Required Documents for Cameroon BESC

To obtain a Cameroon BESC for your shipment destined for Douala, Kribi or any other major ports in Cameroon you will need the bill of lading, commercial invoice, freight invoice and the consignee’s TaxID and PR number.

This article will cover the list of required documents, why they are needed, common mistakes and how to avoid them.

List of Required Documents

Bill of Lading

The BL is the core document for all ECTN required countries. It contains shipment specific information such as:

• Shipper and Consignee name and address
• Notify party information
• Port of loading and discharge
• Container numbers and seal numbers
• Gross weight and volume
• Cargo description
• Packaging details

It is important that all supporting documentation matches the BL to prevent any BESC validation issues.

Commercial Invoice

The commercial invoice shows the value of the goods, information about the buyer and seller and other key details such as:

• Invoice number and date
• Currency
• Quantity sold
• Payment terms

Freight Invoice

Freight Invoice

The freight invoice is issued by the carrier or freight forwarder and will show the incoterm, cost of ocean freight and any other supplemental costs related to the movement of the cargo.

Consignee’s TaxID and PR Number

The consignee’s TaxID and PR Number are used to link the ECTN or BESC to Cameroon’s single windows trade system. This information can be found on the GUCE document, or directly on the import license. It is not possible to generate a draft BESC without these numbers so it is critical that you have them before applying for the BESC.

Why are These Documents Required?

Cameroon requires the documents listed above in order to validate the BESC. They are required do ensure the port authorities have all the information necessary to clear your cargo without delays and penalties.

Common Document Errors

The most common document error we see in Cameroon BESC requests is a TaxID and PR number that are unrelated. The TaxID is the consignee’s number registered with the Cameroon government and the PR number is also known as a transaction number which ties the TaxID back to the individual shipment.

Other common errors we see are:

• Mismatch between the consignee’s name that is registered in the single windows system and what appears on the BESC draft
• Missing or incorrect weight on the BL
• Missing or incorrect commercial invoice. If you do not have a commercial invoice for your shipment we can provide a template

Summary

The required documents to obtain a Cameroon BESC are the BL, commercial invoice, freight invoice and the consignee’s TaxID and PR number. Submitting complete and accurate documents is critical for quick validation and avoiding costly delays.

For a complete overview and link to submit your Cameroon BESC application, visit the full guide here.