What certificates and documents do I need to export to South Africa?

Every shipment to South Africa needs customs documents: a goods declaration lodged with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) by a registered importer or clearing agent, a commercial invoice, a transport document and any permit the goods require. On top of that, the document you need depends on the product. Regulated goods such as electrical appliances, tyres and frozen fish need approval from the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) before they are imported or sold, and used goods need an import permit from the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC). A certificate of origin lowers the duty only if you claim a rate under a trade agreement, and SARS also requires one for goods subject to anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard duties. If you first want to know what each body does, read our guide to NRCS, SABS and ITAC.

What is the short answer?

• The NRCS says you get the Letter of Authority (LOA) first and import afterwards, not the other way round (NRCS FAQ).
• ITAC requires an import permit for all used or second-hand goods and for 276 tariff lines under import control; most new goods are exempt (ITAC; ITAC FAQ).
• SARS checks the declaration against the invoice, bill of lading, certificate of origin and permits, and a required permit must be produced at clearance (SARS imports).
• Certification by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is voluntary; NRCS approval is compulsory where a compulsory specification applies (NRCS FAQ).

Which certificate does each product group need?

Use this table to find your product group, then confirm the rule for your exact tariff heading. The SARS list of prohibited and restricted goods names the authority for each restricted heading.

Product group (HS code)	Regulator	Document	When
Electrical and electronic products; the SARS list requires an LOA for many lines under, for example, lamps (8539), switches, fuses and circuit breakers (8536), cookers (8516.60) and fridge-freezers (8418.10)	NRCS, electro-technical unit	Letter of Authority (LOA) under a compulsory specification (NRCS; SARS restricted list)	Before import
Vehicle components and motorcycle helmets: new tyres (4011), replacement brake pads (8708.30), safety glass for road vehicles (7007) and motorcycle helmets (6506.10)	NRCS, automotive unit; ITAC for most tyres	Homologation or LOA under compulsory specifications such as VC8056 and VC8059 for tyres (NRCS tyres); new tyres under 4011.10, 4011.20 and 4011.70 to 4011.90 (cars, buses, lorries, farm, construction and other vehicles) also need an ITAC import permit, but aircraft, motorcycle and bicycle tyres do not (SARS restricted list)	Before import or sale
Motor vehicles and motorcycles, new or used (87)	NRCS and ITAC	LOA from the NRCS for new and used vehicles, wherever they were built (NRCS vehicles); import permit from ITAC for used vehicles: for used cars, light delivery vehicles, buses and trucks ITAC issues permits "only in very specific and defined circumstances" and not for resale, while permits for used motorcycles are issued freely (ITAC used vehicle guidelines)	Before you order or ship, as ITAC advises for used vehicles
Personal protective equipment, safety footwear, cement, plastic carrier bags and other chemical, mechanical and materials goods	NRCS, chemical, mechanical and materials unit	Approval of each model or product family, issued as an LOA (NRCS)	Before the goods enter the market
Frozen fish (0303), fish fillets and other fish meat (0304), canned fish (1604)	NRCS, food and associated industries, with port health; ITAC for 0303 and 0304	For most lines, a health certificate travelling with the consignment, notification to the NRCS and no trade or sale without NRCS approval; goods under 0303 and 0304 also need an ITAC import permit (SARS restricted list)	ITAC permit before shipment; health certificate with the shipment
Used or second-hand goods of any kind, waste and scrap, and goods on the import control list	ITAC	Import permit; commercial importers use form IE461 (ITAC forms)	Before shipment
Any product with a South African National Standard (SANS)	SABS	SABS Mark: voluntary certification that can serve as evidence for the NRCS, but does not replace the LOA (SABS)	Optional; SABS says bulk buyers such as retailers prefer certified products
Goods for which you claim a preferential duty rate, and goods under anti-dumping, countervailing or safeguard duties	SARS	Certificate of origin, such as the SADC certificate of origin or the AfCFTA certificate for a preference (SARS rules of origin; tralac; SARS policy SC-RO-02)	Issued in the exporting country, produced at clearance
Every shipment	SARS	Goods declaration (SAD 500), commercial invoice, packing list if required, bill of lading or air waybill (SARS goods declaration)	At import

Two cases need a regulator that is not in the table. Radio and telecoms equipment, such as mobile phones and radios, needs type approval from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) before it is sold or imported, and ICASA issues the certificate only to South African registered companies (ICASA). Smartphones (8517.13), line telephones (8517.11 and 8517.18) and network equipment such as base stations and routers (8517.61 to 8517.69) also need an NRCS Letter of Authority, per the SARS restricted list; other mobile phones (8517.14) and parts (8517.71 and 8517.79) carry no such requirement on that list. Meat products (1602) need a veterinary import permit; the SARS restricted list refers these entries to the Meat Inspection Unit of the agriculture department (DALRRD) or to the state veterinarian.

Which documents does every shipment need?

Every shipment needs a goods declaration, an invoice and a transport document, whatever the product. SARS says every importer must lodge a goods declaration before the goods are imported, and that importers and their clearing agents must be registered or licensed (SARS goods declaration).

The SARS goods declaration policy lists the supporting documents: invoices in the prescribed form, a packing list if required, any certificates, declarations or permits, and the transport document (a bill of lading for sea freight, an air waybill for air freight). These documents are not lodged with the declaration; customs asks for them when it queries the entry. The invoice must show the country of origin.

When must a Letter of Authority be in place?

A Letter of Authority must be in place before the goods are imported, so apply well before you ship. The NRCS answers the question "Can I import products into the country and then apply for an LOA?" with "No, you get the LOA certificate first, and then import products" (NRCS FAQ).

The NRCS also says that SARS, in many cases, asks for evidence of NRCS approval before releasing consignments at the port of entry (NRCS). Goods that need an approval and arrive without it are detained, and goods whose declaration is rejected go to the State Warehouse, according to the SARS prohibited and restricted goods policy.

To get an LOA, you send the NRCS evidence of conformity, usually a test report from an accredited laboratory. The NRCS accepts reports from laboratories outside South Africa if they are accredited by a body that is a member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) (NRCS FAQ).

Do new goods need an ITAC import permit?

Most new goods do not need an ITAC import permit. ITAC's FAQ says most new goods are exempt from import control. Its import control page says 276 of roughly 6,650 tariff lines are under import control, and that all used or second-hand goods need a permit. New tyres for cars and lorries and frozen fish are among the new goods that do need one, as the table shows.

If your goods are on the list, or are used, apply before you ship. SARS states that the importer must apply for the authority before the import (SARS policy SC-CC-32) and that goods are not released unless the permit is produced at clearance (SARS policy SC-CF-55).

Does a certificate of origin lower the duty?

A certificate of origin lowers the duty only when the goods qualify under a trade agreement South Africa has signed. SARS asks importers to prove origin when a preferential rate is applied (SARS goods declaration), and its trade agreements page lists, among others, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the protocols of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the SADC-EU EPA, EFTA-SACU, SACU-MERCOSUR and the SACUM-UK EPA.

China is not on that list, and the SARS China zero-tariff scheme covers goods exported from South Africa to China, not imports into South Africa (SARS). Goods from a country with no agreement on the list, China included, are charged the general (MFN) rate in the tariff, the rate SARS also applies when no certificate of origin is produced (SARS invoice policy). Some headings are free of duty by tariff (SARS policy SC-CF-55), so check yours.

Origin also decides whether an anti-dumping or countervailing duty applies (SARS rules of origin). Goods that fall under Schedule 2 of the tariff, which covers those duties, must be cleared with a certificate of origin whatever the country (SARS policy SC-RO-02).

For African trade, South Africa started trading under the AfCFTA on 31 January 2024, while trade with SADC countries continues under the SADC protocol (SARS letter to traders). Only goods that meet the AfCFTA rules of origin qualify (tralac).

Is a SABS certificate enough?

A SABS certificate is not enough on its own where a compulsory specification applies. The NRCS states that its approval is compulsory and SABS certification is voluntary (NRCS FAQ). The SABS brochure says the same from its side: the SABS Mark provides evidence of conformity that regulators require, but you still apply to the NRCS for an LOA (SABS).

Who applies: the exporter or the importer?

The NRCS issues Letters of Authority to manufacturers and importers (NRCS), while ITAC permits and the customs entry belong to the importer (ITAC; SARS goods declaration).

A foreign company can register as an importer itself, but SARS requires it to register as a legal entity and nominate a registered agent located in South Africa (SARS policy SC-CF-19). The other route is to sell to a local importer or distributor and supply the test reports. Agree in the contract who applies and who pays. Our step-by-step export checklist covers the rest of that process.

What does the paperwork cost and how long does it take?

The fees below were published by the regulators themselves. An NRCS Letter of Authority for electro-technical products costs R2,147.83 per application for safety only and R4,295.66 for safety and energy efficiency together, non-refundable, according to the NRCS tariffs in Government Gazette No. 52750 of 30 May 2025. Fees for other units are in the same gazette. The NRCS pages we opened do not state a processing time for an LOA.

ITAC gives an average of three to five working days for an import permit (ITAC). Its pages differ on cost: the FAQ says permits are free, while a schedule of proposed administrative fees on its fee guidelines page lists R339 per import permit application, possibly charged once per tariff sub-heading (both pages as opened on 28 October 2026). Ask ITAC which applies before you budget.

What are the limits of this guide?

This is a general orientation, not legal or customs advice. It is based on the public pages of the NRCS, SABS, ITAC, SARS, ICASA and tralac, opened on 28 October 2026. Several NRCS unit pages had no readable text at that date, so the table names product groups rather than every regulated item. Rules and fees change; confirm your tariff heading and the current requirement with the regulator or a licensed South African customs broker before you ship.