especially caused by high levels of corruption, a multiplicity of administrative agencies with overlapping responsibilities in trade matters, and complex regulations which are poorly codified. Several laws are not fully or consistently implemented, and generally for commercial issues a protracted negotiations with various customs officials is required.
Several products require an import license (alcohol, medicines, weapons, etc.). Concerning pets, a veterinarian health certificate stating that the animals are free from ticks and have not been exposed to contagious diseases is mandatory. Cats and dogs need an additional rabies certificate stating that they have been vaccinated against rabies over a month but less than 12 months before departure.

Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports

8,4%
(Weighted mean applied tariff is the average of effectively applied rates weighted by the product import shares corresponding to each partner country. Source: World Bank)

Customs Classification

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a member of the World Customs Organisation and does comply with the harmonised customs system.

Import Procedures

Importing goods into the DRC can be a lengthy process, due to onerous regulations and administrative procedures. The Bureau of Inspection, Valuation, Assessment, and Control (BIVAC) is the authorized agent for pre-shipment inspection of goods valued at USD 2,500 or more: following several steps and a quality, quantity and value verification, the exporting country BIVAC office issues a certification of validation and submits it to the importer through BIVAC in the DRC. Such certification (which determines the CIF value) must contain the supplier’s invoice number, the bill of lading number, the number of containers, the import license number and the confirmation of the quantity of the product (documents shall be in French). Furthermore, a commercial invoice, packing lists, bills of lading/air waybill, import license, pro forma invoice, export declaration, an insurance certificate, and often a certificate of origin are also required.

Importing Samples

Commercial samples are exempted from pre-shipment inspections.

To go further, check out our service Import controls and Export controls.

For Further Information

Congolese Control Office
General Directorate for Customs and Exices (DGDA)
Business Portal for Africa